tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62093017012430842562024-03-05T20:42:15.284-08:00Action QueensFredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-45420463671700449892012-04-09T10:45:00.001-07:002012-04-09T10:47:37.156-07:00Desi KILL BILL series with Neetu Chandra?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtD2NJcNE8HGDqX1C9u_Fsp5sjfrIPkhPMCWsITw_jRxcC2fPifvyTqa6mlcZ03Jzoj5Alx7CPsLD1lu91tpTB6_F09fLZKhzMupHnN68bhP86bcyzF_jOiz6vIRitgeGZNDV31EoXAR4/s1600/neetuchandra_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgtD2NJcNE8HGDqX1C9u_Fsp5sjfrIPkhPMCWsITw_jRxcC2fPifvyTqa6mlcZ03Jzoj5Alx7CPsLD1lu91tpTB6_F09fLZKhzMupHnN68bhP86bcyzF_jOiz6vIRitgeGZNDV31EoXAR4/s1600/neetuchandra_top.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><br />
Read the article on <a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/desi-kill-bill-series-with-neetu-chandra/1/183575.html"><b>India Today</b></a>.Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-2807342241441054242012-04-09T10:14:00.005-07:002012-04-09T10:46:50.559-07:00Marvel's AVENGERS ASSEMBLE - Black Widow Interrogation Scene<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPS9jvN_t_pZ1SWl_JVQyOnsOlwHLvlvc0dp-7jLIXrqR_Eo0K82BucWvDeha7rc51T6KA9cJQ5SJOHK1TptKGD57yfSQYzV9eJr5fUua_595h24Qi32E6icOxENRoSJw6YZMq3rBGdBX/s1600/avengersblackwidow_top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPS9jvN_t_pZ1SWl_JVQyOnsOlwHLvlvc0dp-7jLIXrqR_Eo0K82BucWvDeha7rc51T6KA9cJQ5SJOHK1TptKGD57yfSQYzV9eJr5fUua_595h24Qi32E6icOxENRoSJw6YZMq3rBGdBX/s1600/avengersblackwidow_top.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://marvel.com/">http://marvel.com/</a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="294" width="520"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1OJqPJRjHkE?version=3&hl=fr_FR"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1OJqPJRjHkE?version=3&hl=fr_FR" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="520" height="294" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIJbv3whX-og8qcWFJabiU5ZBzpuM0Y1B-ujEBpW87CZDNx2EwOinLf7kBEn8WKQzxhtyAqkhUU1tQt2Q2lnIutm0IDUIWPbegnUoTvg5Cq26C4Eb72NVXfREHUZ3gnDVV3s8vTxnXnvY/s1600/avengersblackwidow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIJbv3whX-og8qcWFJabiU5ZBzpuM0Y1B-ujEBpW87CZDNx2EwOinLf7kBEn8WKQzxhtyAqkhUU1tQt2Q2lnIutm0IDUIWPbegnUoTvg5Cq26C4Eb72NVXfREHUZ3gnDVV3s8vTxnXnvY/s1600/avengersblackwidow.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-50245112078309515982011-07-02T07:30:00.000-07:002011-07-02T07:32:51.381-07:00Premiere of VILLA CAPTIVE starring Liza Del Sierra<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_france/villacaptive/villacaptive00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_france/villacaptive/villacaptive00.jpg" /></a>Teaser for the French premiere of the rape & revenge "<b>Villa Captive</b>", a thriller about the troubles of a former French porn star living in Miami. Written and directed by <b>Emmanuel Silvestre </b>(a.k.a. <b>Jack Tyler</b>) and starring <b>Emilie Delaunay </b>(a.k.a. <b>Liza Del Sierra</b>). Music by <b>John Silvestre</b> (a.k.a. <b>Jeff Monheim</b>).<br />
<br />
The whole video of the premiere (12 minutes) will be available on <b>Twitch</b> - <a href="http://twitchfilm.com/">http://twitchfilm.com</a> - very soon. Filmed on June 18th, 2011 in Paris during the '<b>Panic! Cinema</b>' night at Le Nouveau Latina. Shot & cut by <b>Fred Ambroisine</b>. Subtitle editing: <b>Sylvia Rorem</b>.</div><br />
<center><object width="520" height="326"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXhfxx3YtQE?version=3&hl=fr_FR"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXhfxx3YtQE?version=3&hl=fr_FR" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="520" height="326" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1220907265" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_france/villacaptive/villacaptive01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_france/villacaptive/villacaptive01.jpg" /> </a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Emillie Delaunay (a.k.a. Liza Del Sierra) on the set of Emmanuel Silvestre's "Villa Captive"</i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_france/villacaptive/villacaptive02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_france/villacaptive/villacaptive02.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Emillie Delaunay in Emmanuel Silvestre's "Villa Captive" (2011)</i></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-70668803491049490162011-07-02T06:50:00.000-07:002011-07-02T06:50:39.475-07:00Marrie Lee to receive the Action Queens Honorary Award during Paris Cinema International Film Festival<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong00.jpg" /></a>Press release - Paris, July 1st, 2011: <b>Legendary Singapore actress, Marrie Lee (real name Doris Young) to receive the Action Queens Honorary Award during Paris Cinema International Film Festival</b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Paris Cinema International Film Festival</b> (July 2 to 13,2011) will host two screenings of the film <b>THEY CALL HER CLEOPATRA WONG </b>(Singapore-Philippines, 1978, directed by Bobby Suarez) on July 2nd and 5th in the presence of its lead actress, <b>Marrie Lee</b> (real name <b>Doris Young</b>) of Singapore.<br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong01.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Aude Hesbert</b> (Ms), festival director says “it’s an honour to welcome Marrie Lee in Paris for two screenings of <b>THEY CALL HER CLEOPATRA WONG</b>, one of the most legendary, cult and iconic character of the late 70s Asian cinema”</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong02.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">This film is said to have been a major source of inspiration for the <b>KILL BILL</b> series of American director Quentin Tarantino.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong03.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Jeremy Segay (Mr), program curator of the festival adds: “<b>THEY CALL HER<br />
CLEOPATRA WONG</b> is a landmark for Singapore cinema and remains today the most internationally successful film ever produced in the state-island”</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong07.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>THEY CALL HER CLEOPATRA WONG</b> was commercially released beyond Asia through the late 70s and early 80s in territories such as USA, UK, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and Middle East.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong08.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Before the screening of July 2nd, <b>Marrie Lee</b> (real name <b>Doris Young</b>) will receive the first <b>Action Queens Honorary Award</b>. The award, designed by English artist <b>Andy Bolus</b>, will be presented by <b>Frederic Ambroisine</b>, chief-editor of the web magazine Action Queens.<br />
<a href="http://actionqueens.com/"><b>http://actionqueens.com</b></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong11.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Frederic Ambroisine </b>(Mr) says “I still remember when I rented and watched the French VHS of the kick-ass <b>THEY CALL HER CLEOPATRA WONG</b> for the first time back in the days. And I can’t believe that I’ll finally have the chance to see it on big screen and, above all, meet the legendary Marrie Lee in person. A fan’s dream will come true.”</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong14.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">In addition, <b>Marrie Lee</b> (real name<b> Doris Young</b>) is expected to make a major<br />
and exclusive announcement to the media during her 8 days stay in Paris, about her plans to revive the character of Cleopatra Wong and turn it into a full-fledged media franchise branching into film, TV and gaming.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong20.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Indeed, <b>Doris Young</b> has acquired in mid-2010 the international rights to <b>Cleopatra Wong</b> via her newly incorporated company, Cleopatra Wong International.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong21.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
She will unveil in Paris the <b>new Cleopatra Wong logo</b>.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Other guests of the Paris Cinema International Film Festival include <b>Isabella<br />
Rossellini </b>(actress), <b>Naomi Tani </b>(actress), <b>Gael Garcia Bernal</b> (actor and producer), <b>Jerry Skolimowski</b> (director), and <b>Pete Tombs</b> (producer and author of the book <b>Mondo Macabro</b>, Weird & Wonderful Cinema Around the World) among others.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong22.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u>About <b>PARIS CINEMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL</b></u><br />
<b><a href="http://www.pariscinema.org/">www.pariscinema.org</a></b><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The 9th edition of Paris Cinema International Film Festival will take place from July 2 to 13, 2011. Chaired by Charlotte Rampling and supported by the Paris City Hall, the festival is targeted as an annual democratic and off-beat event. It aims at discovering filmmakers through an international competition and enjoying cinema with a lot of French premieres and retrospectives, at the beginning of each summer in many locations all over the City. It also provides an industry-friendly launch pad for new projects and directors with its well-established coproduction platform:<br />
Paris Project.<br />
Press contact: <b>Dimitri Larcher </b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="mailto:dlarcher@pariscinema.org">dlarcher@pariscinema.org</a> <a href="mailto:presse@pariscinema.org">presse@pariscinema.org</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong15.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u>About <b>ACTION QUEENS</b></u><br />
<a href="http://actionqueens.com/"><b>http://actionqueens.com</b></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Action Queens is an English language web magazine founded by Frederic<br />
Ambroisine, a French film critic and documentary filmmaker who directed over 130 short documentaries related to Asian cinema since 2004. Action Queens features exclusive interviews of worldwide female personalities from independent cinema to Hollywood blockbusters.<br />
Press contact: <a href="mailto:contact@fredambroisine.com">contact@fredambroisine.com</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong16.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><u>About <b>THEY CALL HER CLEOPATRA WONG</b></u><br />
<a href="http://www.cleopatrawong.com/"><b>www.cleopatrawong.com</b></a><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">(extract from Wikipedia page) <b>They Call Her... Cleopatra Wong </b>(also known as <b>Cleopatra Wong </b>and <b>Female Big Boss</b>) is a 1978 film, starring <b>Marrie Lee</b>, <b>Franco Guerrero</b>, <b>Dante Varonna</b> and <b>George Estregan</b>. The film, riding on the success of Hong Kong martial arts films of the era as well as the James Bond and superspy craze, details the adventures of a female Interpol agent. The movie is directed by <b>Bobby A. Suarez</b> and is written by<b> Romeo N. Galang</b> as well as himself. The film is reportedly listed by cult director <b>Quentin Tarantino</b> as the film that inspired him for his "<b>Kill Bill</b>" series.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowong17.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
Tagline: <i><b>"She purrs like a kitten and makes love like a siren. This side of the pacific, she is the meanest, deadliest and sexiest secret agent"</b></i><br />
Press contact: PHISH COMMUNICATIONS (Singapour) <b>Pauline Rigommier</b> /<br />
tel : +65 6344 2956 / <a href="mailto:pauline@phish-comms.com">pauline@phish-comms.com</a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowongposter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_singapore/cleowongposter.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><br><center><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NBsTAx3HwCw?version=3&hl=fr_FR"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NBsTAx3HwCw?version=3&hl=fr_FR" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="349" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></center>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-92128113296251902192011-06-22T02:56:00.000-07:002011-06-22T03:50:54.720-07:00BLOODTRAFFICK Premiere at Gen Con (Press Release)<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/bloodtraffick/bloodtraffick00.jpg" /></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Hong Kong, SAR, China (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)</b>. Games. Girls. Guns. All of these are packed into <b>Gen Con</b>, an exciting four-day event where over 30,000 fantasy and sci-fi gamers convene and where the Hong Kong action short Bloodtraffick, starring rising action star <b>Grace Huang</b> and <b>Kirt Kishita</b>, will have its world premiere. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Set in a world torn by a war between vampires and angels, "<b>Bloodtraffick</b>" features the human vigilante Ava, played by <b>Grace Huan</b>g, who stars with <b>Russell Crowe</b>, the <b>RZA</b>, and <b>Daniel Wu</b> in the upcoming <b>Eli Roth</b>-produced action film "<b>The Man With the Iron Fists</b>", pitted against the vampire Finn, played by Kirt Kishita. The short is directed by award-nominated American director <b>Jennifer Thym</b>, produced by <b>Desmond So</b>, and features Hong Kong action star <b>Philip Ng</b> as action director and stunt choreographer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> A lifelong fan of roleplaying and video games, Thym partners up again with her key creative team from her acclaimed webseries LUMINA to give this fantasy action film, which serves both as a standalone film and a prequel for a feature film, a distinct gritty Hong Kong feel, influenced by modern action and horror films as well as videogames. “I was so impressed with Grace and Kirt on set. Under Phil’s guidance, they jumped right into the action scenes and gave it absolutely everything,” Thym says. “That level of enthusiasm is contagious and gets the respect of the crew.”</span><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"Bloodtraffick"</b> will premiere at <b>Gen Con Indy Film Festival </b>at 10 pm, Friday, August 5, 2011, alongside a block of selected horror films, including Waiting Fear, Left for Dead, Prom King, The Window Into Time, Raven’s Hollow, Lullaby, Dark Allies and The Weeping Woman. More information about Bloodtraffick, including stills and an extensive set of behind-the-scenes photos, can be found on http://www.facebook.com/bloodtraffick.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>ABOUT LEAD ACTRESS GRACE HUANG</b></span><br />
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<img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/bloodtraffick/bloodtraffick02.jpg" /><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">A native of Sydney, Australia, and fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, Grace Huang is a rising star in Asian cinema. With a wealth of experience in front of the camera, Grace has acted opposite international A-list actors such as <b>Russell Crowe</b>, <b>Josh Duhamel</b> (Las Vegas), and <b>Daniel Wu</b>, as well as Asian music sensations <b>Andy Lau</b>, <b>Eason Chan</b>, <b>Andy Hui</b>, and <b>Vanness Wu</b>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/bloodtraffick/bloodtraffick06.jpg" /></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Grace’s depth and flexibility as an actor earned her an exciting action role in the upcoming Hollywood feature film <b>"The Man with the Iron Fists"</b> (scheduled for release in 2012) directed by <b>the RZA</b>, and starring <b>the RZA, Russell Crowe</b> and <b>Lucy Liu</b>. Other upcoming feature film projects include Love in Space, a Hong Kong romantic comedy scheduled for release in the summer of 2011.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Prior to the big screen, Grace earned critical acclaim as one of six lead characters in the Taiwan Golden Bell Award-winning television drama Friends.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
"<b>Bloodtraffick</b>" is Grace’s first foray into the vampire action genre.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grace’s Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/gracehuangactor"><b>www.facebook.com/gracehuangactor</b></a><br />
Grace’s Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Grace__Huang"><b>www.twitter.com/Grace__Huang</b></a><br />
Grace’s Blog: <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/gracehuang"><b>www.alivenotdead.com/gracehuang</b></a></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>ABOUT LEAD ACTOR KIRT KISHITA</b></span><br />
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<img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/bloodtraffick/bloodtraffick07.jpg" /><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Kirt Kishita</b> is a versatile actor on stage and on film, having starred in films in the US and Asia, including Asian Stories Book 3 and Boxed In, which won Best Film and Best Acting at the 48 Hour Film Project: Hong Kong 2010.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Kirt’s Blog: <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/kirtkishita"><b>www.alivenotdead.com/kirtkishita</b></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>ABOUT ACTION DIRECTOR PHILIP NG</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Philip Ng</b> is a Hong Kong actor who is also a master in the martial arts. Trained inVing Tsun Kung Fu under the late Sifu Wong Shun-Leung, Philip is also a sixth generation disciple of Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu, training from his father, Sam Ng.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/bloodtraffick/bloodtraffick04.jpg" /></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Philip is also a trained expert in Hung Gar Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Jiujitsu, and<br />
Escrima. In addition to being an accomplished actor, Philip has also worked as fight choreographer on a number of films. His film credits include Naked Soldier, Bodyguards and Assassins, and New Police Story.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Philip’s Blog: <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/philipng"><b>http://www.alivenotdead.com/philipng</b></a></span></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>ABOUT PRODUCER DESMOND SO</b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Desmond So has extensive experience in the entertainment business and is producer of <b>"Bloodtraffick"</b>. A television host of Hong Kong’s only English-language lifestyle and luxury-living show on TVB as well as a movie-based entertainment news program on FOX International Channels’ STAR Movies, Desmond and his programs are watched by millions of viewers in more than 20 countries across Asia.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Desmond now stands in front of the camera after having worked behind it for three years at The Walt Disney Company’s television network ABC, Inc. in New York. He worked on shows such as The View, The Bachelor, All My Children, and Miss America. While living in New York, Desmond was also involved with Second Generation, a non-profit theater company devoted to bringing Asian American stories to the world's stage.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In addition to his passion for entertainment, Desmond is also an entrepreneur. He founded and operates a consulting firm that provides premier training to Asia’s business managers, professionals, and students.<br />
Desmond’s blog: http://www.alivenotdead.com/desmondso</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">ABOUT DIRECTOR JENNIFER THYM & ROCKGINGER</span></b><br />
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<img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/bloodtraffick/bloodtraffick09.jpg" /><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><i>Grace Huang & Jennifer Thym</i><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>RockGinger </b>is a film production company founded in 2008 by award-nominated film director and producer <b>Jennifer Thym</b>. Thym's debut film project, the groundbreaking fantasy web series <b>LUMINA</b> (nine webisodes, 63 minutes total running time, released Fall 2009), garnered eleven nominations, including a Streamy Awards nomination and a Webby Awards Official Honoree distinction, and has been viewed in festivals and on online platforms around the world. She is also producer of the independent feature film Jasmine, starring <b>Jason Tobin</b> ("<b>The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift", "Better Luck Tomorrow</b>"), <b>Eugenia Yuan</b> ("<b>Memoirs of a Geisha</b>") and <b>Byron Mann</b> ("<b>The Man with the Iron Fists</b>", "<b>Street Fighter</b>"). Jennifer and her films have been featured in numerous print and online publications, including the <b>Wall Street Journal Asia</b>, the <b>South China Morning Post</b>,<b> Time Out Hong Kong</b> and <b>Marie Claire (Italy)</b>.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Her latest projects are the feature film version of <b>"Bloodtraffick" </b>and the cross-cultural TV comedy series <b>"Mister French Taste"</b>, starring Osric Chau (2012, Andy Lau’s "<b>What Women Want</b>"), Olivier Malet and Sarah Lian.<br />
Jen’s Twitter: <b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jenthym">www.twitter.com/jenthym</a></b><br />
Jen’s Website: <b><a href="http://www.rockginger.com/">www.rockginger.com</a></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">ABOUT GEN CON</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gen Con, LLC </b>produces the largest consumer hobby, fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. It was acquired in 2002 by former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast Peter Adkison, who owns the Seattle-based company. Gen Con is a consumer and trade experience dedicated to gaming culture and community. For more information, visit Gen Con’s website at <a href="http://www.gencon.com/"><b>www.gencon.com</b></a>.<br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">For up-to-the minute details, find us at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/genconindy"><b>www.facebook.com/genconindy</b></a> and at<a href="http://www.twitter.com/gen_con"><b> www.twitter.com/gen_con</b></a>.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/bloodtraffick/bloodtraffick08.jpg" /><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">FOR ALL INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT</span></b></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>RockGinger Limited</b>, Level 43, AIA Tower, 183 Electric Road, North Point, Hong Kong. <b>Jennifer Thym</b>, Director </span><span style="font-size: small;">- Office: +852 3975 1070 - Mobile: +852 9546 9489 - e-mail: <a href="mailto:jen@rockginger.com">jen@rockginger.com</a>. <b>Desmond So</b>, Producer - Office: +852 3975 1071</span><span style="font-size: small;"> - Mobile: +852 6778 3180</span><span style="font-size: small;"> - e-mail: <a href="mailto:desmond@rockginger.com">desmond@rockginger.com</a></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-44300600893225240722011-06-13T09:07:00.000-07:002011-06-22T03:54:47.138-07:00MULAN ON THE RUN: 30 Stephanie Xiao Exclusive Pictures<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_taiwan/mulanontherun/mulan00.jpg" /></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Directed by Alice Wang, "<b>Mulan on the Run</b>" is a 2009 Taiwanese TV series (25 * 60 min) starring Alice Wu, Stephanie Xiao, Yvonne Yao, Liliy Xiao, Katou Youki, Duncan Zhou, Yuan-Hao Yao, Tin Tin & Syuji Kashiwabara.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b>Synopsis [Mission A]</b>: <i>The story starts with a bomber who takes a bus hostage. Aota Pharmacy’s representative in Taiwan is apprehended with a bomb while taking a bus hijack, yet dies mysteriously in jail. At the same time, suddenly, mysterious deaths start spreading over one by one. On the other hand, Japanese detective agency “5” received a request by the chairman of Aota Pharmacy. </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituPYjTadAHO4_oVd3uArHGOnPP-zwfC_79G41sITwDBdMFH7PR8Lu1bS79ktFc7oij2kGgyMNOibme4k3lw5o8gLPYUKLvxrUYI9DZCPFo4SUj1iTwuwbQUZ0rSgK19eoxtCy3NlAWsc/s1600/mulan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEituPYjTadAHO4_oVd3uArHGOnPP-zwfC_79G41sITwDBdMFH7PR8Lu1bS79ktFc7oij2kGgyMNOibme4k3lw5o8gLPYUKLvxrUYI9DZCPFo4SUj1iTwuwbQUZ0rSgK19eoxtCy3NlAWsc/s1600/mulan.jpg" /></a><i>Agent 511 is asked to investigate the company’s research development supervisor Taro Kishitani, who has been rumored to have created a deadly virus that can kill at once without leaving any evidence. 511’s investigations show that Taro Kishitani, his lover Kumiko and his son have fled to Taiwan. Thus, 511 contacts his old friend in Taiwan, Team Mulan’s supervisor - Vice Chief of Police Chen Xi and requests his help in investigations. Chen Xi assigns Team Mulan to be in charged of this case.</i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Thanks to Alice Wang, Steven Shen & Creative Century Ent. for the following exclusive <b>Stephanie Xiao</b> promotional photos & "<b>Mulan on the Run</b>" stills.<i><br />
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</a></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-62400730267717605572011-06-12T13:38:00.000-07:002011-06-22T04:01:20.043-07:00FBI Agent Donna Kiel<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com//images/images_comics/donnakiel.jpg" /></div><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Donna Kiel is an FBI agent who appears in <a href="http://marvel.com/comic_books/issue/30057/daken_dark_wolverine_2010_12" target="new">"<b>Daken: Dark Wolverine" issue #11</b></a> due to August 2011. Written by Rob Williams. Penciled by Matteo Buffagni. Cover by Giuseppe Camuncoli. </div><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"Daken moved to Hollywood to make his mark and get noticed, and now he's collected much of L.A.'s crime community into his own private Ocean's 11 in order to pull off the heist of the century. But Daken doesn't start anything without having his own secret and bloody back-up plan..." </i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpnnuZfZ7FDIdIZnxh-TY9iLLa9dQb5J7H3BdBr1jml7WTvu__tnUXW1wE7x9hEP1fkJLFXuyWWoJWBazLOF2BWZOOKEncJwMXWv6sJmMesUawpvmytStsSKf8Z8-wycNMeu0RAhuO-g/s1600/donnakiel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpnnuZfZ7FDIdIZnxh-TY9iLLa9dQb5J7H3BdBr1jml7WTvu__tnUXW1wE7x9hEP1fkJLFXuyWWoJWBazLOF2BWZOOKEncJwMXWv6sJmMesUawpvmytStsSKf8Z8-wycNMeu0RAhuO-g/s1600/donnakiel.jpg" /></a><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><i>"...Meanwhile, the bodies keep turning up thanks to Tinseltown's newest serial killer. Who is behind the murder of good looking young actors? Why are claws their murder weapon of choice? And what, exactly, is waiting for Daken's crew amidst the millions when they open the back of their armored car target?" (Source: <a href="http://marvel.com/" target="new"><b>Marvel.com</b></a>)</i></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-27072820759813147562010-02-13T03:46:00.000-08:002011-06-22T04:08:08.158-07:00JOSIE HO "DREAM HOME" INTERVIEW: PSYCHO KILLING PARTY!<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/images/images_hongkong/dreamhome/dreamhome00.jpg" /></div><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>": Beneath the soft, romantic title <span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">(1)</span> lurks what might possibly be the craziest, bloodiest slasher film ever made in Hong Kong!<br />
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Produced, directed and written by the rebellious and prolific <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pang Ho-cheung</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">"You Shoot I Shoot"</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Men Suddenly In Black</span>"), who doesn’t give a damn that its sexual and violent content guarantees it won’t be shown in Mainland China, "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" had an unparalleled $4 million production budget (amazing, considering the current Hong Kong cinema crisis) and is also the first movie produced and financed by <span style="font-weight: bold;">852 Films</span>, a company co-founded by <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Dream Home</span>" lead actress Josie Ho.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br />
While involved in her role as a young, hard working woman willing to do anything to have her own apartment, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span> revealed to <a href="http://actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens</span></a> some exclusive information and gruesome anecdotes about her work on the movie, both in front of and behind the camera. Let the massacre begin!...</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frederic Ambroisine: Tell me about the company that you founded, 852 Films. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">852 Films</span> is a film company I recently formed with my husband, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Conroy Chan</span>, and my manager in the States, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew Ooi</span>. Our goal is to produce commercial films in Hong Kong that are more youthful, and edgier. We feel that Hong Kong produces a lot of films but it lacks edgy films, so we would really like to show people what we can do. We’d like to push our culture forward and be able to open up everyone’s view.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When did you first hear about Pang Ho-cheung’s project, “Dream Home”?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: When I first heard about <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pang Ho-cheung</span>’s script I was really thrilled. It’s really unusual for somebody to write such a crazy, insane story about Hong Kong. I think what attracted me to the script is the general topic, which is a concern for every single Hong Kong citizen. Also, with the economic crisis happening all over the world right now, this topic concerns everybody. The script happens to be a psycho story about a very relevant topic.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pang Ho-cheung</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>"</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Since you are a producer and actress for “Dream Home”, what has been your role during pre-production and while shooting?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Conroy</span> and I are based in Hong Kong, so we both went to every pre-production meeting with the director. Because we are new, we listened to the director regarding who he wanted to hire for each production department. We had some preferences, but we tried to work together to find the best people for each department. We were very much involved with the creative process of the film. The colors. I was really involved with the wardrobe and I was concerned with the visuals and the sound, basically the more creative and artistic parts of the film. Whereas money… we left that to my partner <span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew Ooi</span>, who is based in Vancouver. He is a very well known manager to a lot of Asian artists in the States. He is my manager, and he is in charge of funding and sales. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Conroy</span> is also in charge of sales. He and Andrew work really well together; they make a really good pair and do really good Public Relations. They can talk to people and make people happy. I’m more of an introverted person, so I think I am better off as an actress and doing the creative aspects of the job.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Norman Chu</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" (2010)</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you describe your character in “Dream Home”?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: Her name is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cheng Lai-sheung</span>. She is very stubborn. She comes from a very traditional Hong Kong Chinese background, where the family favors boys and not girls. She is a person who always felt that she could take on the responsibility of caring for her family, but her family doesn’t want her to do that because she’s a girl. They expect her to do what a girl should do. So she was born into this kind of family background, yet all her life she had only this one desire. She decided this when she was very young. She grew up in a tiny, packed, old beat up building in Hong Kong, and she has only a one inch view of the sea between buildings. She has dreamed since childhood of buying a big house with a sea view, like her classmates have. Sheung is a girl who sacrificed a lot for this. She received so much rejection from the system, the establishment, that she finally just flipped. I’m not going to tell you what happens in the end. She just goes insane and does something crazy in order to get an apartment.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Cheng Lai-sheung </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">(</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">) reaching the snapping point</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You’re playing a different kind of killer in “Dream Home” compared to your first movie “Purple Storm”.</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: (laughs) Yeah.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How do you work yourself into a state of insanity? What is your inspiration?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: I’m so introverted that I like to distance myself from people. That’s my comfort zone and it’s how I deal with friends. So I think the way I have to approach the role is to break the ice. I figured it out by myself while I was preparing for it: I have to break that ice. I have to get close to people; I have to be able to touch them and not be afraid to grab them and kick them and slap them. I’m very distant from people all the time, so I have to break that part of myself in order to become this girl. Because she is really not afraid to do that. I basically go through the whole script in my mind, the whole process of the whole incident. I also look at my own childhood. How would she play the role? Somehow I feel that it doesn’t matter how much homework I have prepared for the role; the most important thing is how well me as a child and me as an adult, in the role, match up. I think the most important thing is to work together with other people. I would walk onto the set every day and try, especially when it’s my “home”, to sit there and feel it. I would try to create memories that I would have from this house, this environment and atmosphere.. I go home and prepare, and then I would come to the set and try to improvise I work with my feelings. Like, I walk onto a set and pick up one or two of the props and try to build a relationship with them. I would build myself upon that, and somehow I would have to achieve a very different angle every time.