Andy Lau's passion for movies cannot be denied. In 1990, he set up TeamWork Productions but ended up losing money and was in debt for couple of years before re-opening TeamWork, but still end up in failure and also got into a lawsuit, but that doesn't deter him as he battle even stronger after each defeat as he set up Focus Films and started Focus First Cuts last year where 6 new directors from different countries were gathered to film 6 High Definition movies.
Lam Tze Chung from the Shaolin Soccer fame is one of those whom benefitted as he directed, Andy invested I'll Call You which allow the 29-years-old Lam to realise his wish made when he's 22-years-old of becoming a director before 30-years-old. Although Lam said that he won't be directing in the near duture as the fee a director collected is not much and would be pressurise during shooting as he could not eat nor sleep well thus resulting him to lose 20 pounds, it's more relaxed being an actor. Despite what he said, he's currently preparing a new movie with a script similiar to I'll Call You to start shooting in April.
For a successful boss, the company's production must be well recieved in the market to allow the boss to ripe the success. Whether Andy's invested Focus First Cuts would be a success is still unknown but surely he's a good boss as other than passing the money invested and trust to Lam, of course a good boss would hope his productions to do well.
I'll Call You is invested by Focus Films, but he only cameo as an actor in the movie. When asked to judge I'll Call You and director Lam from the point of an actor and boss, Andy says: "As a boss, I would not like to use my angle to comment on my invested movie. Initially when I invest, my aim is to give these new directors a chance, I won't hinder their creativity. With regards to my comment on Lam, I can say that he's a director with potiential. He has a different brain, he's a borne talented, continue to work hard and present himself, he'll be successful."
One would want return when investing, when asked what's his return when nurturing these new directors? Andy says: "By giving chances to these new directors, I hope that they could bring new excitment to the movie industry. I was once a newcomer and understand that newcomer requires chances. My stand is that I can give chances to them, to me I'm not losing anything so why not? (Why you won't become a director yourself?) Haha, there will be one day that I'll become a director, I'm willing to take up new challenges, currently had no plans for it, if I wanted to do it, I'll tell you."
On seeing movies directed by Chinese going internationally, with some film makers look going into the Chinese market, so which direction will Andy Lau's movies be going?
"Looking internationally and the Chinese market doesn't happens now. I truley believe that those film makers 100 years ago also hope that their movies to be watched by people all over the world. Looking at the growth of Hong Kong movies, it had already reached a mature stage, we can go internationally. Some years ago, Chinese movies had yet mature but it's starting to mature now, thus it becomes the topic on everyone's lips."
Andy added: "I, being a Hong Kong film maker, no matter going internation or into the Chinese market, first of all must produce good movies. When there's a good movie, in today's technology, if you didn't go internationally intentionally, internation will come to you."
news from: Ming Pao
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