IFFI-2008 - International Film Festival of India

IFFI-2008
WONG KAR WAI
Regarded as one of the finest craftsmen in the cinematic world, Wong Kar Wai
was born in Shanghai and raised in Hong Kong. He is best known for portraying
Honk Kong - caught between British and Chinese identities - in its true colours
even while avoiding the underlying politics and tension. Wai rarely talks
politics (and history) in his films. He tells personal, passionate and painful
stories of individuals caught in a time wrap. He makes a kind of cinema that is
singular and yet represents the mass of humanity.
After doing a graphic design course, he began as a screenwriter in the early
1980s. His directorial debut As Tears Go By in 1988 established his intense
visual style. His next film was Days of Being Wild, and the next one was Ashes of
Time in 1994, a martial arts movie that broke conventions of the genre. It was
during the break of post-production work of this film, that he would make
Chungking Express that would not only become a cult hit, but also expose the
world to the true genius of an auteur - whose films have been screened in all
important film festivals worldwide in the last decade.
His next two films, Fallen Angels and Happy Together received critical
acclaim, with the second winning him the Best Director Award at the Cannes
Film Festival. The 2000 film In the Mood for Love was widely acknowledged as
yet another watershed film in Wai's life, as it won many awards worldwide,
including two at Cannes. The master's latest film, My Blueberry Nights is in
English, and it was screened at Cannes last year amidst thunderous applause.
The film also has an impressive star cast including Jude Law, Natalie Portman,
and singer Norah Jones in her first film appearance.
Wai is hailed as a master of mood, melancholy and atmosphere, with a unique
visual aesthetic though his critics accuse him of delving too much into the past
ignoring the present. The accusations heightened with his only sci-fi film, 2046,
because critics said though the film is supposed to be about the year 2046, it
actually talks about the past. Notwithstanding the criticisms, Wai moves on
lending melancholy to unrequited love, hearing the voice of silences and
capturing moments that often last forever.
(Films courtesy Palador Pictures Private Limited)
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