Chow Yun-fat opens up about censorship in China
At the Busan Film Festival, Chow Yun-fat was honoured as the ‘Asian Filmmaker of the Year’ and used the occasion to discuss and criticise the government of China and the impact its censorship has had on the film industry.
During a press event in Busan, Chow said: “We have a lot of censorship requirements in mainland China. Scripts must go to many departments. So, we need [to portray] clear situations in scripts. Honestly, we will try our best to make movies with Hong Kong spirit.”
He added: “In the 1980s, people watched a lot of Hong Kong films. I’m proud. After 1997, a lot of things changed. We have to pay attention to our government. Otherwise, it will be hard to get the money to make movies. The Mainland market is so huge.”
Chow also discussed his “ordinary” life, his love of Korean cuisine and his enjoyment of running marathons. The legendary actor and filmmaker also noted the kind of “freedom” that Koreans are able to enjoy when they make films compared to those in China.
“Whenever I watch Korean films, I’m always impressed by the level of freedom they have,” he said. “They have such a wide range of topics and a high degree of freedom.”
Chow had been at the Busan Film Festival with his Hong Kong movie One More Chance and admitted that it might be his last work, noting, “I’m on my second career now. My first was as an actor; my second one is as an athlete.”
Check out the trailer for One More Chance below.
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