Yo’ Mama’s So Cougarlike…

The Graduate (1967)
In a film that portrays the mother of all first-world problems, recent Uni grad Benjamin Braddock is seduced by one of his parents’ friends—the sultry Mrs. Robinson. Not satisfied with being cougar-bait, Ben then falls in love with the more age-appropriate Elaine Robinson, creating a mother-daughter-Dustin Hoffman love triangle that can only end in… murder? (Spoiler: It doesn’t end in murder.)

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I was born and grew up in upstate New York in Albany. I have five older brothers.

I was invited to Hong Kong in 1983 by [film producer] Nansun Shi, who is the wife of the director Tsui Hark. Back in the ‘80s they had one of the most successful film companies [in Hong Kong]—it was called Cinema City.

She found a picture of my brother Russell, [and] flew us over for a screen test, because they were looking for new artists to act in their films. Next thing we knew we were on a plane to Hong Kong.

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HK Magazine: Tell me, how did you get into the film industry?
Kiyoshi Kurosawa: When I was very young, I loved watching films. I made some films with an 8mm camera when I was in university and I don’t remember how or when, but it became my work. In the 1970’s or 80’s the film industry in Japan was not that popular or very rewarding, but university students who filmed with an 8mm camera had a chance to present themselves. I think it was lucky that I was able to join the film industry when I did.

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HK Magazine: How long did it take to create the “Paradise Trilogy” from start to finish?

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HK Magazine: What made you start following Jeremy Lin at Harvard?
EJ Leong: Well, I’ve known a lot of Asian-American role models and celebrities that made the news, and I’ve always been interested in any Asian-American anything. What he was doing at Harvard was making waves that we were hearing across the country in California. Here’s this kid. He’s winning games. He’s breaking records. He’s dunking.

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I am used to getting rejected [by investors]. Nine out of ten proposals are turned down.

I insist on filming something I want, so I traipse around the island, Kowloon and the New Territories in search of investors. Most of the time, I can’t find anyone interested.

Many mainland investors do not really understand creativity—even less than their Hong Kong counterparts. They treat movie-making as a business, and they have a lot of other concerns. They might want to cast their girlfriends.

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I was born in Hong Kong. My mum is from Australia and my dad is from New Zealand. They came here over 30 years ago and they have been living here ever since. My brother and I were both born and raised here.

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The seventh annual Asian Film Awards was held at the Convention Centre on Monday.

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When the 85th Academy Awards wrapped up in Los Angeles last month, it would have been easy to believe that director Ben Affleck was the night’s big winner. After all, his film “Argo” took home three statues, including the all-important Best Picture. But amid the glitz, the glamour, the red carpet dresses and the big Hollywood names, the Oscars generate some serious money for the film industry. So how does the need to make money reconcile with the need to honor excellence in cinema?  

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We are living in this global world and it’s important for 21st century filmmakers to have an international outlook—to make films in other countries like the United States or in Europe. This is not inconceivable. It happened in the 20th century with, say, John Woo, who had a successful career in Hong Kong and then moved to Hollywood and had a successful career there, and then with some of the skills and experience of all of that, went to China and made “Red Cliff”— a huge budget and special effects movie.

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