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;">"What the hell..."</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You have worked with many different directors. What kind of director is Pang Ho-cheung compared to others? What does he have that is unique?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pang Ho-cheung</span> is an excellent scriptwriter. He is a lot more daring and has a lot of fresh ideas. I like the way he shoots, although he is really tough to work with because he is very precise and he wants everybody to be as precise as he is. For example, because he is a script writer and a novelist, he is really precise with words. He would tell me exactly how many seconds he wanted to pause between each comma, each phrase. This is really hard for me, but as soon as my body started to kick in, I felt it was really fundamental to do it his way because it actually looks a lot better than just us actors going in there and trying to jam. Also, at times he is really, really hardcore (laughs). He wanted a lot of blood. He is hardcore in the way he wanted to torture people. He does not consider your feelings at all (laughs). A few characters died during the shooting (laughs), and I feel really bad about that, but they did an excellent job. I just hope they were (laughs) were glad that their unfortunate torture made them look better in the film. This includes myself. He shoots in a really special style.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pang Ho-cheung</span> in the make-up room (Clearwater Bay studios)</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You think the movie will shock or affect people? </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20100213_josieho/josieho00.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20100213_josieho/josieho00.jpg" style="margin-top: 0pt; width: 260px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: I think this film will for sure shock all of Hong Kong. I’m not sure if we can shock everyone in the world, or even Asia, because Japan, Korea and Thailand produce a lot of really psychotic films. Hong Kong is just catching up. I think somebody has to take this step, and we’re trying. I hope we shock a lot of people. At the same time, our film is artistically wonderful to watch because we have the most amazing crew here. We have the best lighting in Hong Kong for our film: <span style="font-weight: bold;"> [Ringo] Wong Chi Ming</span>. He is really hard to get because he’s very artistic and money doesn’t drive him. The quality of the project is what gives him the drive to work with you. He usually works on a lot of Wong Kar-wai films. It just so happened that this project interested him so much that he agreed to come and work for us, so I’m really, really glad. And it’s our honor to have another director, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_Lik-wai"><span style="font-weight: bold;">[Nelson] Yu Lik-wai</span></a>, who is a really good New Wave director from Hong Kong. He is also a brilliant director of photography. He is on our crew, and that is amazing. And we have Hong Kong’s best computer graphics company, <a href="http://www.fatface.hk/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fat Face [Production Ltd.]</span></a>, run by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ko Fai</span>, who happens to be a childhood friend of mine. We also have <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/andrew"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew Lin</span></a> <span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">(2)</span>. He’s been known as an actor for so long in Hong Kong that nobody really knows he actually studied special effects makeup in Hollywood. He’s worked on films like <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Alien" [3]</span> He grabbed his friend <span style="font-weight: bold;">Q</span> from Thailand [founder of the company <span style="font-weight: bold;">QFX</span>] to come work on the special effects makeup team. Although it might not sound new to people abroad, because you guys have been making films like that for a long long time, this is all really new for Hong Kong. We are just starting to make films with CG and special effects. Now, using that in a psychotic thriller is really altogether new. I hope it will turn out well.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Teaser poster of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" designed by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span> herself</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: In addition to <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/andrew">Andrew Lin</a>, several other cast and crew members, like <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/derektsang">Derek Tsang</a>, <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/phat">Phat Chan</a>, <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/conroy">Conroy Chan</a> and yourself, are members of <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/">AliveNotDead.com</a>. Tell me about the website. </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">AliveNotDead.com</span></a> is one of the most innovative websites, and is basically the best platform for creative artists from everywhere in the world. It is the place to get to know different creative artists, to connect and to show everyone what we’ve got. It was originally made for a [fake] boy band called <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/alive"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alive</span></a> formed by four guys: my husband <span style="font-weight: bold;">Conroy Chan</span>, <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/daniel"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Daniel Wu</span></a>, <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/terence"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Terence Yin</span></a>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/andrew">Andrew Lin</a></span>. They turned that into a mockumentary movie, “<a href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/heavenly_kings.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Heavenly Kings</span></a>”, and now <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/">AliveNotDead.com</a> </span> has evolved into a community artists website. I think it’s the most creative idea to have ever happened in Hong Kong.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew Lin</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" (Clearwater Bay studios)</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It’s a really good thing for all creative artists to get to know each other’s work through the site. We can comment on other people’s work. I think the most important thing is that it hooks up East and West so that people can work together. I think this website really works this way: to hook people up from different places so that they can work together. Without this website, it is really hard to gather people together and get to know them. Before, it was through a film festival. You would have to buy a plane ticket and fly somewhere to meet people. This website is an all-in-one, one-stop shop. I think the creative industry should grow this way. We can become more international. Different cultures can meet, mix and blend together.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Phat Chan </span>on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" (Clearwater Bay studios)</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: The special effects seem very well done. While filming on the set, when you see the blood and guts, does it look real? Or do you think it is fake and have to try to make yourself feel like it is really happening?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: No, when I am in a scene I never let myself feel that it’s a prop. I always feel that this is alive. I think everyone on the set has this feeling. There is a sense of violence in every single human being, and that’s a scary thing. That’s what we’re trying to talk about in this movie. The funny thing is, every time we bring out a prop out that we need to smash to death, everyone on the set is so excited because they all want to do it themselves. And we have to say, “Oh I’m sorry, the actor gets to do it,” or “The stuntman gets to touch it, you don’t get to touch it.” But everybody is so excited about it. That’s the scary thing: why is everybody so excited about violence? I think it’s a taboo; violence is wrong. It’s not right, but it’s such a taboo in the world: it shouldn’t happen to anyone so everyone is very curious about it.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho </span>on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" (Clearwater Bay studios)</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: I heard that one of the actresses [Song Juan] couldn’t take the violence on the set of “Dream Home”. What happened? </span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: She cried when she saw me smash her own prop. She ran out crying and she actually vomited. I ran after her and said, “I’m so sorry. Why are you crying?” And she said, “It’s like that prop has been sitting in the makeup room every day, and now I kind of said goodbye to her.” You know, we have lunch and dinner with her in the same space and we wave goodbye to her every night when we go home. So she sort of had a relationship with her. Also, the prop looked exactly like her: the features, her pores, everything. So she just felt really sad when somebody did that to her prop. But the funny thing is, she didn’t cry when she did her own stunts. The prop was only there in between shots, like when we had to smash her head against the toilet bowl so hard her forehead actually breaks open. And her head is so hard, it breaks the toilet bowl as well. She did her own stunts, so the first few times I smashed her it was really her. Then we would insert a shot where her prop was smashed. Especially when her forehead gets broken. She didn’t cry when she was doing it herself, but she cried when she had to look at herself from the third person point of view. That was funny. To me. (laughs).</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span> facing <span style="font-weight: bold;">Felix Lok</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Juno Mak</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" (2010)</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Are you a big fan of horror movies?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: I do like horror movies. I’m not a huge fan but I do admire some of them. I think I’m more into admiring different personalities, like <span style="font-weight: bold;">"American Psycho</span>" . I won’t say I admire. That’s morally wrong because he is a very, very bad person. But I am almost fascinated with his characteristics: why would humanity turn out this way, what’s wrong with the world, what kind of pressure is put on us, why would this happen to that person? There are all these motives that drive him to do all these bad things to other people. I’m more interested in things like that.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pang Ho-cheung </span>& <span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho </span>on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>"</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How do you split your time between being a producer, actress, singer?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: It’s not easy. I have to put singing aside when I’m doing acting. I wish they didn’t cross, but sometimes if I have a busy schedule I have to do both. This time I managed to separate the two, and I’m really happy about that. I can concentrate on producing and acting. While I’m on the set, I’m an actress, not much of a producer. I think during the first few days I was a little nervous about the schedule being delayed, or not being able to finish what we needed to do, or that we might run over our budget. I knew we wouldn’t run over the budget in the first few days, but I was worried about a lot of different things. I got to the set really early and got dressed, got all made up. I would run onto the set and check out the lighting and the camera crew, and where my marks were. I just wanted to pressure everyone and make sure they were working. I think I only maintained that for a couple of days. Iin the end I was too tired. I just felt I had to leave that to Conroy because it just wasn’t working with my acting.</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When you finish shooting, will you be back as a producer?</span></div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20100213_josieho/josiehoposter2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: I will be back looking after the post production. We’re already having meetings on marketing and promotion. I like doing things like that. It’s fun, and we’re using new angles and exciting topics in the media, and we’re spinning stuff to scare people. That’s all fun to do, but it’s not fun when you’re an actress too. And I felt that. The funny thing is that in the meetings I felt I was kind of conflicted. I needed to get in to my character in about four hours, yet I was still sitting in that meeting. I was already getting into character and running out of ideas in the meeting. I felt bad about it.</div><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What is your hope for the future of “Dream Home”?</span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: I hope that a lot of people will like this movie, and I hope that this movie will shock the hell out of Hong Kong. I hope that everybody will go crazy; will go mad.<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: And laugh too, because it’s funny!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JH</span>: Yeah. (laughs) I think a lot of female office workers will like the movie because Sheung is a sort of an anti-hero. And, the topic touches everybody’s heart in Hong Kong. I think it’s gonna be crazy <span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">(3)</span>.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Interview conducted by <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine" style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</a> on the set of <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Dream Home</span>" (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Clearwater Bay Studios – Hong Kong</span>) in April 2009. Edited by <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/sylviarorem"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sylvia Rorem</span></a> for<span style="font-weight: bold;"> ActionQueens.com</span>. Thanks to <a href="http://making-film.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Making Film</span></a> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Subi Liang</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pang Ho-cheung</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Quin Lau</span>) & <span style="font-weight: bold;">852 Films</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Josie Ho</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Conroy Chan</span>). Photos courtesy from <span style="font-weight: bold;">852 Films</span> ("<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" stills and behind the scenes - "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" posters designed by Josie Ho) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fred Ambroisine </span>(on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>").</div><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">(1)</span> The alternative English title of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" is "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Victoria Bay</span>".<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">(2)</span> Check out <a href="http://fredambroisine.com/videos/090601andrewhorror.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Andrew Lin video interview</span></a> about the special make-up effects of "Dream Home".<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">(3)</span> Originally planned for Halloween 2009, the Hong Kong release date of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" had been postponed to May 13, 2010. The movie will also be released in France through <a href="http://www.wildside.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wild Side Films</span></a>. Also, the worldwide rights of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dream Home</span>" had been picked up by <a href="http://www.fortissimo.nl/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fortissimo Films</span></a>. </span><br />
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</div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-1730820527355169472009-12-24T00:35:00.000-08:002011-06-21T07:48:24.476-07:00UNE AFFAIRE D’ETAT: AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC VALETTE (DIRECTOR)<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXGgQ0U_sWeVPiunEj1drnpTmIFIW-Z1yXYDdVEN7ib4A34xS2v7APIzEFPMObh4FZZHJQCm3w0jv_pnpSnE5wUuWnKr-G3SBtFMLEzJ7ZJmWXkr3lH-7vTLhTJhWstGXXDO8HDMgeyg/s1600/1affairedetat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXGgQ0U_sWeVPiunEj1drnpTmIFIW-Z1yXYDdVEN7ib4A34xS2v7APIzEFPMObh4FZZHJQCm3w0jv_pnpSnE5wUuWnKr-G3SBtFMLEzJ7ZJmWXkr3lH-7vTLhTJhWstGXXDO8HDMgeyg/s1600/1affairedetat.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat.jpg" style="margin-top: 0pt; width: 260px;" /></a>Released in France on November 25th 2009, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d’Etat</span>” is a suspenseful, action-packed thriller in which three characters cross paths: a corrupt politician (<span style="font-weight: bold;">André Dussolier</span>), his henchman (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont</span>), and a hard-boiled female cop (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida Brakni</span>). Before you read the lead actress’ interview, we’ll start with the director, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Valette</span>, maker of three other feature films. His first, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjCPDmGgABE"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maléfique</span></a>”, was a French production awarded by <span style="font-weight: bold;">William Friedkin</span> himself at the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Gerardmer Fantastic Film Festival</span>. The two others films were made in Hollywood: a remake of Takashi Miike’s “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1F7hJNsi5M"><span style="font-weight: bold;">One-Missed Call</span></a>”, released in the US (unfortunately not the director’s cut version) and “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URnlfqKIxOs"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hybrid</span></a>” which involves a devilish car and another action queen (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Shannon Beckner</span>); there is still no release date scheduled for this film. In this exclusive interview, we focus on “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d’Etat</span>”, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Valette</span>’s most personal work so far...<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat00.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: How did you discover the book that inspired “Une Affaire d’ Etat”? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Valette</span>: I discovered the novel “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d’Etat</span>” in 2003. The original title was “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nos fantastiques années fric</span>” <span style="font-size: 78%;">(1)</span> [<a href="http://www.dominiquemanotti.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dominique Manotti</span></a>; 2001]. I was called by a French producer, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Névé</span>, who produces a lot of genre-oriented movies in France. I got involved with two screenwriters I knew from my previous movie, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Maléfique</span>”: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alexandre Charlot</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Franck Magnier</span>, and we all liked the book very much. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Névé</span> had the rights. We decided to become involved, as screenwriters and director, in trying to do an adaptation of the novel in a French noir crime genre.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat10.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida Brakni</span> as Nora in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d'Etat</span>" (2009)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Let’s talk about the characters. What did you like about them in the book and how did you and the scriptwriter transform them into cinema characters? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: What we liked about the characters of the novel was the fact that they were shades of gray. Nothing was really black or white and they were all pretty ambiguous and complex. We decided to keep that edge for our material and keep the subtleties of the characters. But what we mainly changed was the character of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nora</span>, the female cop, the “Action Queen” of the movie. We made her a little more physically involved in the action since most of the time in the novel she is more like a witness: she observes a lot, she learns a lot. She’s pretty cerebral; she doesn’t do a lot in the novel, especially in the second half. So we wanted her to be a little more physical, and also to provide a certain level of entertainment. We decided to have her more involved in the movie. Not being heroic in a silly way but in a kind of logical way. So that is what we changed quite radically in the second half of the movie.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida Brakni</span> as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nora</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d'Etat</span>" (2009)</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Is the novel plot different than the movie plot?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: There’s no difference. The storyline of the novel and the movie are pretty similar. Basically, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d’Etat</span>” is a story of the web of corruption in which three characters are entangled. One character is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Victor Bornand</span>. He is a secret adviser to the French president. He is a man of secrecy, a man in the shadows. He deals with all the dirty business of the state: weapons smuggling, blackmailing, all that stuff...<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat21.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">André Dussolier </span>(right) as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bornand </span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d'Etat</span>" (2009)</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span>...He has a right hand man who does the physical side of his actions, who is more like the nerve (laughs), the belly. This guy’s name is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michel Fernandez</span>, played by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont</span>. He is a kind of contract killer to some extent, so he will do all the dirty work for Bornand...<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat26.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont </span> as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fernandez </span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d'Etat</span>" (2009)</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span>...And there is a third character named <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nora Chahyd</span>. She is a female cop. She is just a busy cop who is doing some kind of routine investigation on the murder of an escort girl in a parking lot. Through her investigation she gets onto the trail of Fernandez, and ultimately Bornand, in the highest levels of the state. She then becomes a threat to national security. It’s all about corruption, danger, and how to survive in a political environment where everybody wants to take the biggest part of the cake and everybody is trying to survive.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat16.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida Brakni </span>and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Gérald Laroche </span>as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bonfils </span></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you work on the adaptation with your scriptwriters? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: Basically we tried to cut some parts, get rid of some characters and some of the novel’s backstory, in order to keep the tone and the general storyline intact. It’s all about making choices; trying not to soften the edges of the novel in order to make it an edgy movie. So that’s how we work with the screen writers. Mainly we tried to have a meeting once a week or once every two weeks, and we used a lot of post-its (laughs). We tried to establish a structure, and tried to see what is inside of every scene’s structure: the characters involved and the information we want to give out. It’s pretty complex, it’s like architectural work. Once this work is done, I don’t get involved much in the next part: to work on the dialogue, the characters... I get involved in the action stuff: choosing locations for some scenes, bits of action... So let’s say it is a collaboration. It is pretty structured but it takes a long time to make right because the political thriller is a complex genre. It is not completely linear. You have a lot of characters to deal with, so the writing process is pretty long. It’s not like doing a zombie movie.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat20.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Marie Winling</span> as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Macquart</span></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How was the choice of the lead actress [Rachida Brakni] made? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida Brakni</span>... It is not easy to find a thirty year old French girl with North African origins who has bankability in terms of casting a movie and is pretty good with the physical side of acting. Rachida is the first name that comes to mind. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida</span> earned a French Award, the César, in 2002 for a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Colline Sérreau</span> movie called “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTyHwHC3cJs"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chaos</span></a>”. So she is kind of popular. Also, she is married to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cantona"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Cantona</span></a>, a famous French ex-soccer player. So for some reason she is kind of popular because of that. She is also a very, very good actress; she does a fantastic job. When she was a student she was pretty high ranking in athletics. She did a lot of high level competition for the Olympics: pretty serious stuff. So she was perfect for the genre, especially taking into consideration that you don’t come across many actors in France who have this physical ability...<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat23.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nora </span>the cop<span style="font-weight: bold;"> (Rachida Brakni) </span>never gives up</span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>...Most French cinema is about dialogue and psychology. A lot of the time you get people who are talking heads. They do not really care about their body, they just speak. Most of the time they speak well but still, there is something lacking when a movie deals not only with psychology, obviously, but also with the physical ability of the actors. That is why it is pretty interesting to have people like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont</span>, who also won an Emmy Award in New York in 2005. He won Best Foreign Dramatic Actor for his performance as a serial killer, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Francis Heaulme</span>, in a French miniseries called “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0432398/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dans la tête du tueur</span></a>” [2004] which means “<span style="font-weight: bold;">In the Head of the Killer</span>”.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat12.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fernandez </span>(<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont</span>): always in trouble<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: I want to see that! Do you have a copy?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: I don’t have a copy but it’s very good.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: An International Emmy Award for a French actor: that is rare. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: He is the only one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What is your opinion of the female action image in French cinema? I have the impression that they are rare. And when you see them, it is usually not very good...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: That is true. If you look back in time, action girls, action female characters are pretty scarce in French cinema. I think the name that first comes to mind, especially for foreign audiences, is “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvggaQKfFys"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikita</span></a>” [Luc Besson, 1991]. After “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikita</span>” then you can consider Cécile De France in “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J0yc4ndZ3s"><span style="font-weight: bold;">High Tension</span></a>” [<span style="font-weight: bold;">Alexandre Aja</span>’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Haute Tension</span>”, 2003]. Aside from that, there are not a lot of names that come to mind...<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/nikitahightension.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">German posters of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nikita</span>" + US poster of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Haute Tension</span>"<br /></span></div><br />...This is why it was interesting to try to humbly add a new building block to this genre. But it is very tough; there are not a lot of action films, thrillers or adventure movies in France. And most of them do not have a female lead. Most of the females are just spice, just the love interest or the whore. Basically what you see in most of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">EuropaCorp</span> movies [<span style="font-weight: bold;">Luc Besson</span> production company] is that most of them do not really deal with female characters in a serious way. They do it in a pretty standard way: either the love interest or the whore, or she is there just to add a sexy female spice into the mix. But they are not really considered to be characters.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: They are action whores. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: Action whores, yeah. Frederic, have you seen a female action lead in a EuropaCorp movie?<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/transporter2.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Transporter 2", </span>a EuropaCorp production</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: No. But there are many, many female cop characters in French TV.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: That is true, but they are not action leads. That is the French tradition of the female TV cop. It is true that we have had a lot of series since the mid 80’s with female cops but most of them are more like social workers dealing with problems of drug addicts or people in distress. They are not really involved in serious action most of the time. It is more like a social worker kind of character, or a seated cop kind of character: with a big butt on a chair in an office. Luckily for foreign audiences, most of these series did not make it to other countries, so I guess that’s something you are safe from. I don’t see a “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Julie Lescault</span>” box set being released internationally with [English] subtitles, but there might be a niche and you might find a DVD company interested in trying to put that out. But I’m not sure.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have you seen any of those TV series?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: To be honest, I don’t think I have ever seen an entire episode of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Julie Lescault</span>” [1992-present]…<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/lescaultbleus.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">The famous <span style="font-weight: bold;">Julie Lescaut</span> (played by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Véronique Genest</span>)<br />and the new TV cop series "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Les Bleus</span>"<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: “Les Bleus”? [2006-present]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: Yeah, or “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Clara Sheller</span>” [2005-2008].... I don’t think I have seen any of these shows in its entirety. Just one episode, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Why? Because they lack realism?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: I think they are lacking a lot of elements. They lack scripts, they lack characters, they lack directing; they lack a lot. Most of the time I would say they lack scripts. I think the strongest point of American and English TV shows, over the French, is, even before directing, cinematography or acting, the strength of the script.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What did you bring to the characters during the shooting? Did you exchange ideas with the actors? