walked into director Liu Weiqiang's studio in Beijing, and a whole wall of posters stood in front of him with a preemptive momentum. From the " Infernal Affairs " series to " China Captain ", they have already become a reality without saying a word. It represents the golden age of Hong Kong movies and the journey of Hong Kong filmmakers to the north.
I believe that soon, the new film " Peacekeeping Riot Team ", which is currently being screened on the "May Day", will also be included in the list.
In this movie, Liu Weiqiang handed over the guidance to Li Dachao (who won the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Action Design for "October Siege "), and Liu Weiqiang himself served as the producer, which has a sense of sitting in the lineup and inheriting the legacy.
He joked that "no one will be rejected". As long as a good book, good project and good talent come to him, he is willing to serve as a producer. However, the prerequisite is that he can endure hardship. To follow him, you have to pay attention to details from beginning to end.
In the first smoke-filled "square encounter" in "Peacekeeping Riot Squad", the protagonists range from the main actors to the African-American extras. Their movements, positions and even expressions were carefully planned in advance by Liu Weiqiang. It seems that Random yet able to convey tension.
In this movie, Liu Weiqiang used young actors such as Huang Jingyu, Wang Yibo, Zhong Chuxi, Ou Hao, Zhu Yawen, Gu Jiacheng, and Zhao Hua to jointly film the heroic hymn of defending peace. The performance of the actors was highly praised by Liu Weiqiang.
Especially Wang Yibo, who joined the cast before films such as " Unknown " and " Passionate ", Liu Weiqiang once again showed his sophistication and confidence in knowing people: "Look at his eyes and state on stage, how come it's not a performance? I believe he can do it.”
The more no one is optimistic about it, the more I want to try it.
The reason why "Peacekeeping Riot Squad" attracts Liu Weiqiang is that it is a breakthrough subject in the category of Chinese-language movies.
is the first front-facing shot of the little-known life and death moments of Chinese peacekeeping police. At the request of the United Nations and dispatched by the country, they perform tasks in a war-torn mission area in an African country. not only demonstrates China's military strength and police style, but also transcends them. It truly embodies the true connotation of peace: sacrifice and faith..
Although he has already established a deep impression in the minds of the audience by filming films such as "The Founding of the Army " and "Captain of China", Liu Weiqiang still has the excitement of creation. chose the producer position. The reason is that I hope to use Brother Chao (Lee Da-chao) to create new ideas and integrate the advantages of Hong Kong movies into major events.
Therefore, in the new film, we vaguely feel the familiarity and familiarity of classic Hong Kong films. The cold-faced and warm-hearted father and superiors become the strong backing of the newcomers at critical moments, and their words are strong and affectionate; even when they are so nervous that they hold their breath In the hostage rescue scene, the audience can also feel the priceless friendship between comrades in the gap.
Liu Weiqiang has repeatedly emphasized that in his mind, theme movies and commercial genre films are just two "nouns". "You also have to pay attention to the characters, arrange some dramatic moments, the actors have to act realistically, and the photography has to capture beautiful movements... What is the essential difference?"
Liu Weiqiang clearly remembers, "Building When the project "Army Day" was handed over to him, he already thought about making something different and making a breakthrough. During the meeting, opposite Liu Weiqiang were some colleagues who had filmed theme themes. At first, they all showed doubts and uncertainty.
"It seems to be talking about the director, this doesn't work well, does it?" But Liu Weiqiang is a very infectious person. He doesn't care about so many things. He waves his hand like a general: "I say it will work!"
He boldly adopts some Young actors with no similar performance experience join in to protect their most vivid and vivid state, youth, passion and even some innocence that is not familiar with the world. Finally, with the help of accurately planned scene scheduling and repeated positioning preparations before real shooting , igniting the soaring passion that makes the audience's pores stand up.
In the Douban comment area, some young viewers even said that our revolutionary predecessors appeared in the flames of war and fired guns. They were so handsome and so proud!