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: Yes, definitely. For me, a movie script is a guideline with a spine. You have to follow the spine, especially for a thriller because it has a structure. You don’t fuck with the structure. But in between this guideline and spine, you have a lot of flexibility for characters. This is why I like to build characters with the actors. Not necessarily on the shoot, because on the shoot you lack time and you have to rush through everything, especially when you’re short on money and shooting time. So what you can do is to prepare everything during pre-production. You can discuss the characters, you can tweak and change the dialogue, you can change certain action details if the actor has an idea because of some prop, or some wardrobe element. If the actor has an idea, you then discuss with him or her, and you change something in the scene. I would say there is a lot of room for flexibility, but right before the shoot. There is a little bit of room during the shoot, but I think you have to adapt everything to the actors right before the shoot in order not to stumble on some kind of weird surprise on the specific day of the shoot. All of a sudden you have an actor say, “Well, I just can’t say that line, it doesn’t work.” If you have already been through all the dialogue, if you did everything in a very methodical kind of way before the shoot, then it is pretty easy to go through the shoot. You don’t have to tweak the dialogue anymore. It has a lot to do with preparation.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat08.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d'Etat</span>" (2009)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">F: Let’s compare your movie with a western. Let’s take a famous one like “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”...</span><br /><br />EV: Oh! This is nice. It’s better than “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Blueberry</span>” (laughs). [2004 western starring <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vincent Cassel</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Juliette Lewis</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Madsen</span>, released in the US as “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Renegade</span>”]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Nora Chahyd’s character would obviously be The Good. Bornand is The Bad. Fernandez is The Ugly. I feel that you have sympathy for The Ugly.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: Yes. Somehow, yes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: I feel that the female character is the less complex character. She’s a rookie cop. There is not really any surprise with this character.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: That’s true. Hmm. It is like the cop character, Nora, is more of a guide. This is a very classic way to establish a plot. The guide of the movie viewer is going to be <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nora</span>. But it is not as simple as that because Nora is not a classic “good” character. She is pretty violent, a little bit stubborn, a little bit racist somehow; it’s not like she is a perfect angel and a very nice, sympathetic girl. You have to get used to her and understand her anger, and the way she will shift her anger into something more like reflection and wit. I would say she is not as simple as she seems. Regarding the two other characters: The Bad is obviously The Bad because he has a plan; he works for the dark side, in the dark corners of government power. Yes, you can see him as The Bad in “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good, The Bad and The Ugly</span>”. He can be <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lee Van Cleef</span>, no problem...<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat24.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bornand</span> (André Dussolier) is not really good</span></div><br />... The Ugly is a little bit different because in “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly” The Ugly is kind of funny. There is a lot of irony to him. He speaks a lot, he tries to manipulate and cheat people. That is not really the case with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fernandez</span>. He is playing a strange game but he’s pretty much the opposite arc of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eli Wallach</span> character. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eli Wallach</span> character In “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good, the Bad and The Ugly</span>” is kind of sympathetic at first sight because he is funny. Then you realize he is a son of a bitch. Fernandez is pretty much the opposite kind of part: he is a cold blooded killer in the first half of the movie, but then you gain sympathy because you realize he is trying to get out of the shit he’s in. He is thinking about moving to the next step and maybe changing his life. I think there is some kind of grandeur to him, which is not the case in terms of The Ugly character played by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eli Wallach</span>...<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat14.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fernandez</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont</span>) is not really bad<br /></span></div><br />...The main relationship I can see between “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Good, The Bad and The Ugly</span>” and my movie is that the three characters in both movies are sociopaths. They are all sociopaths. They are miming sociability because they have to. Otherwise they would die, or kill somebody. They are all sociopaths, and I am really interested in sociopaths. These are people I really like (laughs).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did the actors surprise you during the shooting?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: If you expect a lot, you’re not really surprised. I had really high expectations, which were reached. They are all great actors. That is what I love: they are professional, very serious, and they don’t have all the stupid ego problems or insecurities that you can see with other actors. It is also a choral movie, which means there is no star. There are three people; most of their screen time is equal and their name is the same on the poster. Because they have all been stage actors they know how to share a scene. All in all, you can see that these people are not defending their territory; they are defending the movie and their part in the movie. They are defending the plot, so there is no struggling for territory: “I’m going to have my close up.” “You’re not going to get your close up,” and so on. It’s really fair play, very relaxed, and everybody is trying to do their best to make the best movie we can. These are all professional actors who are not dealing with narcissistic stuff. That is why these people really reached my expectations, because I expect this level of professionalism and dignity.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat19.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"No way!"</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Most political thrillers contain a lot of dialogue and suspense, and a twist. Your movie also has action. Why did you decide to include action scenes in the story? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: The action was something we decided on right from the very start. It was part of the rough draft. We already had the action. I remember in the very first meeting I said, “You know what, at one point she should try to catch the guy. And maybe we should start in the part of Paris south of the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Boulevard de Clichy</span> near <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pigalle</span> so we can have a chase through <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Pigalle</span> up to <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Montmartre</span> and the <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sacre Coeur</span> and <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Place Du Tertre</span>". That was in my mind; I could visualize it before we had the first draft of the script. It was really part of the plan, to have short action scenes, bursts of violence, of physical action in order to thrill the audience. To make the movie exciting, obviously, but also it was a way to conceptually state that what is decided in the corridors of power is something that has a physical impact on reality. People die, people suffer very collateral damage. In the action scenes I wanted people to be hit by a bullet without their name on it, that kind of accident, in order to realize that all these decisions being made in high spheres of the state have a practical impact; practical consequences in our environment. It makes a movie exciting because you shift from dialogue to something totally kinetic, gutsy, sound and picture..<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat09.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Chasing scene in Pigalle streets<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Usually good action scenes cost money. Do they scare producers? Do you have to cut the action in order to save money?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: The temptation was there. At one point we had to save money because we did not originally have all the money to make the movie. There was a thought of cutting some action but we kept everything as it was when we rewrote the script. My main request was, “Cut everything you want but don’t cut action. We keep it as it is.” Because we can cut shooting days by shooting with several cameras to make our schedule a little tighter. But in terms of what we are telling, I just wanted to be able to save the structure as it was, so I didn’t negotiate on action. I can negotiate on pretty much everything, but I didn’t negotiate on action. Because action is part of the fun of making a movie, and it’s pure movie making. It’s pure kinetic style. It is very exciting to make action. When we speak about action, it is not necessarily people chasing each other or people shooting at each other. It can be something as simple as a guy listening to another guy with a wire somewhere in an apartment. With that you have action, you have tension. There is no dialogue. You get a sense of suspense and tension. I call this “action” in a larger sense of the word. For me, action is not necessarily pyrotechnic.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat05.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"I see you."</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Your movie is presented as a political thriller… But do you think you made a political movie, or a politically driven movie? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: No! It is a movie that has some kind of political background and content but it is not a political movie in the strict sense. We are not trying to educate people. I think most people know about weapon smuggling between France and Africa, and so on. It is more about showing the web of corruption and deceit in which our characters are entangled and are making life and death decisions. We are trying to understand these characters, and trying to make them sympathetic for the audience. Not necessarily sympathetic but at least to understand what they do and feel. My goal is that you can have some kind of empathy for them. The political aspect is a little more bitter and cynical than it could have been in the 70’s. There was a lot more idealism involved. You voted for Democrats or the Left Wing. I think now we have been through a lot of governments in France, and the same goes for the US and so on. I don’t think there is the same kind of innocence and naivety anymore: you’re going to vote, and you’re going to change your life, and everything is going to be great. I think now my approach is more existentialist than political.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat13.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Politicians doing (legal?) business</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: We know the name of the president in the book. In your movie, we do not.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: Yeah. The context of the book is the 80’s in France and <span style="font-weight: bold;">François Mitterand</span> was the president. We want our movie to be contemporary but kind of timeless. We decided to make it timeless because if you make a period movie you always run the risk of being considered as something “past”. People might say “Oh yeah, that was twenty years ago and that was happening, but now everything is perfect. Things have changed.” No way. I mean, it is always the same old shit going on. As long as you can buy a government in Africa, as long as you have oil and resources in Africa and other countries, then all the occidental countries are trying to get their share and acting like some kind of vampires. It is just part of the game, and it would be totally stupid and it would not make sense to think that this approach changes because you are under a left or right wing government. Everybody needs oil; everybody needs energy. You’re going to take it from where it is.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat17.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bornand </span>(<span style="font-weight: bold;">André Dussolier</span>) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Massembat</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Michel Martial</span>): partners in crime</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Let’s talk again about the female character. You said she was a bit racist. Where does this appear in the movie?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: When I say racist, well…at one point a North African dealer is making a phone call on his cell, and you might assume he is selling drugs or something. She says, “You know what, the only thing these guys deserve is a bullet through the head.” So I wouldn’t say she is racist, but she is very violent. She uses “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dirty Harry</span>” or <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charles Bronson</span> kind of dialogue. It is not very common to hear that kind of dialogue in the mouth of a North African girl in a French movie. Especially from cops. Most of the time they are very human. Once again, a kind of social worker helping people and being very caring for and understanding of others. Which is not actually the case. She doesn’t give a fuck. It was pretty important to have this dialogue because it keeps the viewer on the edge. It is not the typical characterization for this kind of character.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat15.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"Do you feel lucky?"</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What do you think about the image of cops in French cinema? For example, rap musicians do not like cops. Young people in general do not like cops either... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: That’s true. They hate cops most of the time. I would say it’s easy to hate a cop (laughs). It’s pretty easy to hate a cop; it is not easy to like a cop. What I do, humbly, with “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Une Affaire d’Etat</span>” is to portray the cops, the politicians, the contract hit killer, as people with their own motivations, their reasons, and a job to do. That’s it. They are not necessarily evil, incredibly violent or sadistic or whatever. I just tried to establish a sense of understanding of them. Cops are a part of these people, so once again I don’t want to fall into a category like <span style="font-weight: bold;">EuropaCorp</span> movies: everything is set up in order to make the audience from the suburbs feel good because they see a racist cop or a stupid uniform cop doing something silly because he’s stupid. Or you have a kind of cool guy from the suburbs playing tricks on the cops and so on. I think that is pure demagogy so it is not something I like to use with the audience. I think audiences are way smarter than producers think they are, and I don’t want to lick their asses or kiss their feet just in order to make them feel good. I don’t think that they are going to feel good. I think that if you take them and put them in the position that they have to think a little bit, but at the same time they are entertained by the story, I think they are going to have a good experience and feel better after the movie. Generally I feel better after a movie if I didn’t necessarily hear what I wanted to hear.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: One more thing about the character Nora. In one scene she tells her mother on the phone that she’s not doing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan">Ramadan</a>. Was this from the book? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: No, it is not part of the book. We put it in because we wanted to establish a girl that doesn’t give a shit about tradition. Because I think most of the separations and most of the tensions between communities that we can feel in our society are based on religion. And I’m not necessarily against religion but I would say either <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholicism">Catholicism</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam">Islam</a> is… most of the time I don’t see them as elements of peace but as elements of aggression (laughs). That is my own judgment. I wanted to make a little bit of a statement where you realize that some people who are supposed to be Muslims because they come from a Muslim background: well they don’t give a fuck and they’re not Muslim and that’s it. You know, my mother is a Catholic and I’m not Catholic. That is part of life. So I wanted to establish this sort of feature for Nora. I thought that was pretty modern, especially for a girl.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat07.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nora Chahyd</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida Brakni</span>): hard-boiled cop & modern woman<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Is Nora more modern in the movie than in the novel? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: There is mention of a family in the novel but I don’t think there is mention of the religion. So you can assume she is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim">Muslim</a> but you don’t know. You can only assume.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: is your movie pessimistic?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: I wouldn’t say it’s totally pessimistic. I would say it is pretty dark, pretty downbeat. But there is a glimpse of hope in the movie that we wanted to hint at so that you can feel that maybe at one point you can change things a little bit. Playing your part in society so you can change things a little bit and make them slightly better. Not necessarily for a long time, but I would say you can make yourself better. So I think Nora is probably a better person at the end of the movie than she was in the beginning, or maybe she became smarter and she might be more vulnerable to corruption. I don’t know (laughs). That’s a question mark, definitely. It is not totally pessimist, but fairly so. I would say it would be totally mad and insane and not fair to try to be optimistic while showing a web of corruption. I mean, there is no way you can be optimistic and show that (laughs).<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fernandez</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont</span>): still in trouble</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What do you think will happen to Nora in ten years?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: "I don’t know. Maybe she could become a high-ranking cop, but I would say she will probably stay in the ground work. I don’t see her having an office-like function. She likes to be in the street and to get down and dirty, so I don’t see her doing office work somehow. She has a big <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vic MacKay</span> <span style="font-size: 78%;">(2)</span> kind of side to her, I guess. I don’t know what is going to happen to her but it is pretty interesting. Maybe she’ll be there for a sequel. We’ll see.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat22.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mado</span> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Boisson"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christine boisson</span></a>) & her bodyguards vs <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nora</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rachida Brakni</span>)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you talk about the other important female character in the movie, the “madam”?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: The madam is called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mado</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mado</span> is a weird, weird, weird female character. She seems to pull strings a lot; she seems like a puppet master. She is pretty sneaky. It is difficult to sense whatever she feels but you can see she has a plan B, a plan C and maybe a plan D in the back of her mind. She is trying to pull the strings in order to grab one that is going to deliver something good for her. But you can sense that she comes from the gutter and she established herself as a madam in this kind of prostitution ring. But she still has this gutter background attitude, where you have to fight for everything and you have to protect yourself and life is a jungle. But even if she feels mixed feelings and opposite feelings about people that she might love and hate at the same time, ultimately… she will be ready to betray them for survival and her well being. So she is a pretty tricky, complex character; probably the most complex character in the movie. She is played by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Boisson"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christine Boisson</span></a> who was a sexual icon in the 70’s in France. She is famous for movies like “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071464/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Emmanuelle</span></a>” and in the early 80’s “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084116/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Identificazione Di Una Donna</span></a>” by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Antonioni</span>. She has this kind of glamorous sexual feel to her and she is pretty magnetic and strong and weird. She did a lot of work for stage and TV in the last decade or 15 years, and it was pretty cool for us to have her back on the big screen to do this part. So I am happy to bring <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Boisson"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christine Boisson</span></a> back to the screen.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat11.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mado</span> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christine_Boisson"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christine Boisson</span></a>): a very smart businesswoman<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you cast the actors and actresses? Did they accept the roles right away?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: We had been through several options before <span style="font-weight: bold;">André Dussolier</span> for the character <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bornand</span>. Once we had him we had a pretty strong idea that the movie could be financed. Otherwise it would have been a problem because André Dussolier is kind of a popular actor in France. So we went for him, but not after considering other options which would have been maybe a little more like contretype acting: like using a comedian to play this kind of role, playing against type. But André Dussolier was playing politicians, lawyers, people that are really established in society. It was probably one of the first times that he had to go that far into his darkest corners. I would say even that it was kind of a novelty for him, and for us too. He was pretty happy to explore this side of himself, especially after doing a lot of comedy like the latest <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Pierre Jeunet</span> movie and lighter drama like the last <span style="font-weight: bold;">Alain Resnais </span>movie. So it was pretty interesting to have him, and pretty naturally he got us the financing. So we were able to have people that we really, really liked to be with him, like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rashida Brakni </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry Frémont</span>. Once again the two of them are bankable stars in the classic sense of the term. It is not that easy to finance based only on one name, but I would say the ensemble cast make it like a viable investment. So that is how we decided to keep this thing together. Also there was another aspect: all these people don’t have any problem, they really share screen time; they don’t care. So once again, they like to act with each other; they don’t play against each other.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091224_affairedetat/affairedetat03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bornand</span> (</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">André Dussolier</span>) stays cool: for how long?</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What’s your next step?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EV</span>: I am going to stay in France, probably for a while. I don’t know, we’ll see what comes up with the US and Canada and so on. Maybe Thailand, who knows. But I think I’m going to stay in France. I am doing a movie in France called “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Prey</span>” / “<span style="font-weight: bold;">La Proie</span>” which is the story of a bank robber chasing a serial killer in rural France. The bank robber is a convict escaped from jail and is being chased by the cops. Basically it is a three-way chase movie. It is interesting: my producer likes to pitch it as a kind of French version of “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fugitive_%281993_film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Fugitive</span></a>” because it has that kind of sense and vibe. But it’s going to be darker.<br /><br />Interview conducted in English by <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frederic Ambroisine</span></a> on November 10th, 2009. Editeb by <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/sylviarorem"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sylvia Rorem</span></a> for <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(1) The novel by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dominique Manotti, </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Affairs of State</span>", </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">which inspired the movie will be available in English in June 2010. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/yd36vx6">http://tinyurl.com/yd36vx6 </a><br />(2) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Vic MacKay</span>, a bad-ass corrupt cop, is the main character of the US Police television series “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shield"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Shield</span></a>”.</span><br /><br /></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-63034017882119421932009-12-15T15:36:00.000-08:002011-06-21T07:48:24.476-07:00POSTERS, STILLS & TRAILERS ON ACTION QUEENS FACEBOOK PAGE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEffIIpsGHgP7F4JnvrnfsoUjUpbVEyWM-hHom40ImAHHos6OfSKEyBqDoKXYAmKVJ1UiZpP8Tblt_xsvVjhzcTd9VLtXyoz3bAD9hmpBjHIe1lkMRCOpdi0uO5GxYDfgfPPhNNZJQ2VM/s1600/actionqueensfacebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEffIIpsGHgP7F4JnvrnfsoUjUpbVEyWM-hHom40ImAHHos6OfSKEyBqDoKXYAmKVJ1UiZpP8Tblt_xsvVjhzcTd9VLtXyoz3bAD9hmpBjHIe1lkMRCOpdi0uO5GxYDfgfPPhNNZJQ2VM/s1600/actionqueensfacebook.jpg" /></a></div>If <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a> hasn’t seemed very active the last few weeks, it’s because we’ve been spending time doing cool stuff on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/ACTION-QUEENS/253494255385"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queen FaceBook page</span></a>!<br /><br />We are uploading some cool <span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens </span>related movie posters (from the 1910’s to the 2010’s!), movie stills, trailers, and even video games trailers. If you want more interaction with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens</span>, please become a fan of our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/ACTION-QUEENS/253494255385"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FaceBook page</span></a>.<br /><br />There you can upload your own fan images, talk about your favourite actresses and movies, and give us your opinion or suggestions about our site. Please also check our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/actionqueens"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens Youtube page</span></a>, where we will be uploading more video interviews very soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fred Ambroisine </span>& <span style="font-weight: bold;">achillesgirl</span>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-13112625960282736872009-12-11T06:48:00.000-08:002011-06-21T07:48:24.476-07:00ACTION QUEEN LISA CHENG: NEW PHOTOS!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0a5f8ZFxA0uvRKgQudq3_Y7aONLhBEsG1o2DdGzhV0NvH0uO4k-u9k-8b3qX3gLTAPoI5stji0WsREORAnA3BPzK_HAoqYcRtfcvtGWZT1vFefJJYuJ4xv-wpdAmNFsKuyqq4ToQsiw/s1600/lisaphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV0a5f8ZFxA0uvRKgQudq3_Y7aONLhBEsG1o2DdGzhV0NvH0uO4k-u9k-8b3qX3gLTAPoI5stji0WsREORAnA3BPzK_HAoqYcRtfcvtGWZT1vFefJJYuJ4xv-wpdAmNFsKuyqq4ToQsiw/s1600/lisaphoto.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a> loves <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a>! Many thanks to Lisa for giving us the opportunity to share some of her fantastic new photos. First, a couple of black and white photos by French photographer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Laurent Piram</span>, a.k.a. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tilo</span>, while he was in Hong Kong this November.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091211_lisapics/lisatilo01.jpg" /></div><br />This outdoor photoshoot was done in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsim_Sha_Tsui"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tsim Tsa Tsui</span> </a>near the <a href="http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/hkcc/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Cultural Center</span>.</a> Check out other photos by Laurent on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/photo_astuce/sets/72157622835022951/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">his Flickr page</span></a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091211_lisapics/lisatilo02.jpg" /></div><br /><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens</span></a> is also delighted to share more Lisa photos with you that were shot the same week in China. Lisa herself supervised the art direction, which shows not only that she is sophisticated but that she has many stylish moves as a gorgeous Action Queen. Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091211_lisapics/lisaaction1.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091211_lisapics/lisaaction2.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091211_lisapics/lisaaction3.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091211_lisapics/lisaaction4.jpg" /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091211_lisapics/lisaaction5.jpg" /></div><br />We think this is not the last time <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens</span></a> will be talking about Lisa Cheng...<br /><br />Fred Ambroisine<br /><br />NB: More photos on <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng Alive Not Dead blog</span></a>.Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-69887415868842175272009-10-30T17:13:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.476-07:00BÉATRICE ROSEN INTERVIEW: MISS (END OF THE) WORLD "2012"<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGJqDRyS3hY_h-78Upn7qHnVN9EkniQqn2csPGGpSUopD55lTTWWIoVO0gz0_ylBgLf_9HI5g_ndRlwD0rkvUpwaaERcEUik9xKZSyZTBZvT45XAcyMt4wCMZg9p_Fyz2ERrV7SXDGPE/s1600/bearosen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGJqDRyS3hY_h-78Upn7qHnVN9EkniQqn2csPGGpSUopD55lTTWWIoVO0gz0_ylBgLf_9HI5g_ndRlwD0rkvUpwaaERcEUik9xKZSyZTBZvT45XAcyMt4wCMZg9p_Fyz2ERrV7SXDGPE/s1600/bearosen.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012bea00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012bea00.jpg" style="margin-top: 0pt; width: 260px;" /></a>In “<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>”, director Roland Emmerich literally blows the world away in a spectacular way never before seen on screen and shows us the worst that can happen to our beloved planet: Earthquakes, tsunamis a-go-go, eruptions in your face, mega-explosions, highways and buildings destroyed... very impressive technical success, no doubt. But the interest in “<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">”</span> would be a bit limited if it was only about world destruction because what usually makes the audience care about a movie is its people. In “<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>”, gorgeous French American actress <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/">Béatrice Rosen</a> </span>plays Russian beauty <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tamara</span>, one of the main characters trying desperately to escape the impending Apocalypse.It’s her first major role in a Hollywood blockbuster after appearing a year ago in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Nolan</span>’s second <span style="font-weight: bold;">Batman </span>movie, “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29">The Dark Knight</a>”</span>. In this exclusive interview for <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a>, Béatrice tells us about those two major experiences and her blossoming international acting career.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/bearosen00.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: What are your origins?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span>: My mother is French and my father has Hungarian origins but was raised in the US. I was raised entirely in Paris. [Béatrice was born in New York]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you study acting or other studies related to cinema?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/bearosen01.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I went to a regular high school. I started theater courses when I was ten years old. I did a lot of theater. On Wednesdays and Saturdays we acted in small theatres to train ourselves, to rehearse. Then we acted in the <a href="http://www.top-bb.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Théatre de Boulogne</span></a>. I went to a regular high school, and I earned a diploma in science, the French “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bac</span>” [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baccalaur%C3%A9at"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baccalauréat]</span></a>. After that I studied acting full time at the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Cours%20Florent"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cours Florent</span></a>.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you already know what you wanted to do after high school?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I didn’t know exactly, but I had registered in college in Paris. I had to make a choice, and since I graduated a year early I decided to try acting because I had always wanted to do it. I told myself I would try the full time acting course, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cours_Florent"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cours Florent</span></a>, for one year to see if I liked it. I ended up loving it, and then I started to work immediately in the film industry shooting movies. So in the end I never went back to science.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did Cours Florent help you find your first film job, or did you get it by yourself? </span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/bearosen02.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: It’s not really the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cours_Florent"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cours Florent</span></a> that helped me find a job. But it gave me a good foundation. They offer master classes; actors like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Lindon"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vincent Lindon</span></a> taught some classes. Actress <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabelle_Nanty"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Isabelle Nanty</span> </a>did as well. There were great teachers there. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cours_Florent"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cours Florent</span></a> gives you the foundation to do your job. But you mostly really learn on set when you’re shooting. Also, theatre and cinema are two completely different techniques.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You got your start in TV series and French movies.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Exactly. I did a bit of everything: short movies, a lot of commercials, photoshoots and medium-length films. I was selected in the contest “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeunes Talents</span>” [Young Talent] organized by l’<a href="http://www.adami.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Adami</span></a> [Civil Society to administer the rights of artists and performing musicians] at the <a href="http://www.festival-cannes.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cannes International Film Festiva</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">l</span></a>, the same year as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Tautou"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Audrey Tautou</span></a> I think. I did a lot of things: TV series, TV movies...</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/bearosen03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">In the short "<a href="http://www.stuartacher.com/stuartacher.com/BLINDFOLDED.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blindfolded</span></a>" (2006) & with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sean Bean</span> in the TV movie "<a href="http://www.sharpefilm.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sharpe's Peril</span></a>" (2008)</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you start with small roles? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Absolutely. It was very progressive. I learned my craft by working. There are two types of careers. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sophie Marceau </span>type: at her first audition, she immediately got a lead role in a big movie, and her career started that way. And there is another type of career, which is built step by step. That was my case. Some parts here and there. There is one thing that I’m really grateful for: I was never typecast; I was never labeled. I did comedies, thrillers, and action movies. The kind of roles I have had so far are completely different from each other.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/clownrose.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a>: Man-hunting in the French short "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Clown</span>" (1999) &<br />kidnapped in the dark comedy "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bienvenue chez les Rozes</span>" (2003) </span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Is there one role that got you noticed and put you in the limelight? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: It was a bit of a mix. It was not just one role. Of course, when I was in the 2004 American movie “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasing_Liberty"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chasing Liberty</span></a>”, it opened a lot of doors for me in the US. After that, many agencies contacted me. That movie played a major part in my career, for sure.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/chasingliberty.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/" style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</a> and <a href="http://www.mandymoore.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Mandy Moore</a> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Chasing Liberty</span>" (2004)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">Photo:<a href="http://www.jaapphoto.com/"> </a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.jaapphoto.com/">Jaap Buitendijk</a> </span>- © 2003 Daughter Productions LLC</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you succeed in making the transition from French movies to US movies? From auditioning for French movies to starring in Hollywood productions?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beachasing.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I spoke English and I had an agent in London. From time to time I would go there for one day, via Eurostar, to audition for projects that my agent found for me. I got my part in “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasing_Liberty"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chasing Liberty</span></a>” in London. They needed a European girl. Originally the character was for a German girl but since they liked me they changed the German character into a French character. They changed the name and profile of the character. The shooting was done in Prague. I was delighted to work on an American movie, but I didn’t really get the American film experience because it was shot in Europe. When the film was released, the production company with whom I had a contract for a second movie flew me to Los Angeles for the premiere. That’s where I signed with an American agency, and we had general meetings with film studios.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have all of your jobs been obtained through agents? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Yes. I had the lucky opportunity to get an agent very quickly. I was still in high school when I got one. I had the luxury to go to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cours_Florent"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cours Florent</span></a> already having an agent. I could apply what I was learning in class at auditions.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/bearosen05.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/" style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</a> modeling for <a href="http://www.timfahlbusch.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Fahlbusch</a><br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You alternate between TV series and movies. How do you organize your schedule to act in both TV and movies? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: It depends. It’s really an atypical job. For example, I shot two TV series simutaneously. I did three episodes of “<a href="http://www.tnt.tv/series/charmed/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span></a>” while shooting “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts</span></a>” at the same time. Luckily, both series were shot at Paramount Studios. It was funny because I had an assistant who was always waiting for me. In the morning I was in “<a href="http://www.tnt.tv/series/charmed/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span></a>” at studio 15, and the assistant would be waiting for me in a little golf cart to bring me to studio 23 were I was shooting “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts</span></a>” in the afternoon. I had to switch costumes and learn my lines for “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts</span></a>”. I did that for some time. It was fun. When I’m not shooting I go to meetings and auditions, and sometimes I have two jobs at the same time. I had to refuse another series named “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Mars"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Veronica Mars</span></a>” because of a scheduling problem. I couldn’t take the job because everything fell on the same days.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beacharmed01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span> as Maya in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span>" (Season 8, Episode 3 - 2005)<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have you been able to make a living by acting since the very beginning? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: That’s why I didn’t go back to school. Since the very beginning I started to make a living. I spent two years at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cours_Florent"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cours Florent</span></a> but I was working so much that I often couldn’t attend class. So it was useless to continue paying for a third year. When you are in a movie it is difficult to have other commitments.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beacharmed02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span> plays a real kick-ass model in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span>" (2005)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Are “</span><a href="http://www.tnt.tv/series/charmed/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">” and “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuts">Cut</a>” your first American TV series appearances?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: The first TV series that I shot in the US was cursed because everybody had health problems during the production. It was delayed so much that they finally cancelled it. In this first series, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Commando Nanny</span>”, I had one of the lead roles. But ultimately fate didn’t allow this show to make it. They lost so much money that they ended up giving up. Everyone had accidents. The lead actor broke his foot two days before production started. Then the actor who played my father discovered that he had a serious health problem. It was just a disaster.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/commandonanny.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Commando Nanny</span>" (2004 - Mark Burnett Productions)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you describe the characters you play in “Charmed” and “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuts">Cut</a>”? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Here’s something funny about “<a href="http://www.tnt.tv/series/charmed/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>”: I shot the pilot produced by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Aaron Spelling</span> [1923-2006], a mythical producer who created series like “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Hills,_90210"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beverly Hills 90210</span></a>”, “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melrose_Place_%281992_TV_series%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Melrose Place</span></a>” and so on. I shot the pilot for his company but it never got picked up. They gave me three episodes on “<a href="http://www.tnt.tv/series/charmed/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>” because the pilot shoot went very well and we had a very good relationship. In “<a href="http://www.tnt.tv/series/charmed/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span></a>” I played a model that speaks several languages and is accused of murder. A trio of witches [<a href="http://www.alyssa.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Alyssa Milano</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_McGowan"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rose McGowan</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly_Marie_Combs"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Holly Marie Combs</span></a>] help me out of trouble because they figure out that I’m innocent. In “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cuts</span>” I played an American girl. It was a sitcom. We shot it in front of a live audience.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beacharmed03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span>: armed and tripled in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Charmed</span>" (2005)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Since then you have had several roles in the US, including “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29">The Dark Knight</a>”. What is the difference between working for big studios and for indie productions? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/darkknight01.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I had already worked on all kind of movies. “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chasing_Liberty"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chasing Liberty</span></a>” was not an indie film, it was a studio film, but it has nothing to do with “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span></a>”. Before “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span></a>” I had never worked at such a high level. Anyway, I think it’s very rare to work in a movie of that caliber. All the people on this movie were <span style="font-weight: bold;">Oscar</span> nominees or <span style="font-weight: bold;">Golden Globe</span> nominees. It was quite amazing and obviously very impressive. I admired<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Christopher Nolan</span> before working with him. He’s really an amazing person. And there’s an obvious difference in budget between “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span></a>” and an indie film...</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What was the working relationship between you and a big production director? Since he has a lot of things to handle, do you think that you were able to spend enough time with him, or did you have to prepare by yourself? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I was about to mention that! “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span></a>” was an atypical film because in general, big comic action movies like that are not necessarily very artistic, but “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span></a>” was fantastic. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Nolan</span> really took the time to come and talk with me about the character. He’s such a perfectionist. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Roland Emmerich</span> is the same, and that’s why those guys work at the highest level. The studios trust them and give them a big budget to handle because those directors are not really affected by pressure. <span style="font-weight: bold;">R</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">oland Emmerich </span>carries a 200-250 million dollar budget on his shoulders, and every morning he arrives full of energy, smiling, and is nice to everyone. He’s in good mood, he’s relaxed. I had the impression that it was the same for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Nolan</span>. He really creates a peaceful atmosphere even if there is a lot of pressure and large stakes. They both are really exceptional people and incredible perfectionists.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beabatman02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christian Bale</span> and <a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span>" (2008)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You play a Russian in “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29">The Dark Knight</a>”. How did you land this role? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I studied Russian as a second language in high school, and I’ve always been attracted to the Russian language. People often ask me if I’m Eastern European. I don’t know, people think that I look Russian, and I think maybe that’s because of my Hungarian background. So my agency sent me to the audition and I said to myself, “I’ll go because hey, it’s Batman, it’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Nolan"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Nolan</span></a>, and it’s going to be an exceptional movie.” I could feel that already. But honestly, I didn’t think I would get the part. I just said to myself, “I’ll do my best.” So I started working on my Russian accent, and then that was it! They had a worldwide audition, so I could hardly believe it when I heard the good news!</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beabatman01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> <a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a> as Russian ballerina Natasha in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span>" (2008)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How long did you spend working on your accent before going to the audition? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I had very little time. I think I had only two days before the audition. I had to recall my Russian classes from school. I called an actor friend who speaks Russian, and we trained together. He gives Russian lessons on the side to make money. So for 20 dollars I worked with him and rehearsed for an hour.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: That 20 dollars was a good investment!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Oh yeah, for sure! (laughs) Those were the most productive 20 dollars I ever spent.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/nolanrosen.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Nolan</span> directing the restaurant scene with </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Eckhart"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aaron Eckhart</span></a></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How many days did you spend shooting the Batman movie? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I spent one week in London for the restaurant scene with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Bale"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christian Bale</span>.</a> It went very well. I did my week in London and went back to Los Angeles. I was delighted. It was an awesome, fantastic experience. And then a few months later, in September, against all odds, they called me and flew me to Chicago for another week to add me into the boat scene, which was unexpected.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beabatman03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aaron Eckhart</span>, </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christian Bale</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Maggie Gyllenhaal</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you receive more scripts in your mail box after “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29">The Dark Knight</a>”? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Yeah, but again, everything moved gradually. Obviously it clearly helps to appear in “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span></a>”; a movie like that opens doors and people want to meet you. I remember when I was auditioning for “<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>”, famous actors and actresses were coming to audition for other parts. There are so many actors that producers and directors have the luxury to make famous actors audition. So “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span></a>” opened doors and allowed me to meet a lot of people, but it’s not like I was on the front page of every magazine overnight.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did your agent get you the part in “</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">”? </span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012poster01.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Yes, and I played a Russian as well, so this time I was confident. My agent got me an appointment to meet with the producer and director. I went back several times; it was like a rollercoaster. Then one day, I was in Wales on the set of another movie, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Big I Am</span>” and my agent called and said, “ ‘<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>’ is not gonna work. It won’t be you”. I said, “Too bad, that’s a pity.” But in fact, two weeks later, my agent called me back to tell me that they were making me an offer.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What scene did you do for your “</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">” audition? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: They made me do three different scenes<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Are all your scenes in front of a blue screen? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Hmm…a lot of them. The audition was like a regular audition, you know. There’s nothing in the room so you have to pretend. There was dialogue but also a lot of action, so you have to use your imagination a lot.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Where and for how long did you work on “2012”?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: “<span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span>” shot in Vancouver for four and a half months.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What is “2012” about? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: It’s about the Apocalypse, based on a Mayan prediction. December 2012 will be the end of the world... that’s it. I really can’t tell you any more because I signed a confidentiality contract. We’ll wait to see the movie. But in fact, I saw it last Saturday [July 25th, 2009], and the movie is really awesome.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012bea01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a> as Tamara in "</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<br />©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What can you reveal? </span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012poster02.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />BR: Nothing. (laughs)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you reveal anything about your character?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: My character is called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tamara</span>. She’s Russian, and that’s all I can say (laughs).</div>Concerning confidentiality, when we were shooting “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span>” in the UK, it was very secretive as well. When we were passing through customs, or when we were making a phone call, we didn’t have the right to mention even the title of the movie. We had to use an alias for the title.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Tell me about your collaboration with Roland Emmerich. Usually the technical aspect has a very important place in his movies. Does he have the time to take care of his cast?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: His personality is different from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Nolan</span>, but... For example, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Nolan </span>arrived on the set everyday in a suit. He’s very polite, very kind. Nolan always hires the same crew members so everybody knows each other. He works in silence and peace. It’s quiet, pleasant, nobody shouts, and it’s very efficient. He can move forward very very quickly... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_Emmerich"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roland Emmerich</span></a> is the same. His sister was also a producer on the movie. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Roland </span>arrives on set each day with a smile. He works 18-20 hours a day. Because it’s very technical, he redoes each shot until it is perfect. So we did a lot of takes. He’s a real perfectionist. He comes on set, explains everything to the actors and is very present.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/emmerich.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Roland Emmerich on the set of "</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<br />©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> FA: Who are the actors you were involved with on the “</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">” set?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Most of my scenes were with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanda_Peet"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amanda Peet</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cusack"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John Cusack</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_McCarthy_%28actor%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thomas McCarthy</span></a>, who is also a director. He recently did a movie called “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Visitor_%282008_film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Visitor</span></a>” which won a lot of film festival awards. I had also several scenes with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Lu"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Lu</span></a> [lead actress of the Hong Kong blockbuster “<a href="http://amazons.site.voila.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The 14 Amazons</span></a>”], a wonderful lady, very professional. It was such a great cast; everyone enjoyed working on Roland's set. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa</span> was a trooper because some of the scenes were pretty physical. The atmosphere on the set was light and fun, even though we were shooting a film about the end of the world.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012bea02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chang Tseng</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Lu</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Morgan Lily</span> and </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> are having some problems<br /></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: During the 4 ½ months of shooting “</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">”, how long did you actually shoot? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I don’t know exactly. It was a lot more than “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Dark Knight</span>”.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you ease up the pressure when you were not shooting?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Yes, I would go back to LA for a few days, then return to Vancouver.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Before shooting “</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">”, had you already seen any Roland Emmerich movies? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Most of them, I think.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When you find out you will be working under a specific director do you try to see his work?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Yes. The great thing about working in the US is that they give you quite a lot of information about the project when you go to an audition. So you can do research if you want. Obviously, it’s better to arrive prepared. It helps to know the director’s previous films. Through his work you can understand his taste, his creativity, what kind of actors he hires. So yes, I do some homework...</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012bea05.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> in "</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">": the calm before the storm<br /></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have you done any work since “</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">”? </span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/beabigiam.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: In March I shot an independent movie in England because I want to alternate working with big productions. I had to play the role of an American. I wanted to diversify my roles and not just play Russian or French roles. But this movie had some financing problems. It happens to a lot independent movies. The release date has been delayed. I had two projects like that which have been delayed, and I’m waiting for the new schedule. I’ll shoot, but I have to wait. After big movies like “<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>” I really have to be careful with my choice of projects. I have to be judicious, you know.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you refuse certain projects from your agency? Do you have to do all the auditions they ask you to do? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I must choose strategic projects. I won’t play another Russian character just to be in a film. It has to be coherent, and my projects have to be diversified. I have to have a logic, a strategy, a career plan. But, well, I love to work. It has to make sense, you know.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You will soon be on the screen in “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_I_Am">The Big I Am</a>” and “Woodland Cross”.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Woodland Cross</span>” is one of the two movies in pre-production right now. It’s an English movie. Last year I did two English movies. I started to work in France, then in the US, and then England. I’m negotiating another one right now. We’ll see…</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Any plan to shoot some more French movies?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I would love to… In fact, ideally, in a perfect world, I’d like to work six months in France and six months in the US. That would be awesome. It would be ideal to work a bit everywhere: in the UK, the US, in France.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012c.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“2012” POST-SCREENING QUESTIONS</span> (3 months later)</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: Where did you shoot the scenes that take place under heavy snow in China? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span>: We shot in big studios with a blue screen. Part of the set was built in the studio, so we had snow and a feel of the glacier.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Your best friend in "</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">" is a little dog. How easy or difficult is it to work with an animal in a movie?</span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012bea04.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: We had a trainer on set, and she got him ready for his scenes. When you work with animals you need a lot of patience because they don't always want to comply.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How was the "dog stunt scene" shot? Even though it looks very dangerous onscreen, was it safe?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I can't reveal all the secrets; it would take away the magic. :-)</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Not a lot is explained about your character Tamara’s background. She has a relationship with some of the characters but the audience has to imagine her past. Did the director tell you more about the background of Tamara, or did you ask him? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Of course when you sign on to play a character you always want to know her backstory. We talked about it with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Roland</span>, and I also made my own choices. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tamara</span> evolves a lot during the movie as she is confronted with many very emotional situations. She's the girlfriend of a Russian billionaire [<span style="font-weight: bold;">Zlatko Buric</span>]. She's very spoiled, but as the movie progresses we get a better sense of who she really is, and all her superficial traits are replaced by very human qualities.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Some of the most physical scenes you did in the movie were underwater. How did you prepare to shoot these scenes? Were they dangerous or oppressive? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: Those scenes were pretty scary to shoot, but<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/">Sony</a></span> didn't take any unnecessary risks. We had medics on set ready to react to any threatening event. We spent many, many hours in the water but the crew made it as comfortable as possible for the actors.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012bea03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Morgan Lily</span> getting wet in "<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>" (2009)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">©2009 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. All Rights Reserved.