"The more no one is optimistic about me, the more I want to try. The "Infernal Affairs" series that everyone is still mentioning now was actually not (was) optimistic at the time."
"Infernal Affairs" stills
The title of "Infernal Affairs" seems to be It is a portrayal of the Hong Kong film ecosystem at that time. Production was sluggish and talent was drained. Even the box office appeal of Liang and Liu, who were the best actors in the local area, was no longer what it once was.
Therefore, making this movie is like gambling. The director joked, "If I lose, I will have to change my career."
Lucky Like Me
In 1981, Liu Weiqiang, who came out of the Central Exchange, joined Shaw Brothers. From a small photographer to one of the best photographers, he won the 8th Hong Kong Film Awards for Wong Kar-wai's "Carmen in Mong Kok" Nominated for Best Photography, Liu Weiqiang has gone through seven years and has been out of control since then.
Stills from "Carmen in Mong Kok"
In 2002, Lau Wai-keung formed his own "Basic Picture Production Company" and the first film he produced was "Infernal Affairs", which pulled Hong Kong films out of "Infernal Affairs", which were sluggish at the box office at the time, and rekindled confidence in the industry.
In the film, Andy Lau used a color-coded lighting scheme to distinguish police and gang members, which not only increased the visual impact but also enriched the narrative structure of traditional police and gangster films, becoming the first benchmark for Hong Kong films since the millennium.
Stills from "Infernal Affairs"
Lau Wai-keung is a "pioneer" among Hong Kong filmmakers who went north. He was the first to try to integrate the resources of the mainland industry into his creations. In this process, he believes that the taste is complicated and involves culture, including language. Communication costs, as well as the pressure and challenges of breaking through subject matter bottlenecks and limitations. What to shoot and how to shoot are all questions that linger in his mind, but he has never regretted the choice of "going north".
"Because I am sure that I hope that my movies can be seen by more than one billion viewers across the country. You have to know that there are about 400 directors in Hong Kong, three generations of old, middle and young people, but how many of them can operate normally and can still In this circle? Therefore, integration is necessary. "
In 2017, "The Founding of an Army" directed by Liu Weiqiang was released, showing the shocking effect of audio-visual language in the title. In 2019, "Captain of China" was released. On the 16th day of its release, the box office exceeded 2.5 billion yuan and entered the top ten box office of Chinese-language movies. In 2021, " Chinese Doctor " will be released. Since then, Director Lau Wai-keung has become the first Hong Kong director to shoot theme-themed films, maintaining a stable output in both style and quality.
Lau Wai-keung said that he could be a director and produce so many classic films. There were great directors who supported him and gave him opportunities, and there were great stars who trusted him and gave him schedules. He even wanted to thank the diverse atmosphere of Hong Kong film creation back then.
"Of course I work very hard myself. How can a young man who has never read any books or attended a professional school for a day make a movie? That is to watch it on the set, go home and watch the tapes one by one, and watch them." If you have more, you will know which classic scenes and scenes can be used as models to learn from. "
Liu Weiqiang said that luck has depth and requires desperate courage and persistence, just like the origin of peerless martial arts. A lengthy repetition of one move after another. After , Liu Weiqiang developed a very keen sense of camera, scene planning and even actor's talent.
In the process of preparing "Peacekeeping Riot Squad", the then newcomer Wang Yibo did not have many types of works such as "Unknown" to prove his potential and market appeal as an actor.
has proven its charm on the stage, and it is equally effective on the big screen. Such a large influence can also help the story be seen by more audiences. " I also firmly believe that Wang Yibo can perform well. His show on the stage is also a kind of performance. He also needs to convey signals through his eyes and body. They are all the same.”
As for young actors such as Huang Jingyu and Ou Hao, Liu Weiqiang is confident: “They are stylish, handsome and cool. The audience will definitely like them when they wear peacekeeping police uniforms. There is no reason why they won’t. "
As a talented photographer recognized by people in the industry, Liu Weiqiang can quickly see and imagine that an actor's big screen character form means the highest threshold.