</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What was your favorite scene as a viewer (even if you weren’t in it)?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I love the first scene where the special effects really start; the car scene with J. Cusack and his family in LA. It sets the tone.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA : After appearing in a blockbuster as action-packed as “</span><a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">”, does your experience give you any desire to play other more physical roles in the future, like action roles? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BR</span>: I would love to be in another action movie and spend months training beforehand...maybe in martial arts. I have a lot of energy and I think it would be a lot of fun for me.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/bearosen04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Check out the </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">official </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span> website at <a href="http://beatricerosen.net/" style="font-weight: bold;">http://beatricerosen.net/</a></span></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Pre-screening interview conducted in French by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">July 27th, 2009</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. Translated by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Post-screening interview conducted in English by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">October 29th, 2009</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Edited by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/sylviarorem"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sylvia Rorem</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> for </span><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">October 2009</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mega thanks to </span><a href="http://beatricerosen.net/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Béatrice Rosen</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> for her kindness and time!</span><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Thanks also to </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.unifrance.org/annuaires/personne/134412/stephane-ribola" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stéphane Ribola</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"> (</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://miamcom.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Miam</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">), </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.timfahlbusch.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Fahlbusch</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;">,</span> </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Axel Foy</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anne Lara </span>(</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sony</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Pictures</span></a>)</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">. </span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091031_bearosen/2012poster.jpg" /></center><br />“<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>” will be released worldwide in more than 70 countries between November 11th and 13th, 2009. Check out <a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/2012/international/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sony Pictures website</span></a> for dates.<br />Also, take a look at “<a href="http://www.whowillsurvive2012.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2012</span></a>” <span style="font-weight: bold;">trailers</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">video clips</span> on<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810045661/trailer">Yahoo Movies</a></span> & <a href="http://www.youtube.com/SonyPictures"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sony Pictures YouTube channel</span></a>.</div></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-54764209329336142362009-10-29T15:22:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.477-07:00NEYTIRI: WARRIOR PRINCESS (JAMES CAMERON’S “AVATAR”)<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRVQHYZgi1OktjyzsfIWd8gWxcrFG92h7-h3bqKGr03ss0y0_cWVCNNFMbX5tZs6hJWSHI4WfyRdwemsznxiOu7AoKZa_2l7UAHSnOR088fb4fC0tNnBiE8bSJRRH00IO1RxBWq1QS3Q/s1600/neytiri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHRVQHYZgi1OktjyzsfIWd8gWxcrFG92h7-h3bqKGr03ss0y0_cWVCNNFMbX5tZs6hJWSHI4WfyRdwemsznxiOu7AoKZa_2l7UAHSnOR088fb4fC0tNnBiE8bSJRRH00IO1RxBWq1QS3Q/s1600/neytiri.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri00.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Neytiri</span>, the female lead of<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cameron">James Cameron</a></span>’s new and most anticipated sci-fi 3D/live action movie “<a href="http://www2.avatarmovie.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avatar</span></a>”, is not human, but she sure has heart. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Neytir</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">i</span> is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Na’vi</span>, an extraterrestial humanoid race with blue skin, four fingers, a long tail, and stands approximately 3 meters high. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Neytiri</span> lives on a planet named <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pandora</span>. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Na’vi</span> are usually peaceful and live in perfect harmony with other life on their planet but they can become quite agressive when it comes to protect their land, especially from humans.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">On <span style="font-weight: bold;">August 21st, 2009</span>, 15 minutes of the 3-hour “<a href="http://www2.avatarmovie.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avatar</span></a>” was screened free in selected theaters worldwide (102 screens in the U.S. and 342 international screens in 58 countries). During “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Avatar Day</span>”, the audience discovered excerpts from seven scenes. One scene features beautiful, athletic and courageous <span style="font-weight: bold;">Neytiri</span> skilfully killing mad forest beasts in order to save <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake Sully</span>, a human in a Na’vi’s body sent to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pandora</span> for an Army mission. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake</span>, a former Marine paralyzed in combat, is given a chance through the Avatar program to walk again and discover an incredible new world.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri02.jpg" /></center><br />On <span style="font-weight: bold;">September 7th, 2009</span>, 10 more minutes of footage were shown during a special press screening in Paris. Most of the additional footage was extended versions of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Avatar Day</span>” scenes with more dialogue and explanation about the story and characters. Between scenes, producer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Landau_%28film_producer%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jon Landau</span></a>, who came to Paris for this special press event, divulged more details about the story and character background (for example, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake</span> had a twin brother who died, and because he has the same DNA, he can replace him in the Avatar program).<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri07.jpg" /></center><br />In “<a href="http://www2.avatarmovie.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avatar</span></a>”, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Neytiri</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake</span> are respectively played by <a href="http://www.zoesaldana.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Zoe Saldana</span></a>, who recently starred in the “<a href="http://www.startrek.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Star Trek</span></a>” remake by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Abrams"><span style="font-weight: bold;">J.J. Abrams</span></a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Worthington"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sam Worthington</span></a>, who played a half human-half robot character in “<a href="http://terminatorsalvation.warnerbros.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Terminator: Salvation</span></a>”.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri03.jpg" /></center><br />At the end of the press meeting, <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a> had the opportunity to ask <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jon Landau</span> about the choice of actors, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zoe</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sam</span>, for “<a href="http://www2.avatarmovie.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avatar</span></a>”. This is what he answered:<br /><br />“<span style="font-style: italic;">Finding somebody to play <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake</span> was not an easy task. What was important for us was to find someone who could have a wide range and create the vulnerability of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake</span> at the beginning of the movie, and the leadership at the end of the movie when he leads people into battle and he rallies them with his speech. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sam Worthington</span> possessed the acting ability to do those things.</span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri08.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zoe</span> to play <span style="font-weight: bold;">Neytiri</span>, we wanted somebody who embodied the whole character. It was not just about a voice, it was not just about a look, it was about the whole embodiment, of embracing that character, in the movement, and becoming this regal, noble, beautiful heroine of our film. And <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zoe</span>, to train for the part, she worked with somebody from Circe du Soleil on movements, she took archery lessons on how to use a bow, she took riding lessons on how to use a horse, so we indoctrinated her in all the things she needed to do in the movie..</span>.”<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri05.jpg" /></center><br />After <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Connor_%28Terminator%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Connors</span></a> in the first explosive “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Terminator</span>” movies and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Ripley"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ellen Ripley</span></a> in warriored “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Aliens</span>”, we can bet that <span style="font-weight: bold;">James Cameron</span> will once again create, in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Neytiri</span>, an iconic female heroine that will be imprinted on moviegoers’ minds forever.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiri04.jpg" /></center><br />“<a href="http://www2.avatarmovie.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avatar</span></a>” will be released worldwide on <span style="font-weight: bold;">December 16-18th, 2009</span>. Check out the impressive <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LQkTQ1foSU" style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">new “</span>Avatar</a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LQkTQ1foSU"><span style="font-weight: bold;">” new trailer</span></a> which just hit the Net a few hours ago.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091029_neytiri/neytiriposter.jpg" /></center>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-66370263889160722482009-10-22T01:37:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.477-07:00NATHALIE HAUWELLE INTERVIEW ("CALIBRE 9"): THE GIRL "IN" THE GUN<div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9N-o3O9WsvlTO7Hv8Yrc_D3SNH20RwglTPfl4I8uzoJ4sTa80P4Eyqx0XwECIN6BoShtfLPfZOst6l8irBmHi1anErHvnGY9cmNP7doc8_UrSyz9ub5eUxI0FCpBqSZmTE2PI1z5X-mg/s1600/hauwelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9N-o3O9WsvlTO7Hv8Yrc_D3SNH20RwglTPfl4I8uzoJ4sTa80P4Eyqx0XwECIN6BoShtfLPfZOst6l8irBmHi1anErHvnGY9cmNP7doc8_UrSyz9ub5eUxI0FCpBqSZmTE2PI1z5X-mg/s1600/hauwelle.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre00.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />Everybody loves “Girls with Guns” movies, but “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>”, an indie action feature marking the debut of young French director <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Christian Tassy</span>, may start a brand new trend: “Girls in Guns”! This low-budget, wacky flick stars <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> as a murdered prostitute whose spirit possesses her own murder weapon, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Laurent Collombert</span> as the naive urban planner she manipulates to take bloody revenge. Check out <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM" style="font-weight: bold;">the following trailer</a> for a taste of what “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>” is all about!<br /><br /><br /><center><object height="316" width="520"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFnLXEGE4eM&hl=fr&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFnLXEGE4eM&hl=fr&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="520" height="316"></embed></object></center><br />In this exclusive <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens</span></a> interview, actress, contemporary dancer, singer and performer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> talks about her passionate theatre acting career (which includes a brand new version of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Peter Weiss</span>'s “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marat/Sade"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span></a>”), the electro band <a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LMZ</span></a> (1), and her collaboration with the film company <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6aj4Qb27tc"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Factory</span></a> (2), responsible for intense alternative movies like the martial arts action horror flick “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a>” (3) and of course “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>”, now in post-production and hopefully ready for the next <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.marchedufilm.com/">Marché du Film Market</a></span> at the 2010 <a href="http://www.festival-cannes.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cannes Film Festival</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre01.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: You’re a contemporary theater writer/director and actress. What did you start doing first?</span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/odyssee.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span>: I started relatively late as an actress, around 22 years old. It’s funny because I never imagined doing this job when I was a kid. I wanted to be librarian or florist, and I studied surreal literature. Dancing was a hobby. Then, bang! The magic of life! I took a theater class, and the director offered me a part in his production. This was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mladen Materić</span> from Yugoslavia, who has a theater company called <a href="http://theatretattoo.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tatoo Theatre</span></a>. He became my theater master. I have spent seven years of my life with <a href="http://theatretattoo.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tatoo Theatre</span></a> doing wordless theater, subtext theater and silent theater. I learned everything from him: the presence, the sacredness of the plateau, the requirement of work. He gave me the fire. I thank him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What are the main differences between acting for theater and acting for cinema? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: It’s just not the same job at all. It’s like comparing distance running to a speed race. The theater is more related to ritual. We invite a crew, we rehearse for a very long time, we search for a month, and the show builds up like an improbable, wonderful alchemy. We prepare, we heat up, and then we make-up. A few hours before the show we have to remove ourselves from life and enter a dark, unknown world. We’re about to jump into a vacuum, and suddenly (it’s always a surprise!): It’s show time! People are here to see us perform; stomach ache, nervousness, and then the lights, and you have to go on. It always seems impossible, and it is! The theater is an unlimited space.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/tatootheatre.jpg" /></center><br />In cinema there is often time to do research. In general, the director knows quite well what he wants, and that’s why he chooses you. Your face plays a major role in his decision making. Cinema places actors into specific categories. There is less time but more money. Everything is expensive, and suddenly it’s your turn to act and you have to do it again and again, just tailoring it and tailoring it. It’s difficult and exciting at the same time because you have to give everything, but with a sense of discontinuity. I like the challenge of this kind of work, but interesting roles are rare. In “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>” I was able to develop personal traits, imbalances which touched me as a character. The role is a junkie prostitute, damaged by life.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> in <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC Tassy</span>'s "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span></a>" (2010)</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you have different approaches to working on a play and working on a movie? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: In theater, you have to search a lot on stage. Your part is written for the play, but you still have to invent everything! All the subtext, all the things which create a character. Where does he or she come from? What does he or she think? What is he or she dreaming of? I come from the moving theater, so my approach to a character is primarily physical. How does he or she move? How does he or she dance? What does he or she do in the silence? I use the same technique for the cinema: Where do I come from? Where am I going? Who am I? Those are the three questions I always ask myself before going on stage or on a movie set.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> on the set of<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>"<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span></a>" (June 2007) - Photo: <a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JF Daviaud</span></a><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When did you get involved in “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a>”?</span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/john32a.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I knew the director <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Christian [JC] Tassy</span>, ever since <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Cherriere</span>’s “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a>”, another film from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Factory</span> in which I also played a prostitute. “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a>” is a history of prostitution as it relates to power, like a little Mafia town. Prostitution, pimps. It was written by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric,</span> who also wrote “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a></span>”, so it’s a bit in the same vein. But it was done some years before, so it’s less complex and more confusing. I would say that it is a kind of an embryo of “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a></span>”. I think that <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC</span> wanted to work with me since “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a>”... I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: In “</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">” you’re not really playing a prostitute but a former porn actress who becomes a kickboxer.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes, after stopping her porn activities she does kickboxing. I trained with <span style="font-weight: bold;">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">abrina [Bendjema]</span>, who is a real [Tae Kwon Do] fighter. She was a European champion, I think. She’s my partner on screen and plays my opponent. She’s a real champion, but in “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a>” I beat the shit out of her of course, since I became so strong after three sessions (laughs).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you have any sport training background before working on “</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">”?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I have always been quite physical, but I never did martial arts before. I did flamenco and contemporary dancing. Dancing is really my thing, but it’s really close to martial arts in its requirements and endurance. Ultimately, the goals and final results are not the same, but I found myself into it. And <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sabrina</span> was really cool. She helped me a lot and encouraged me. It’s not in my nature to beat people up (laughs), but I think she succeeded in channelling my rage into kickboxing training. I think it’s really well shot: it doesn’t show that I’m fighting like a pussy.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/john32b.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> vs. <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Sabrina Bendjema</span> in<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span>" (2006)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: So you had only three training sessions, and then shot the scenes?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yeah, three or so. It was a long time ago, so it’s a bit blurry for me. But I trained seriously; first with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span> [director] and then with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sabrina</span>. She gave me simple things to do. And because I’m an angry person, my rage hid my lack of technical skill.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/john32c.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sabrina Bendjema</span> </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">vs. </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">in<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>"</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">" (2006)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Where does your rage come from? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Oh, well. I don’t know. This is the way I am.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You were born with it?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yeah. Yeah. I’m quite angry.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: About what?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Nothing in general. I don’t know. But in life you have to fight against everything all the time, so I think you have to have some rage in you to succeed in doing what you want to do. I want to do what I want to do, so I’m fighting for that.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/john32d.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie</span> knocks<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sabrina</span> out</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Everything on the kickboxing set went along smoothly? No accidents?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: It was super to have <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sabrina </span>as opponent because we trained together, but if you watching the action scenes closely, she’s always superior to me. She’s a very intelligent girl and she knows how to diminish herself to make me look more powerful (laughs). In real life, I would not have been able to stand up one second against her.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/john32e.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">The Rage of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie</span></span></div><br />I was using full contact, hitting without restrictions, and she remained tranquil because she knew what she was doing. She just countered my attacks. It is funny to see this champion let herself lose just because I am supposed to win. In “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4okPzV6FI44"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span></a>” I also have a gunfight scene alongside <span style="font-weight: bold;">Maurice Poli</span>. We saw each other only once on the set. He’s a great man. He has an incredible face.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/john32f.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle </span>and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maurice Poli</span> on the set + <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie</span> starting<br />the big shootout of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span>" (2006)<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: When did you shoot “</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">”?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Wow, a long time ago. Two years ago, I think. [June 2007](4)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: What was your reaction when you found out that for most of the movie you would have to embody... a gun? </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I found the proposal original, offbeat and uncommon. I like adventures. I always step into the unknown. <br /></span><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JC Tassy </span>direcs <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle </span>on the set of "</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<br />Photo: <a href="http://www.art-photo-salmon.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maurice Salmon</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> (June 2007)</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: Where did you shoot your character’s pre-death scenes?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: We worked in a hotel (now closed) in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toulouse">Toulouse</a> called the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hotel de Bourse</span>, with real illegal immigrants and Bulgarian an amazing mix! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Christian</span> knows me very well. He had seen several of my plays. He knows that I love to improvise, and that there’s a certain madness in me, so he gave me a lot of freedom with a couple scenes. And he tightly controlled me in other scenes. It was a good cocktail for me. <br /></span><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre05.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Deadly make-up for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle </span>on the set of "</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<br /></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">Photo: <a href="http://www.art-photo-salmon.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maurice Salmon</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> (June 2007)</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you give me some examples of improvisations that you proposed to the director? </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: We shot the scene in this insalubrious hotel which was about to be destroyed. There were cockroaches everywhere! The whore [Nathalie’s character] lives there. Her pimp comes to visit her, and will, in fact, kill her. I did quite a long improv scene: she gets high, then has hallucinations and starts to do nonsense: dancing, singing, putting on makeup. She’s all alone so she indulges herself doing all this nonsense, you know, crazy girl stuff. </span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre06.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> flying high in "</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">" (2010) </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you do research for your role in “</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">”?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: You haven’t seen the movie yet, so how do you know if I did a good job or if my acting sucks? <br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: (Laughs) Because the trailer looks great, and you look quite credible as a prostitute who gets high and shoots a gun. Did you play the character in an extravagant way?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Not at all, I played her quite dark and deep. It was a hell of an experience because the location where we shot was already dark. It was cockroach infested. And that was a super way to get into the character of a chick who renounced herself. Because being a whore and a junkie is a consequence. We don’t wake up one morning and say “I’ll be a junkie whore.” It’s because you renounced your own life, and a lot of other things, and suddenly you don’t have any other way to eat except by selling your body. This is such a horrible thing that you have to get high. And this situation makes her look even lousier in her own eyes. She’s really burnt out, you know. She’s not like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Godard</span>’s prostitutes, who are sexual and very attractive. She’s more of a super desperate chick, like I played her. So, if you want, I won’t say I played a junkie prostitute; I will say that this girl became like that because of the terrible things that happened in her life. </span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre09.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle </span>"has" the gun</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: Tell me about her spiritual evolution after her death, after she becomes a weapon.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: After this resurrection, it’s like she starts a new life. She wants to take revenge against life in general, against men, against everything she has suffered. She becomes a kind of ultra-bloody, infernal killer. But not without morality. She wants to cleanse the town of all those bastards. She’s a kind of vengeful weapon. <br /></span><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre12.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle </span>"is" the gun</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: “John 32” and “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">” are genre movies, but is this your type of movie, as a viewer? </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Not at all. Actually, I am a dirty art-house film snob. For example, I’m obsessed with silent films and I also love 60’s movies. Genre movies are not really my world, but I’m quite an adventurer. I felt very enthusiastic working on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric</span>’s and <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC</span>’s projects. They invited me to join them on their adventures, and they succeeded in charming me and bringing me along… I’m a very bad example of an <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queen</span></a>! (laughs).</span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre10.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">The Whore and the Euros</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you prepare for your action scenes in “</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">”? </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: JC knew very well what he wanted. He already had the edited scenes in his head so he was very clear, very professional. He told me “Do this here, do that there,” so I let myself be guided. My action scenes are exclusive to the dialogue between the prostitute and her pimp, in scenes where he beats her. I had the chance to get to know my acting partner [<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Jacques Lelté</span>]. and to get along with him very well. So, no arguments on the set. Legit and professional.</span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre11.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Harsh times - </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Jacques Lelté</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> in "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span></a>" (2010)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: You’re also a theater director. Did this make your work and your professional relationship with Tassy easier?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre08.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I’m not really a director. I see myself rather as somebody who’s into everything, without label, avid, restless, looking for the improbable! Cinema one day, theater the next, or the circus. I hate being bored! <br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: How was the “virtual” part of shooting “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">”? Were you on the set for the scenes in which you are not physically on screen? Or did you do all the gun voice-overs during post-production? </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I was not on the set for those scenes. That was nice! I had never worked on post-production voice-over before, and we recorded in a studio at one of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Christian</span>’s friends’ place. It gave me ideas for future; if I ever record tales, or if I sing…and then, poems! Ah, life is beautiful!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you see any footage other than the trailer?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: No. I did the voice-over pretty blindly, based on the teaser trailer and the script. I just did [a rough] voice-over to help <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC </span>with the editing. Later I will do a real, definitive voice-over. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: When did you find out you would have to do that?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I figure I would have to when I did the first voice-over almost a year after the shooting. It was in a studio, one year later, with no footage to watch. I knew it would not be very good and that we would have to do a new sound take after the editing. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you know when you will do it?</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I don’t know. <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC</span> is still working on the editing.<br /></span><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibreposter.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">2009 Tentative poster for "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>" </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Let’s talk about your many other activities. You sing in an electro band named <a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a>, right?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I don’t really sing in <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span>. I recite poems, excerpts from “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierrot_le_fou"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pierrot le Fou</span></a>” and from a poet named Laura. And I dance and perform during the concerts. Originally <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span> was a duo with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philo Fournier</span> from the 80’s band <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUq5nWTKts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Les Ablettes</span></a>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Franck Flies</span>. After he left <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjUq5nWTKts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Les Ablettes</span></a>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philo</span> started to make electro music. We met each other at a show where I was making costumes...<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/lmz00.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philo Fournier</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Franck Flies</span>: The creators of </span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: And now </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> is a trio...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Hmm. We were a trio. Now we are only a duo, without a drummer. But we can have two or three people. It depends. Philo is a guy who likes strange adventures. There were two dancers in his live shows and two pianists including him, and a lot of people on stage. He had created a kind of live performance event around the previous album. When we met, he wanted things a little off-beat, so we started talking about what we would be able to do together. And then we started to work together.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/lmz01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philo Fournier</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> (</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> press photo for "<a href="http://www.amazon.fr/Machine-Zoo-Lmz/dp/B0013HN8TY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256208144&sr=8-3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">La Machine Zoo</span></a>")</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When you joined the band in 2005, was it to work on the third </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> album or just for the live performances? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: To work on the album. He was composing the album with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frank</span> when I came. We were rehearsing in a tiny cellar. I created characters for their songs.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/lmz06.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">: </span>"<a href="http://www.amazon.fr/Machine-Zoo-Lmz/dp/B0013HN8TY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256207476&sr=8-3"><span style="font-weight: bold;">La Machine Zoo</span></a>" front cover (2008)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What kind of characters? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Crazy kinds of characters: a kind of squeaky mouse that eats apples, a woman who is devoured by her children, some ogresses and other little odd characters (laughs).<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/lmz02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> mosaic video (from the song "<a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/videos/monde_parfait.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Un monde Parfait</a>")</span></div><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/"><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do these characters recite poems and perform on stage?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Exactly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Where do these characters come from?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: This was not improvisation. We searched quite a lot while they were working on the songs. …After that it became a kind of zoo machine. There are different kinds of monster-plants (laughs)...ogres, half angel-half demons... they derived from the research we did together. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span> means “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Zarma Manifest</span>”, and it became a zoo machine, you know, a big mixture of species...I don’t know, it’s something a little weird, and that's what <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philo</span> wanted. It has become a three-headed monster or something like that.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/lmz04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> mosaic video (from the song "<a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/videos/monde_parfait.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Un monde Parfait</a>")</span></div><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/"></a><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/"><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: I saw some excerpts of </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> concerts. If you just listen to the album, will there be something missing? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: The album was recorded in a studio, so it's definitely more sanitized. It is something different. I guess when you see a live band, you expect something different than the studio. It is true that the album is smoother. <a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/videos/lmz_live_fumel.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The concert that we did in Fumel</span></a> was quite extraordinary. When my characters started to speak, it became a kind of trance. Even if we rehearse in a certain way, it becomes something else during a live performance. Like in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seville</span></a>, the end of the show completely changed (laughs). That is what is so great about it: you never know what will happen to you. You are always the first to be surprised by your own production.<br /><br /><br /><center><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/lmz03.jpg" /></center></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> mosaic video (from the song "<a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/videos/monde_parfait.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Un monde Parfait</a>")</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Where have you toured with </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: We did <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toulouse"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Toulouse</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumel"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fumel</span></a>, and the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville">Seville</a> Festival</span>. We toured a little bit, but things happened and Philou started a trip around the world. So now, regarding the band, everything is on stand-by. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philo</span> is still away. He's in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brazil</span></a> right now. He’s a crazy guy! He’s a great traveller. I think travel was missing him. But I think <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span> will get back on track because we have both been tickled by our adventure.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/lmz05.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> mosaic video (from the song "<a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/videos/monde_parfait.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Un monde Parfait</a>")</span></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Why and when did you create your theater company, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://groenlandparadis.canalblog.com/">Groenland Paradise</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> [Greenland Paradise]?</span><br /><br />NH: I didn’t want to just work for other people. I created <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://groenlandparadis.canalblog.com/">Groenland Paradise</a> </span>two years ago. I was always making installations and doing small performances alongside my job as a performer and actress. So <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry De Chaunac</span> and I set up a company that blends installations and theater, and installations and performances. We did our first show, which is a work based on a text by <a href="http://www.lagarce.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lagarce</span></a> [<a href="http://www.lagarce.net/oeuvre/detail_autre/idtext/570"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Bain</span></a> - 1993]. During the show I do live installations in a micro-space and then a larger version, which creates other mental spaces.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/groenland01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> + <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thierry de Chaunac</span> = <a href="http://groenlandparadis.canalblog.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Groenland Paradise</span></a><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you learn the art of installation performance? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Savagely, I can say (laughs). I don’t know, I like to try a little bit of everything. I do a lot of things and I always want to show it somewhere. So “<span style="font-weight: bold;">J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">”</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>[<span style="font-weight: bold;">I loved a man with a skeleton head, a disproportionately large head</span>], which is the name of the show, is like a hybrid between installation and theater. It is interesting to question things differently, and especially to go places I don’t know. I wanted to do it because I didn’t know how to do it. I like to put myself in danger; that's why we’re preparing a new performance for March [2009]. It is crazy because I feel like I’ll never succeed in finishing it. We have several people working on the project, which is from a biography of King <span style="font-weight: bold;">Louis II de Bavière</span>. It’s also about a construction in real-time. Because we have several people it is damn disturbing, but it is what drives us to move forward. Without that, I would stop.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/groenland02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">“</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">”</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you prefer to stage your own creations?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes, I want to share. The new work we are doing and thinking about is: Do we want to share? Because theater is about sharing. The public is on one side and the actors are on the other side. But who are the professionals? We’re questioning ourselves about all that. But for now, our company is not commercial at all; we’re not earning any money. We’re really doing it for the research, you know.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/groenland03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">“</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">”</span></div></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How long have you had the desire to create?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Since always. I have been an actress, but when I do acting for too long it pisses me off because I need to do my own thing. I enjoy working with others, it brings me a lot, and I very much like working with people, but it is not enough. I need to recharge in more intimate ways.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/groenland04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">“</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">J'aimais un homme a tête de squelette, a tête demesurée</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">”</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You have a very loaded schedule right now. You’re working on five projects. Can you tell me about them?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: We just created "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span>" [directed by <a href="http://www.arenetheatre.fr/sanjou.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Sanjou</span></a>], which will tour this year. I also have a show for children, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">La princesse au petit poids</span>” [<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Princess and the Pea</span>] (5), in which I dance.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What role do you play in “Marat/Sade”?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Charlotte Corday.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/maratnat01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charlotte Corday</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span>" </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">directed by <a href="http://www.arenetheatre.fr/sanjou.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Sanjou</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Photos: ©2009 <a href="http://www.lecloudanslaplanche.com/Z%20Modeles_html/Galerie_Marat_Sade_1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche</span></a>)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: While preparing for this role were you inspired by what has been done before, by watching old plays or movies? Or did you approach this play in a fresh way?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: This is the first time that I have worked with <a href="http://www.arenetheatre.fr/sanjou.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Sanjou</span></a>, and I wanted to start working on this play like a virgin, you know? It's always a great adventure to work with another person whose work you admire. So I wanted to be very receptive to what he proposed, and really get into his research. So I did not watch a lot of movies. I went to see exhibitions and thought about the play. In “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span>”, a lunatic plays <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charlotte</span>, so there are different levels of interpretation. I thought about it, but I did not do too much work in advance because I told myself that I know how he [Sanjou] works; I don’t want to arrive already prepared and show off.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/maratnat02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nat Hauwelle</span> with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Klein</span> as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Christian de Miègeville</span> as<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Sade </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Photos: ©2009 <a href="http://www.lecloudanslaplanche.com/Z%20Modeles_html/Galerie_Marat_Sade_1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche</span></a>)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you do further research after meeting <a href="http://www.arenetheatre.fr/sanjou.html">Sanjou</a>?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: When you see how the other person works, you can help him or her by getting into their research, but for this work I didn’t want to arrive with plenty of "Charlotte is like this, Charlotte is like that." I said to myself, “He’s a super complex director, so let yourself be guided.” And it was true; I was right for once (laughs).<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/maratnat03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> and </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Klein</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span>"</span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Photo: ©2009 <a href="http://www.lecloudanslaplanche.com/Z%20Modeles_html/Galerie_Marat_Sade_1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche</span></a>)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What do you think of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Brook">Peter Brook</a>’s “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marat/Sade_%28film%29">Marat/Sade</a>”</span> [1967 movie adaptation of the play]<span style="font-weight: bold;">?</span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/maratsade01.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I found it very boring. I have a bizarre relationship with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Brook"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brook</span></a>’s work. I like him a lot. He’s a part of theater history. When you go to see “<a href="http://www.curtainup.com/lecostume.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Le Costume</span></a>”, it’s super, but only for the 70’s. He was such an important guy that everybody copied him, but now we have gone further. It’s super to see Peter Brook’s work. He’s a super intelligent guy, and he shares a lot. But he’s a bit like the archeology of theater. It’s interesting, but I find it super “old school”. When I saw “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marat/Sade_%28film%29"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span></a>” I got super bored.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: So what is your version of “Marat/Sade”?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Crazier, because there are several levels. We are actors playing insane people who play actors, so it’s an abyss in which we are playing on all these levels. We act insane, and we act like we’re acting insane. It’s very interesting for us as actors because we’re always acting on different levels.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: That is the same situation as the movie version.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes, but I think they did too much insanity. I don’t trust intelligence. I am very wary. I love instinctive actors and…. I love actors less and less, actually.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Really? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes (laughs) because I find that actors are tricky. You know, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Brook" style="font-weight: bold;">Peter Brook</a> wrote super things in <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Peter-Brook-Threads-Biography-Autobiography/dp/0413733009"><span style="font-weight: bold;">his memoirs</span></a> but he said that “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marat/Sade"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span></a>” was not good. I think it’s great that a director can say, “I messed up; it happens.” He said they tried to be smart. They used acting study techniques, spent 15 days in a psychiatric hospital and then played lunatics. But they admitted they were wrong. It’s seducing to play lunatics. It’s seducing, but false. We’re not crazy. We act crazy. So for me, the movie didn’t work.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/maratsade02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Peter Brook's</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span>" (1967) starring <span style="font-weight: bold;">Patrick Magee</span> (Sade), <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Glenda Jackson</span> (Corday) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ian Richardson</span> (Marat)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How do you play your character? Do you use your instinct, or did you do any research?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I don’t know how to say this: I try not to act. It’s horrible, I’m telling you. My goal is this: to not act, to be the least technical. I don’t want to be technical. Maybe that’s why I always change roles and mediums. I don’t trust know-how. I’m very wary. Or, at least you have to be very strong. I like imperfect things.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/maratnat04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Charlotte Corday</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Marat/Sade</span>" directed by <a href="http://www.arenetheatre.fr/sanjou.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Sanjou</a></span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Photo: ©2009 <a href="http://www.lecloudanslaplanche.com/Z%20Modeles_html/Galerie_Marat_Sade_1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche</span></a>)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you choose the theater plays in which you want to act, or the people you want to work with? In films, you may not always have the choice…</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I'm lucky enough now to be able to choose my projects, so I choose people whose inner search excites me. I don’t want to do things that do not bring me something more. What is hard in cinema is that before being a star, you have to do a lot of roles as nurses and prostitutes. I think that what is good about theater is that you can really do everything. Even if you’re not well-known, you have the opportunity to play very interesting roles and work with people who have very complex worlds. On another hand, it's not easy to have a starring role in a movie with a guy that you're passionate about. I think that's why theater gives me more joy today. That’s certain.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: It sounds like you can have more fun doing what you want in theater.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: No, it's not like that. I work harder at theater, so it has become more my way of functioning. I do not know if this will last, but I hope I have the opportunity to work with people I admire. So that's great. And these people give me roles that interest me, so it's a nice exchange. Whereas in cinema, it is very rare to get a big role. You are often stereotyped because of your face. I find it more difficult to be adventurous in cinema. That’s my opinion, anyway.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When the role of prostitute in “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFnLXEGE4eM">Calibre 9</a>”was offered to you, you could easily have refused.</span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre14.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes, I could have, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC</span> knows me well now (laughs). He saw a lot of things that I did and he knew that I need to improvise, to be able flip out, to do things that I want to do on the spur of the moment. And he was a wise director because at times he was very controlling, and when he saw I was reaching my limits he would tell me to improvise. So we found a nice balance. I proposed a lot of ideas he may not keep, but it was important for me to show him so he could take what he wanted. This was hard sometimes. There was a good understanding between us, and he was super smart for doing it that way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Is there a commonality between the different characters you have played? I have the impression that you often play off-beat characters. Is this on purpose? Have you ever played a “normal” character? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes, I played a housewife. But it was quite strange to me. I went through that stage; I learned to act by playing those kinds of roles. But now I want to do different things, weirder, crazier. But it’s difficult to play a common character and make it interesting. It’s a much more difficult thing to do than to play crazy characters.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you think people want to work with you because of your “crazy characters”? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I don’t know. I like to work. Right now, I’m doing some very serious things. I think that people hire me because I like to work. And I’m not reluctant. I like adventures, places that I don’t know. I don’t think everybody likes to do that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Tell me about your other projects.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I work with a circus called <a href="http://lepalaisnibo.free.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Palais Nibo</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/palaisnibo.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Left: Nathalie Hauwelle</span> dancing at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Palais Nibo</span><br />Right: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippe Decouflé</span>'s "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cœurs croisés</span>"</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> (Photo: ©2007 <span style="font-weight: bold;">Suzanne Brun</span>)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What do you do in it?</span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/natprincesse.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I dance, and I eat…an apple (laughs). I am also working in a play called “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Coeurs Croisés</span>” [“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Crossed Hearts</span>”], a burlesque play by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Decoufl%C3%A9"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Philippe Decouflé</span></a>. There is also work being prepared with <a href="http://groenlandparadis.canalblog.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Groenland Paradise</span></a> for the March performance. That’s quite a lot of work. We have a big tour with “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Coeurs Croisés</span>” and “<span style="font-weight: bold;">La Princesse au Petit Pois</span>”. And in between…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA:…you’re working on your personal project with Groenland.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes, I still work when I’m not touring. Right now, I’m working on my own adventures. I’m relaxing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Relaxing while you work?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yeah! (laughs) Holidays are boring.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you plan to take any real holidays? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: In 2015 (laughs). No, maybe before that, but I have a lot of things that I want to do. And because I still have some energy, I’m taking this opportunity to do all my projects. I mean, I’m trying (laughs).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Any other movies planned for the future?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I'm not going to look for it but if you come to me, why not? But I don’t go to casting and all that. I have no energy to put into it. Doing that takes too much of my energy. I did it a little bit, and I thought it was not for me. Going to castings, and playing only very small parts, I felt that I would become totally depressed. Now I have found a nice balance of the projects I want to explore. I like that, it suits me better. Paths are ultimately so personal. If for example <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Luc_Godard"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Luc Godard</span></a> wants to work with me, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrence_Malick"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Terence Malick</span></a>, of course, I’ll say I’ll be there (laughs), but there is so far no news regarding this. I have no scoop to reveal about that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Tell me about your work with <a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/">Jean-François Daviaud</a> <span style="font-size: 85%;">(6).</span> It’s almost impossible to find a photo of you except the ones taken by him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: <a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-François</span></a> is a friend of mine. He’s one of my<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6aj4Qb27tc">Dark Factory</a></span> buddies. He’s not only a photographer, but also a director of photography. He also organized the photography festival <a href="http://www.myspace.com/manifesto_festival"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ManifestO</span></a>. I’ve known him for a very long time, at least ten years.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/natdaviaud01.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Left: '<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Peloches/Hija_de_pelicula.html">Hija de pelicula</a></span>' (Nat wears a dress made with a Super 16 mm film (Creation 2002,2004) </span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">Right: 3 of the 8 allegorical boards of '<a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Goldfish/Goldfish.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Goldfish</span></a>' (Installation Performance ManifestO - 2007)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did he get you to participate in his photo projects? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Well, he always needs models. So he called when he wanted me to do something, that’s all. We’re buddies. We help each other. I work on his projects, he helps me with mine. It’s a free exchange.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/natdaviaud02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Left: One of the 6 actual size photos of '<a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Frigo_radeau/Frigo_radeau.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frigo radeau de la méduse</span></a>'<br />Right: Floating art work of the same series on the river <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_de_Garonne"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Garonne</span></a> (Sept. 2004)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you pose for other photographers or do casting photos? </span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/natdaviaud03.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I’m not interested in that. I did a commercial once, and I hated it. I don’t really like to be photographed, but I do it for <a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-François</span></a> because he’s a friend. I don’t like my image circulating. I don’t like that! I’m not on FaceBook. My job is to be an actress, but I don’t want photos of me everywhere. It’s just not my thing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Would you prefer to focus on your acting and leave your marketing to others?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: I don’t want to create a cult of my own image. I just want to be a good actress, and to be hired on that basis. That’s it. The rest, the blah blah blah, I’m not into it. I do photos for <span style="font-weight: bold;">JF</span> or for my friend <a href="http://en.unifrance.org/directories/person/338030/kathy-sebbah"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kathy Sebbah</span></a>, or I shoot a movie with my friends. But I’m not looking for a job from it. I have other preoccupations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: So you don’t have agent, you take care of everything yourself?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: Yes, and it’s too much work! (laughs). Last year, there was a lot of tension for me. I was doing a show in the morning and another one at night. I had to stay focused. And this year will be hardcore as well. But now I’m doing a lot theater work in a circus and for big companies. They handle all the tours, and so on.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/natprincesse02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">La Princesse au Petit Poids</span>" - Written and illustrated by <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Anne Herbauts, </span>directed by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Bensard</span> and produced by<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Compagnie La Rousse</span><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You seem to be in an ideal situation.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: You think so?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You’re working with several companies. They handle everything and you can just concentrate on your acting.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NH</span>: That’s right. That’s great! It’s true. I have to remind myself of that. I do complain, but ultimately, it’s super. I’m lucky.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Interview conducted in French in August 2009 by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Translated by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and edited by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/sylviarorem"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sylvia Rorem</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> for </span><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> in October 2009.</span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/calibre13.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Many thanks to </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Jean-Christian-Tassy/768462979">Jean-Christian Tassy</a>, Nathalie Hauwelle, <a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/">Jean-François Daviaud</a>, Eric Cherrière, Axel Guyot, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.art-photo-salmon.