This year, Liu Weiqiang also had a film that made people around him advise him to be cautious. The new film is "The Dumpling Queen", and the protagonist is Ms. Zang Jianhe, the founder of "Wan Chai Pier" "Who said that if I make men as heroes, I can't make women become successful and prosperous? Nonsense, the shots are still good! "Liu Weiqiang said that he just wants to eat dumplings from "Wan Chai Pier". From the store to the quick-frozen products, the taste is familiar, just like his mother's.
"Dumpling Queen" poster
When he was a child, his home in Hong Kong was not far from the heroine's store. What's more, regardless of the gender of the protagonist, the story of struggle under the Lion Rock is related to the core of a hero film about holding a gun and fighting. In the final analysis, it is about refusing to admit defeat and wanting to win.
"The Dumpling Queen" stills
Working with mainland comedy actress Ma Li, Liu Weiqiang said that he was very lucky to find her. Without saying a word, the other party said that she liked the script and wanted to act in it. "I didn't even say a few words about the script, and the deal was signed. At the same time, the script "Kashmir Princess", which has been polished for three years, has really entered the preparation period. The director smiled and said: "I finally figured out how to shoot it?" "
Vincent Lau
Retirement? The non-existent
"
Whenever I hear Andy Lau, he will even mention "Infernal Affairs" when it comes to Hong Kong films. Do you sometimes find it annoying to hear it, obviously I have made so many other films?
No, I've heard the doubts, and I've also heard the flattery. You say yours, and I'll flatter you, there's no conflict. Anyway, no matter what you say, I will take pictures if I think it’s fun.
Stills of "Infernal Affairs"
You have made so many movies in various genres. Are there one or two movies that you really like but may be underestimated? You can recommend them to everyone again.
Yes, " I Love You Like a Dream ". I like the story very much. There are big stars like Andy Lau, Anita Mui and Sandra Ng. They dance ballroom and date, which is very literary. (Note, in fact, the film also entered the top ten box office in Hong Kong that year).
Stills from "Love is Like a Dream"
This time when filming "Peacekeeping Riot Squad", it is said that African Americans near the filming location were almost gathered together. Is such a big scene a challenge for you? Is it difficult to shoot? ?
I have said before in the Beijing Film Festival Forum that making movies is very hard, and young directors must persevere. For me, this is certainly not the first time I have seen such a big scene, but every time I prepare carefully, thinking about how it should appear in the camera and how to shoot it well. It is also very stressful to think clearly.
Recently there was a topic about directors who are over 70 years old and are still very hardworking. I have seen many old directors who are still very hardworking...
I am only over 60 years old, so I am still very young. Then Tsui Hark is already 70, and there are new movies, and Clint Eastwood from abroad is still filming.
Age is not a problem for directors. This is a profession that is always young. As long as you have an idea, you can find a way to realize it. Therefore, retirement does not exist for me. I am very young at heart. I can't imagine what I would do if I didn't make movies.
For example, you can teach people how to make movies!
There is no way to teach you how to make a movie...it requires you to observe it yourself on the crew, go see the seniors, and see how your peers do it little by little. I am a good example myself. I can’t even study, but I can still take pictures today. As long as I live, I can keep shooting. I will not pursue perfection as my goal. It is enough to enjoy the moment and find it fun.
Photography/@小 Gangcurvart
Planning/Ge Haichen
Editor/timmy
Image Supervisor/@Yu Kunk
Interview & Writing/Chandler
Huang Jingyu Makeup/Xu Lixiao
Wang Yibo Makeup/yooyo keong ming
Wang Yibo Hairstyle/@张fanbon
Coordinator/ @王禹思lilywang
Image execution/Pei Liying
art/mia@ a grape studio
Liu Weiqiang, Li Dachao makeup and hair/Chu Ming
special effects makeup/Zou Chengcheng (ontime)
image assistance/cynthia mao
coordination assistant/Wang Lu, Duan Yu , yiyi
Photography Assistant/Xiao Fei
Clothing Assistant/Siyu, Youzi