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maurice Salmon</span></a> (photos "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>"),</span> <span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/mypidz">Pidz</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/pologarat">Polo Garat</a>, <a href="http://www.odessaphotographies.com/">Odessa photographies</a>, </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://lepalaisnibo.free.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Palais Nibo</span></a>, </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://groenlandparadis.canalblog.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Groenland Paradise</span></a>, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Compagnie La Rousse</span>, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/">LMZ</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.lecloudanslaplanche.com/Z%20Modeles_html/Galerie_Marat_Sade_1.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Djeyo / Le Clou dans la Planche</span></a>,</span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.kproduction.org/spip.php?article99">K Production</a>, <a href="http://www.avalonfilms.fr/">Les Films d’Avalon</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">, & </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6aj4Qb27tc"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Dark Factory</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">.</span><br /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091021_hauwelle/john32g.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(1) Check out the <a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LMZ</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">official website</span></a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lamachinezoo"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MySpace page</span></a> and the following videos featuring <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span>: <a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/videos/monde_parfait.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Un Monde Parfait</span> </a>+<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://www.lmzmusic.com/videos/lmz_live_fumel.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Live in Fumel</a><br />(2) <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6aj4Qb27tc">Dark Factory</a> </span>was created in 2004 by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eric Cherrière</span>. It is composed of Cherrière and four other directors from Toulouse: <a href="http://fr-fr.facebook.com/catherine.aira"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Catherine Aïra</span></a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Julien-Fournet/633566169"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Julien Fournet</span></a>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kevin Favillier </span>and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Jean-Christian-Tassy/768462979">JC Tassy</a></span>. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6aj4Qb27tc"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dark Factory</span></a>’s mission is to produce indie genre movies in southwest France. Contact: <span style="font-weight: bold;">ladarkfactory@gmail.com</span><br />(3) “<span style="font-weight: bold;">John 32</span>” first cut (27 minutes) is available as an extra on the French DVD version of “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyond_Re-Animator"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Beyond Re-animator</span></a>” (released in 2006). A new, more energetic 23 minute cut has just been edited by <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC Tassy</span>.<br />(4) <span style="font-weight: bold;">JC Tassy</span> shot “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>” in June and August 2007 and in June 2008 (Total days of shooting: 45). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle </span>shot her scenes in one week during June 2007.<br />(5) This play is adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&sort=relevancerank&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Anne%20Herbauts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anne Herbauts</span></a>, not from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princess_and_the_Pea"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hans Christian Andersen</span> fairy tale</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(6) Check out <a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JF Daviaud</span></a> works with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nathalie Hauwelle</span> here: <a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Frigo_radeau/Frigo_radeau.html">'<span style="font-weight: bold;">Frigo radeau...</span>'</a>, '<a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Goldfish/Goldfish.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Goldfish</a>', '<a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Peloches/Hija_de_pelicula.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hija de pelicula</span></a>', '<a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Transfert_Pola/Dauntless_film_suit.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Daunless film suit</span></a>', '<a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/Jardin_japonais/Jardin_japonais.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jardin Japonais</span></a>' & '<a href="http://www.jf-daviaud.fr/BloodyDoll/BloodyDoll.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blood Doll</span></a>' (on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Calibre 9</span>")</span><br /><br /></div></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-33909044791741173962009-10-09T02:42:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.477-07:00CANDACE KITA INTERVIEW PART 2: HOTTIE HELPER<div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdMl4RVjWkdlbe4t8GN16MwTjU9WcSRxJ6Bx6SCvFVWlit1xzXoYbBuD5MUE5XxIrzroyebuccHnS1Y-LnAXDEP9PTKmvZssmp6vbKk3KkMexfBjClAlmffSbZjzxWMd_2CJik3P5XxM/s1600/candace2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdMl4RVjWkdlbe4t8GN16MwTjU9WcSRxJ6Bx6SCvFVWlit1xzXoYbBuD5MUE5XxIrzroyebuccHnS1Y-LnAXDEP9PTKmvZssmp6vbKk3KkMexfBjClAlmffSbZjzxWMd_2CJik3P5XxM/s1600/candace2.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek01.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />It’s awesome to watch a heroine kick a bad guy’s ass in the movies! But in real life, it doesn’t really happen very much. According to L.A.-based actress/model and women’s safety advocate <a href="http://www.candacekita.com/"><b>Candace Kita</b></a>, the smartest thing for a woman to do with a potential “predator” <span style="font-size: 85%;">(1) </span>is to remove herself from the situation as peacefully as possible. In this second and last part of her interview, <b>Candace Kita</b> talks about her weekly radio show “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php"><b>Hottie Help with Candace Kita</b></a>”, on air since October 2008, her upcoming book <b><i>The Hottie Handbook: A Girl's Guide to Safety</i></b>, the Candace-inspired action comic <b style="font-weight: normal;"><i>"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyu Shin</span></i></b>", and other projects.</div><br /><b>Frédéric Ambroisine: As a sexy model, how do you find the difference between an image that is attractive and one that is exploited?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Candace Kita</b>: There is a fine line between the two. It is not easy. It takes an understanding between the photographer and the model to fully understand the look they are trying to achieve.<br /><br /></div></div><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek02.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="justify"><br /><b>FA: You created your own radio show “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>”. Is this first project over which you have creative control?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Yes, this might be the first project where I've had control over what is being put out there. At first, the show had a sexier image. We've actually toned it down a bit during the course of the past year.</div><br /><b>FA: Briefly, what is the concept of your radio show?<br /></b><br /><b>CK</b>: Each week we bring on a celebrity female guest to discuss issues pertaining to women's safety. Past episodes have dealt with home safety, work safety, travel safety, campus safety, dorm room safety, car safety, surfing the internet, and dating.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp02.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.lisagleave.net/"><b>Lisa Gleave</b></a> discussing women's safety on "<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php"><b>Hottie Help with Candace Kita</b></a>" (Oct. 19th, 2008)</span> </div><br /><div align="left"><b>FA: Can you give your international readers a brief example of what the show is like?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp01.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px;" /><b>CK</b>: We have various guests from all walks of life; from safety experts, relationship experts and authors to <b><a href="http://www.playboy.com/girls/playmates/">Playboy Playmates</a></b>. We even had 1960's icon <b><a href="http://www.kittenklub.com/">Kitten Natividad</a></b> discussing car safety for women! It is funny, unexpected and we like to combine guests with topics they are not familiar with. You never know what to expect!</div><br /><b>FA: How did you meet you co-host sidekick Doug Stewart? Was he involved in the radio show project since the beginning?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Doug was involved since the beginning; I approached him as a first pick because he has a terrific radio voice and personality. He was the perfect choice and has had a voice-over career that has included work for <b>The Tonight Show</b>, <b>Disney </b>and <b>Cartoon Network</b>.</div><br /><b>FA: What kind of female image do you think is important to present on the show?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I think it is important to show an empowered woman, but also one who is well-informed. I study safety tips for each show before we go live on the air. People have no idea how many hours of behind-the-scenes work goes into each hour of the show.</div></div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp03.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.nicolepulliam.com/"><b>Nicole Pulliam</b></a> was the first guest on "<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php"><b>Hottie Help with Candace Kita</b></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">" </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Oct. 5th, 2008)<br /></span></div><div align="center"><b><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span></b></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left"><b></b></div><br /><div align="left"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: Your radio show started in October 2008, but at that time your upcoming "The Hottie Handbook: A Girl's Guide to Safety" was already completed. When did you have the book idea and when did you have the radio show idea?</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehandbook.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>CK</b>: I had the book idea a little over two years ago. The radio show idea came to me after August 2008. I was a guest at <b><a href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic-Con</a></b> in <b>San Diego</b> last August [2009] , and was being interviewed by a science fiction radio show. It gave me the idea to do a show about women's safety.</div><br /><b>FA: How long did it take to write your book? And when is it being released?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: It only took about six months to complete the book. However, it has taken two years to get it completely finished. It has been edited several times and has been put together by a company and re-edited. Images had to be chosen, fonts had to be decided on, etc. There is so much to putting together a book that I was unaware about. It will be released on iPhone at the end of this year as an <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/">iPhone</a> application. Then it will be released in paperback and will be available at <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">http://www.amazon.com/</a>.</div></div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp05.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="left"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace</span> says: "Be Sexy. Be Smart. Be Safe"</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: When did you start collecting information and tips related to women’s safety?</b><br /><b></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I started collecting tips on women's safety over four years ago. All of the real-life situations described in the book come from women from all walks of life: not only models and actresses but also teachers, stay-at-home moms, and everyday women.</div><br /><b>FA: When did you first begin to consider yourself a safety advocate? Did something in particular happen to you or somebody you know that made you become a Hottie Helper?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I have considered myself a safety advocate for five years. I detail in my book a situation I had involving a stalker that prompted me to have an interest in women's safety. </div></div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp04.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Who's hotter?</span> </div><div align="left"><br /><b>FA: Concerning the title “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>”: How did you find it? Did you have any other title before this one?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I liked the alliteration of the words "hottie" and "help". The term "Hottie" applies to any woman who is interested in learning how to deal with inappropriate behavior. I actually did have another title, but need to keep it under wraps because it is going to become the title of my next book.</div></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><b></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek03.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>FA: Another book! Congratulations! Can you give us a little hint about its subject?</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Of course, it is another safety primer for women of all ages. I have to keep the hint small because my agent is shopping the idea around right now.</div><div align="justify"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: You had the idea for your radio show in August 2008, and the first episode aired on October 2008. How did you manage to set it up so fast?</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I was lucky; I knew someone at <a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LA Talk Radio</span> </a>who got me in touch with the right people. I wanted to delay the start of the show because I didn't feel like I was ready. They did a "test run" of one show initially to see how it would go, and it went well. So we've been airing the show ever since.</div><br /><b>FA: How do you select your “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>” guests?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: The guests come to me through various sources: word of mouth, their managers, and as friends of previous guests who have been on the show and have enjoyed coming on. </div></div><div align="justify"><br /><b>FA: Do you feel like you, your guests or listeners are learning and growing from your show? </b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I think so. The reason I say this is, we've had several women call in from time to time, repeat callers, with situations they are dealing with. They keep us up-to-date on what is going on in their lives. So I feel like they are learning and telling us what is happening with them. It is exciting for us and it is very rewarding to hear someone who has a situation and it finally gets resolved. </div><br /><div align="justify"><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp07.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Doug Stewart</b>, <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita"><b>Candace Kita</b></a> & <b></b><a href="http://www.myspace.com/benchwarmercards"><b>Brian Wallos</b></a> on "<b>Hottie Help</b>" (Dec. 14th, 2008)</span><b><br /><br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: Usually your "<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>" guests are young female models or actresses. But there were two exceptions. One of your guests was a man, and the other one was icon <a href="http://www.kittenklub.com/">Kitten Natividad</a>. Why did you choose these guests?</b></div></div><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: The man is <a href="http://www.myspace.com/benchwarmercards"><b>Brian Wallos</b></a>, the CEO of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bench Warmer International.</span> <a href="http://www.benchwarmer.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bench Warmer </span></a>is a series of collectible trading cards with beautiful women on them. To give you an idea of what they look like, they are similar to baseball trading cards. Brian was an ideal guest because he deals with beautiful women all of the time. Also, as the CEO of <a href="http://www.benchwarmer.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bench Warmer</span></a>, he has had safety issues he's had to deal with for himself and for the models. He came on and discussed safety in public venues. It was an interesting show, but my co-host and he got sidetracked onto the subject of rare collectible baseball cards and I had to steer them back towards our topic at hand!<br /><br /></div><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacebench.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita"><b>Candace Kita</b></a> is of course, a <a href="http://www.benchwarmer.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bench Warmer</span></a> model (2008 Bench Warmer Limited Base Card #12)</span><br /><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.kittenklub.com/"><b>Kitten</b></a> seemed like an interesting choice as well. She has had a long career and has had a lot of male attention. So she was able to discuss women's safety and has a wonderful sense of humour. Her episode received more fan emails than any other. We even received one from Paraguay for her. We didn't even know where Paraguay was! </div></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: How do you prepare for your show?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek04.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>CK</b>: Each week we prepare by doing online research about the topic plus the guest. We have a basic format we adhere to each week and the show is broken down by the minute. We take a few hours each week to learn the safety tips, plus basic information about the guest and their career. We also have a syllabus next to us at all times to refer to, if need be.</div><br /><b>FA: Did you have experience with live radio before?<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I only had experience with live radio as a guest, never as a host. It is interesting to think that we are on live each week, but once we get into the studio we think only of the work we have ahead of us. The hour always seems to fly by.</div><br /><b>FA: “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>” is supposed to be a weekly show, but sometimes it’s not regular. Why not?<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: It is supposed to be weekly. However, we miss some weeks and a repeat will air. This is because I am out of town quite a bit for work. And if my co-host is not in town I can't do the show either.</div><br /><b>FA: How many “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>” episodes are you supposed to do? Do you have unlimited topics to talk about?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: That is a good question. My original goal was 24 shows. Then we passed it and still felt we had valid topics to discuss. So I have no idea how long the show will run. I think if there is still listener interest. I'll still do it. I know some women who call in each week and we get great listener emails. so we might as well keep going.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp06.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Hottie Helpers<b> Candace Kita </b>&<a href="http://alanacurry.com/"> <b>Alana Curry</b></a>, getting ready for a charity event</span></div><br /><div align="left"><b>FA: What feedback have you had from people in the entertainment industry about “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>”?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: We've gotten some really great feedback especially in conjunction with my charity, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotties-with-a-Heart/53064153438"><b>Hotties With a Heart</b></a>. This organization is made up of past guests from the show. We donate time each month to various charity organizations throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Recently we were written up in <a href="http://www.variety.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Variety </span></a>when we visited the <a href="http://www.bobhopeuso.org/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob Hope USO</span></a> at LAX [airport] and welcomed over 400 troops that were being deployed overseas that day. </div></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="justify"><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp08.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">The <b>Hotties with a Heart</b> signed for over 400+ Marines at the Bob Hope USO at LAX</span></div><br /><div align="left"><b>FA: It seems like people follow you from the radio show to your charity. Do you think you inspire loyalty?</b> </div><div align="justify"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I think it is a compliment. The guests who do the charity work with us do this free of charge. They donate not only their time but also the headshots, posters, <b><a href="http://www.benchwarmer.com/">Bench Warmer</a> Cards</b> and magazines that they sign at these events. I really appreciate their dedication and it is also always great to see everyone at an event. It gives us time to catch up on each other's lives.</div></div><div align="justify"><br /><b>FA: When did you start your charity? After the “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>” show began?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I started <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotties-with-a-Heart/53064153438"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hotties With a Heart</span></a> and “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hottie Help</span></a>” at about the same time. The show came slightly before the charity organization. Basically, I was able to find people who were interested in participating from the guests who came on the show. The organizations have basically fallen into my lap. I guess it is easy to find an organization that wants free help from hot gals. </div></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp09.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Candace participating in a reading program for elementary school children in Compton, CA.</span></div><br /><div align="left"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: You spend a lot of time and energy helping all different kinds of people in need. Do you think you are different than other actresses?</b></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: No, I don't think I'm any different because so many actresses and models I've met are more than happy to do charity. It has been surprisingly easy; I just call everyone up, find out their schedules and pick a date that works for everyone. It has been easier than we initially thought. </div><br /><div align="justify"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek05.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>FA: Are you the only founder of the charity?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Yes, I am the founder but I've had a lot of help from my radio co-host, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doug Stewart</span>. I would not have been able to put together many of the events without him.</div><br /><b>FA: Who can be a member of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotties-with-a-Heart/53064153438">Hotties With a Heart</a>?<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: We've had so many members I can't tally them all, but I'd say 98% are models and actresses. We've had great help from males as well from time to time so yes, anyone can be a hottie! All of the women who have participated have done so for no pay. They have taken time out of the busy work week and given their weekends to work free all day. They are all great people and I'm quite proud to have worked beside them.</div><br /><b>FA: Do you raise money for your charity? If yes, for what purpose?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: No. We are a charity organization, not a foundation. In order to legally collect money you have to be a foundation. We do all of the work for no pay and do not collect money on behalf of other organizations either. </div></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA : What charity work are you most proud of, so far?</b> </div><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I think the event where we received the most response from everyone is the <a href="http://www.bobhopeuso.org/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">USO</span></a>. We were so happy that the troops were so thankful to see us there. We have never been so warmly welcomed and the energy there was unbelievable. The Marines were so kind and polite. I have such respect for the Marines after that experience. We have been invited back in November and we can't wait to go back.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/hottiehelp10.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">A Marine shooting at the Hotties (<a href="http://www.bobhopeuso.org/">Bob Hope USO </a>at LAX)</span> </div><br /><br /><center></center><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek06.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>FA : When did you start to go to <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic Con</a> and why?</b> </div><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I was invited to <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic-Con</a> </span>in 2002 and went because I received an invitation to sign autographs. I was on the Fox Kids TV show "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144296/"><b>Masked Rider</b></a>" [Read about it in the first part of the interview, <a href="http://fredambroisine.com/2009/09/candace-kita-interview-part-1-hollywood.html"><b>Candace Kita: Hollywood Hottie</b></a>] and was invited because it has a cult following of sorts.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: Since <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic-Con</a> attracts a lot of people in the entertainment industry, do you set up professional meetings there in advance, or do you just have random meetings?</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I've had random meetings there. It is usually extremely busy, and with 150,000 people it is hard to plan to "meet" anyone anywhere. I did randomly meet the director and executive producer of the new "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Masked Rider</span>" series this year and it was great seeing the comparisons between our show and the new version.</div></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: What do you like best about <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic-Con</a>?</b> </div><div align="justify"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: Seeing some of the same people I see year after year. It is like a homecoming of sorts. So many people come from all over the country, and the only time we actually get to see each other is once a year at <b><a href="http://www.comic-con.org/">Comic-Con</a></b>. We spend hours catching up on each other's lives. Some people I correspond with almost daily by email, but it is always good to see them in person. </div></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek00.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html"><b>Kyu-Shin</b></a>" comic - Written by Mitch Hyman - Art by Ivonne Falcon and Alberto Cortes.</span></div><br /><center><br /></center><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: How did you meet the people from <a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/">Scare Tactix Graphix</a>?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I met the people from <a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/"><b>Scare Tactix Graphix</b></a> in New Jersey last year. They approached me to do a comic with them, "<a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html"><b>Kyu Shin</b></a>" <span style="font-size: 85%;">(2) </span>and it sounded interesting. Also, the artist portfolio I was shown was amazing.</div><br /><b>FA: Is the Kyu Shin character based solely on your physical appearance?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/kyushin.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>CK</b>: Yes, the character is based on my physical likeness; I am not a vampire superhero in real life. Sorry! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyu-shin </span>is a protector of women and children and this is what initially drew from <b>Glenn Tippett from </b><b></b><a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/"><b>Scare Tactix Graphix</b></a>, the company that created this comic book, to me. They thought the idea of me and women's safety was great. I loved the concept and also thought it was a good match.</div><br /><b>FA: What kind of deal did you make with <a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/">Scare Tactix Graphix</a>? What do you have to do for </b>"<a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html"><b>Kyu Shin</b></a>"<b>?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I promote the comic throughout the year and also help to sell the comic at appearances. We just worked on a deal to do the second installment of "<a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html"><b>Kyu Shin</b></a>", so another comic is in the works. We also worked on a "<a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html"><b>Kyu Shin</b></a>"<b></b> poster that is now available, and another one is in the works.</div><br /><b>FA: Will you play the character if there’s a future movie adaptation? </b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Ironically I spoke to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">"<a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html">Kyu Shin</a>"</span> people on the phone a few weeks ago about movie rights. I am all for it, but it is difficult to sell a script in Hollywood. It would be great if it happens but really, who knows?</div></div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/kyushin2.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html"><b>Kyu Shin</b></a>" (Scare Tactix Grafix - 2009)</span></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: When did you start practicing karate and why?<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I started learning martial arts when I was in high school. I was just interested in it as a sport. and thought it might be a fun activity to pursue. I studied through high school and some in college. I have booked several acting jobs because of my martial arts training so I've always been thankful for it.</div><br /><b>FA: Are you still practicing?<br /></b><br /><b>CK</b>: I stopped because college was a full time job. And then after I became an actor, and was focused primarily on that as my career. Now, I try to exercise one hour a day. I enjoy yoga and of course, being in Southern California, I love going to the beach!<br /><br /><b>FA: Do you think it is better for a woman to try to use martial arts against real life “predators”?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek07.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>CK</b>: I tell women to always try to avoid getting into a physical altercation, and only use it as a last resort. For example, if someone is behaving inappropriately towards you, it is much better to calmly attempt to talk your way out of a situation and leave rather than get into a fight. </div></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: That makes a lot of sense. Any other free advice for your hottie readers?</b> </div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Sure. Always listen to your sixth sense. You have it for a reason. If someone seems weird, they are. If someone seems to want something from you, they do. It's really that simple. Don't try to overthink it or rationalize that feeling away. Listen to your gut instinct. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable for any reason, leave the situation immediately and ask questions later. </div><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA : Most of your “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help</a>” tips are about how to avoid a physical confrontation, but when you were on “<a href="http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/">The Jay Leno Show</a>” recently, you showed how to kick some “predator” butt. How did you get on the show to do this?</b><br /><b></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I was contacted by the “<a href="http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/"><b>The Jay Leno Show</b></a>” through my radio co-host, who has worked for them several times over the years. They were interested in the book. and asked me to come on and demonstrate quick and simple safety tips. It is true, most of my safety tips on the radio pertain to avoiding inappropriate behavior. I believe avoiding confrontation is the best policy. The safety tips I demonstrated on “<a href="http://www.thejaylenoshow.com/"><b>The Jay Leno Show</b></a>” were only for use as a last alternative. If you are somehow trapped, unable to escape and have no personal weapon, then you might have to get physical. It is interesting; there was a comment by a viewer who said I should not have shown safety tips. To which I respond : "What should a woman do if there is no way out? Lie there and take it? At that point she has to try something." There was overwhelming response from other commenters agreeing. I'm not saying to use self-defense right away. To me, that is obvious. And that is what we discuss on the radio each week.</div><br /><b>FA: Do you think a woman should own a gun to protect herself?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek08.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>CK</b>: It is your choice. I am from the South and guns are much more common there. But it is entirely up to you.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></div></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: How do you feel about the characters played by Asian actresses in Hollywood for the last 20 years?</b></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><b></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Hopefully, all ethnic actors are being less stereotyped now, not just Asian Americans. And I also think there is more opportunity for us now than ever before.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><b></b></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: Do you think it’s more difficult for Asians to find interesting parts in Hollywood, compared to Caucasians?</b></div><div align="justify"><b></b></div><div align="justify"><b></b></div><div align="justify"><b></b></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><b></b></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>CK</b>: I don't know. I only know from my point of reference, and I've had so much opportunity I can't really complain. I haven't booked every part I've gone out for, obviously, but the opportunity has been there.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><b></b></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: Do you admire any particular Asian American actress?</b> </div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Not really, I wish I could say there was one. I do like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_May_Wong"><b>Anna Mae Wong</b></a> from the 1930's and 40's. There were so few Asian actresses when I was growing up. In fact, when I saw an Asian person on TV as a child, I'd say, "Look! There's an Asian person on TV!"</div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA : Are there any action movie heroines you admire?</b> </div><div align="justify"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I think <a href="http://michelleyeoh.info/"><b>Michelle Yeoh</b></a> is amazing. She just seems to get better and better with age. Sexy, smart, killer body and such a talented martial artist.</div></div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek09.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Candace Kita</b> - September 2009 (Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27766755@N07/"><b>Mike Rollerson</b></a>)</span></div><br /><div align="left"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: Have you faced racism in the Entertainment business?</b></div></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><b>CK</b>: No, but I faced racism growing up as a child in the South.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: How did you deal with racism in the South? Did you move to LA because of it?</b></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>CK</b>: I didn't move to LA because of racism. I moved to LA because I got bitten by the acting bug. In the South, I basically ignored it. Their racism is more a reflection of them; not a reflection of me.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: Do you think Asian women in the US have more opportunity to model than to act? </b></div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: That is a great question, Fred, and I think you've stumped me! I don't know; I can just say I really hope both venues are being opened to people of every color, on the whole. It's really about time.</div><div align="justify"><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek10.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span></a> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry</span>" with<br /><a href="http://www.tilashotspot.buzznet.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tila Tequila</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Chung"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jamie Chung</span></a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lenayada"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lena Yada</span> </a>and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2261607/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jina Song</span></a> on the Sony Lot in L.A.<br /></span></div><br /><b>FA : How optimistic are you about the future of Asian Americans in the entertainment industry?</b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK:</b> Very. I see so many Asian Americans on TV and in film now. I remember a time when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Chung"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Connie Chung </span></a>was about the only Asian person you saw on TV. Now, Asian Americans play such varied roles, and it is much more commonplace to see us playing someone like your next door neighbor. </div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: Tell me about your cosmetics line for Asian women.</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek11.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>CK</b>: I am currently working on a skin care line for Asian women. A college friend of mine is an alchemist and creates cosmetics for a living. I approached him about creating a skincare line for Asian women, since we have special skincare needs. We are in the beginning stages, but it is coming along swimmingly and I couldn't be more pleased with what we have so far. </div></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA : Will you have a website? How will your readers will be able to purchase your products?</b> </div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I'm working right now with my webmaster and creating a website specifically for skincare. Readers can purchase both the cosmetics and skincare products there. The skincare line will be available first, and the cosmetic line second.</div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: Tell me about your upcoming calendar.<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: My calendar is being released through iPhone as an iPhone application. It will be available in October. I'm excited because iPhone approached me earlier this year. I also have two more applications that will be available this fall: “<a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php"><b>Hottie Help</b></a>” the radio show, and my book, <b>The Hottie Handbook: A Girl's Guide to Safety</b>.</div><br /><b>FA : You recently started <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita">a blog </a>on the community artists website <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/">Alive Not Dead</a>, and you’re very active on it. Why did you decide to blog?</b> </div><div align="justify"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: My radio co-host and I decided I would blog as an experiment of sorts. I've always been concerned about blogging, for safety and privacy issues. Our show is about women's safety and I decided to blog to see what type of response I'd get and how I'd feel about the experience on the whole. So far it has been great, and I've really enjoyed it. But I never talk about things that are too personal. I blog mostly about work-related topics.</div></div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek12.jpg" /></center></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Candace Kita</b>'s first blog on <b>Alive not Dead</b></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><b>FA: What are the differences between your <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita">Alive Not Dead blog,</a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Kita/63207062816">Facebook page</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/therealcandacekita">MySpace page</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/CandacekitaPr">Twitter</a>?</b> </div><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek16.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: A great question and thank you for giving me the forum to explain it all. The blog is written by me, usually everyday unless I'm busy on a set or something. The <b></b><b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Kita/63207062816">Facebook page</a></b> is a fan page. It is not run by me. It is run by a webmaster. You can't contact me there and I guess people think they can. The <b><a href="http://www.myspace.com/therealcandacekita">MySpace page</a> </b> and the <b><a href="http://twitter.com/CandacekitaPr">Twitter</a> </b>is also run by someone else. <a href="http://candacekita.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">My website</span></a> is run by my webmaster and no mail is read by me; it is read by my publicist. Media inquiries can be sent to the website, <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Kita/63207062816">Facebook</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.myspace.com/therealcandacekita">MySpace</a></b>. Confusing, huh?</div><br /><b>FA: You recently chose to publically defend the reputation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felicia_Tang">Felicia Tang,</a> who was brutally murdered, on your </b><b></b><b><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita">Alive Not Dead blog</a></b><b>.</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita/Felicia-Tang-RIP-profile-764200.html">spoke out publicly</a> because I am a women's safety advocate. She is being dragged through the mud so the media can sensationalize the story for public appeal. They didn't say, "Felicia Tang, real estate broker..." Instead, they chose to say, "Felicia Tang, Porn Star..." Hypothetically, even if she was a porn star, what would it matter? She did not deserve to be murdered. This is an issue of domestic violence, and the attention is being drawn away from that. Her case is getting an outsized amount of attention because sexiness and notoriety sell murder in the press. But it is also this popular perception that sends the message that she somehow deserved it.</div><br /><b>FA: Many artists are supporting director <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Polanski">Roman Polanski</a> during this fresh controversy. How do you feel about the situation ?</b><br /><br /><b>CK</b>: I think he should be tried for the crime. I like his movies, but his artistic creativity and what he has contributed to the film community have nothing to do with what he is accused of, criminally.<br /><br /><b>FA: </b><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27766755@N07/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Rollerson</span></a></span><b> has taken some great photos of you. How did you meet him?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK:</b> I met Mike at Comic-Con; he took pictures of me and was kind enough to send them to me. I was really impressed by them and wanted to keep in touch. He is a great guy and we really enjoy collaborating together.<b></b></div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek14.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> - September 2009 (by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27766755@N07/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Rollerson</span></a>)<br /><br /></span></div><b>FA: You posed with an amazing sword in a Rollerson photo series. How in the world did you find it?<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Mike is a collector; that is the actual sword used in the film "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elIZWU07yAo"><b>Ultraviolet</b></a>". It is the one <a href="http://www.millaj.com/"><b>Milla Jovovich</b></a> used, and it is as impressive in real life as it is on film.</div><br /><b>FA : Your skateboard photos are also quite impressive. Do you actually skateboard?</b><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: I skateboard, but not well. I'm trying, and really enjoy it. That day was so much fun; Mike and I shot for half a day and I didn't fall off the skateboard once!</div><br /></div><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek13.jpg" /></center><br /><div align="justify"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> - September 2009 (by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27766755@N07/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Rollerson</span></a>)</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><br /><div align="justify"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA: Are you familiar with skateboard culture?</b><br /><b></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>:Somewhat. I've seen "<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/dogtown/">Dogtown and Z-Boys</a>"</span> and of course, if you live in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_California">SoCal</a> like I do, it is really a part of everyday life here.</div><br /><b>FA : Do you work regularly with other photographers as well?<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/rukus.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><b>CK</b>: I work with a lot of other photographers. I shot a cover for <a href="http://www.rukusmag.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rukus Magazine</span></a> that just came out yesterday. Mike and I are friends and like to bounce ideas off of each other. There is a lot of brainstorming with us, and I've always liked what we come up with. There are always great surprises.</div><br /><b>FA : Any other upcoming projects ?<br /></b><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">CK: I recently shot a campaign for <a href="http://www.stilacosmetics.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stila Cosmetics</span></a> and will also be shooting Peter Greene's new film, "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1199560/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Something in the Night</span></a>", which is a horror feature film <span style="font-size: 85%;">(3)</span>.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>FA : Candace, thank you so much for taking the time to do this very long interview.</b><br /><b></b></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>CK</b>: Thanks so much for reading this interview; I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to read more, visit my blog at: <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita"><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita</span></a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/CandacekitaPr"><span style="font-weight: bold;">www.twitter.com/candacekitapr</span></a>.</div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Interview conducted by </span><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Frédéric Ambroisine</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> in August/October 2009 and edited by </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/achillesgirl" style="font-style: italic;">Sylvia Rorem</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> in October 2009 for </span><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/" style="font-style: italic;">ActionQueens.com</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Thanks to </span><b style="font-style: italic;">Mike Rollerson</b><span style="font-style: italic;"> & </span><b style="font-style: italic;">Candace Kita</b>. </div><br /><div align="justify"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20091008_candace/candacek15.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(1) “Predator” is a term often used on “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Hottie Help</span>” to describe a male attacker.<br />(2) More about "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyu Shin</span>" story <a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html">here</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyu-Shin">here</a>.<br />(3) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace</span> is also shooting now "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1504362/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christmas in Beverly Hills</span></a>", where she's playing a lifeguard. Check out the behind-the-scene pictures on her blog <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita/Christmas-on-the-beach-profile-779653.html">here</a>, <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita/Baywatch-2010-profile-781852.html">here</a> and <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita/Back-to-the-beach-profile-782551.html">here</a>.<br /></span> </div><div align="justify"><br /><a href="http://www.candacekita.com/">Candace Kita Official Website</a><br /><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita">Candace's Blog (AliveNotDead)</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.twitter.com/candacekitapr">Follow Candace on Twitter</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Kita/63207062816">Candace Kita on Facebook</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/therealcandacekita">Friend Candace on My Space</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/CandaceKita">Candace’s videos on Youtube</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/MikeRollerson">Mike Rollerson photos on Flickr</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help Poscast (LA Talk Radio)</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.myspace.com/hottiehelp">Hottie Help on MySpace</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=31012442290">Hottie Help on FaceBook</a> </div><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotties-with-a-Heart/53064153438">Hotties with a ♥ on FaceBook</a> </div></div><div align="justify">Click on the picture below to read the first part of Candace’s interview, <b><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/2009/09/candace-kita-interview-part-1-hollywood.html">Candace Kita - Hollywood Hottie</a>: </b> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/2009/09/candace-kita-interview-part-1-hollywood.html"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/2009/candace1.jpg" /></a><b><br /></b></div></div></div></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-85951444002512491762009-09-23T13:20:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.477-07:00LISA CHENG INTERVIEW: HONG KONG SPIDER GIRL<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DhyTlJ4tBgtTlpSdEofW4AGxNRHS5IAc2up2X4Z5didJ0h3zuU_l8pkm8n8KtiGUbqBXmn-L-26FwcdSsJP69ml5KUEJKHZPYFfK7ZasQPzpm_FNHnOkHOkP-Xnq8VgqYKKCQv73EF0/s1600/lisainterview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6DhyTlJ4tBgtTlpSdEofW4AGxNRHS5IAc2up2X4Z5didJ0h3zuU_l8pkm8n8KtiGUbqBXmn-L-26FwcdSsJP69ml5KUEJKHZPYFfK7ZasQPzpm_FNHnOkHOkP-Xnq8VgqYKKCQv73EF0/s1600/lisainterview.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng01.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />Known as the “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Spider Girl</span>”, world champion rock climber <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">鄭麗莎</span>) is also an accomplished gymnast, martial artist, successful bodybuilder, and for the last four years has been the reigning queen of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss BodyFitness</span> event at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Bodybuilding Championships</span>.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Lisa’s extraordinary physical abilities and multiple athletic activities have led her into a career as actress, stuntwoman and fitness model, as well as sports broadcaster for the Chinese TV program <span style="font-weight: bold;">Now Sports</span>. <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens</span></a> is proud to present Lisa Cheng’s first-ever interview in English! Enjoy...</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: Your real name is Lisa Cheng, but you’re also known as Lisa Sa. How did you choose this name? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span>: Actually, my real name is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cheng Lai Sho Lisa</span>. I used Lisa Sa just for fun on FaceBook and it became really popular. Then people started to call me Sa-Sa, and I liked it (laughs)! That's why I am <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Sa</span>.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Does Sa-Sa have a meaning in English?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: No, it doesn’t. It’s just a short form of Lisa: Sa or Sa-Sa. I’m fine with people calling me by any name…</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng02.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You are involved in a lot of sports activities like climbing, bodybuilding, Thai boxing, gymnastics etc... When did you start practicing these sports? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I have ten years experience climbing and four years in body fitness. I think climbing is my strength; I am “Spider Girl”! I started climbing in 1998, started body fitness in 2005, gymnastics and boxing in 2006, and Muay Thai in 2007. I’ve been a member of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Elite Sport Climbing Team</span> since 2002, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Elite Body Building & Fitness Team</span> since 2006, and I was on the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Elite Aerobic Gymnastics Team</span> in 2006 and 2007.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a>'s daily routine: Working out, jumping and climbing!<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have you ever used your climbing skills in real life for any reason? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: Um…. Climbing trees and catching a ball a few times, haha …Actually, I’ll climb anywhere if I think it’s not dangerous. It usually isn’t too high, and it’s just for fun.</div></div><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng13.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Why did you quit the Aerobic Gymnastics Team? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: The main reason I quit is because I broke my knee and incurred ligament injuries while training in 2006. I had surgery in 2007. Also, to be a member of the team I had to pay a training fee every month, which was quite expensive. So, right now I choose to do my gymnastics training in China. It’s cheaper than Hong Kong, more extensive, and very, very good.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng18.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a>: gymnastics training<br /></span></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What contests have you won so far?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I won the 2006 World Cup Championship in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">World Speed Climbing Competition</span>. In body fitness, I was the 2006 <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss East Asian Fitness Champion</span>, and I also won the 2008 <span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Championship</span>. For the last six years I have won first place in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Women’s Speed Climbing Competition</span>, and for the last four years I have consistently won the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong Body Fitness Championship</span>.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng06.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a>: competing for Miss Fitness at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Bodybuilding and<br />Body Fitness </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Championships</span> (Mongolia </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">2008</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">/Singapore </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">2006</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">). Guess who won?<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You're also a model, stuntwoman, personal trainer and actress. How do you manage your time?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: Right now I’m living in Guangzhou, China and am focusing 100% on training for the August 2009 <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian Body Fitness</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss Fitness Championships </span>in Thailand (1). I am also preparing to compete in the December 2009 <span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Games</span> in Hong Kong. I currently work and train full time Monday through Friday: three hours of belly dancing and modeling in the morning, two hours of gymnastics in the afternoon, and two hours of body fitness workout at the the gym in the evening. I’ll probably keep up this work pace until December 2009. On Saturdays and Sundays I sometimes go back to Hong Kong to do some personal training at the gym, visit my family or do other activities.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng14.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a> in 2009: strong is beautiful!</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Tell me about your action movie role! </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng05.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />LC: I played a hit woman in the 2008 movie “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mutant Cop</span>” (<<span style="font-weight: bold;">變種警察</span>> or <<span style="font-weight: bold;">狙击黑白森林</span>>) [unreleased movie starring <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4362&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Simon Yam</span></a> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael Miu</span>]. I’m sorry I don’t know the English title!! I was a stuntwoman for this movie, so I used a gun and other weapons to kill a few guys... In the end, their friends shot me back and I died (laughs)! Actually, being an action actress has been my dream since childhood. Now that I am getting older and can afford to obtain more training, I really want to keep learning different skills and continue to improve myself. I want to be ready and able to handle all the different requirements of any job opportunity I might get!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Who are your favorite actors and actresses?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: 100% Angelina and her man! I like her character in “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomb Raider</span>”. She’s elegant, special, beautiful, healthy and sexy. As far as Hong Kong actors, I like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Michelle Yeoh </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Andy Lau</span>.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng07.jpg" /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />Left: <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Angelina Jolie</span> (montage) - Right: ready for Halloween! (2008)</span><br /></center></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You also had a role in the movie “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Blood Money</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">”. When was that?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng08.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />LC: The shooting of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Blood Money</span>” took place in December 2008. It’s an Australian action thriller directed by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Greg McQualter</span>. They shot it in Hong Kong, China and Australia, so there were three different production crews: one for each country. The action directors came from different countries as well. I knew one of them, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Zheng Liu</span> from Beijing. As far as I remember, the story is about a drug dealer who kills somebody’s parents so their son comes back to seek revenge…</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What role did you play?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: Actually, I just played a pretty chick in this movie….I didn’t have any action! Haha! But I found a lot of guns on the set and wanted to show them some action. So I held a gun, played with my friends, and took some pictures. I love action! I hope to show it in front of the camera, not behind. Haha!</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You recently had a role in the comedy “All's Well Ends Well 2009”. Tell me about it.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I play one of <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=12129&display_set=eng" style="font-weight: bold;">Ronald Cheng</a>’s unlucky girlfriends. We shot it in May 2008. I spent nine hours working on my stunt, but it only appears in the movie for a couple seconds! Basically, I get hit by a carpet being carried in a passing car, and get carried away by the carpet! I personally knew a lot of the people involved with the film, and the director <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/vincentkok" style="font-weight: bold;">Vincent Kok</a> took good care of me because the scene was a little dangerous. But I had so much fun filming that I didn’t consider it as work at all!</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng28.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=12129&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ronald Cheng</span></a> and <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a> in </span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"> “All's Well Ends Well 2009”</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What kind of characters would you like to play in the future?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I would like to try all different kinds of roles, but I think I'd be better at doing action movies.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng09.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a>: photoshoot for the </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">August 2009 edition </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">of <a href="http://sportsoho.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sportsoho</span></a></span><a href="http://sportsoho.com/"> </a>(#7)<br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When did you do your first TV or movie work?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: Let’s see… if I remember right, it was in 2006. Once I had won the World Cup in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">World Speed Climbing Competition</span>, more people started to notice me. This has enabled me to begin working in TV and movies.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you have a manager or managing company who takes care of all your work, or are you your own manager?</span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng23.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I handle everything myself!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What have you had to do as a stuntwoman? Do you think stunt work is a tough or dangerous job?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I actually don’t have very much stunt experience; just a couple times… but I used to play around just for fun. I feel that being a stunt woman is quite a dangerous job. However, if I am not confident that I can safely perform the required action, I will not take the risk. I have seen quite a lot of people get hurt. I want be an actress more than a stunt woman. I haven’t done much film work but I want to do more in the future. I don’t think my stunt experiences have been very dangerous. I thought it was all good fun: jumping into the sea, getting hit by a car a little bit, getting shot and dying, shooting people, stabbing people with a knife, fighting, climbing... I don’t think this is too dangerous. It’s so much fun! I have never had any stunt training for movies and I have never gotten hurt. But I have been injured during my regular training.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a>: Just some regular “</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">Spider Girl”</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> training!</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What happened?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I tore my right knee ligament when I was practicing a high-to-low flip with a rotating landing. I tore my ACL ligament. So sad…</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: For which TV and movie companies have you worked?</span><br /><br />LC: I have worked freelance for different companies, but have spent most of my time at <span style="font-weight: bold;">Now TV</span> doing work for their sports program <a href="http://nowsports.now-tv.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now Sports</span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng11.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a> with the <a href="http://nowsports.now-tv.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now Sports</span></a> team</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You seem to feel comfortable talking in front of the camera for your TV interviews. Is this natural for you or did you have to gradually learn how to do it?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I feel very natural in front of the camera because I just talk about my real life. I have no special training but I do have a little bit of experience. I have been interviewed by many different sport medias since I was a child.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng16.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/edcongabriel"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Edcon Gabriel</span></a> and <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng">Lisa Cheng</a> </span>preparing for an episode for <a href="http://nowsports.now-tv.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now Sports</span></a> (June 2008)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When were you contacted by the TV channel <a href="http://nowsports.now-tv.com/">Now Sports</a> to be a TV broadcaster?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng19.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I’ve been working for <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://nowsports.now-tv.com/">Now Sports</a> </span>since January 2008. When I started, I did voice-over behind the screen once or twice a week for about three months. After that, Now Sports wanted me to sign a contract with them as full-time staff but I didn’t want to work under contract so I refused. Instead I have been doing freelance work for them.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What are the easy parts, or difficult parts, about this job?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">LC: I think I can communicate easily with everybody. I have discovered that many people enjoy talking with me and dialoguing. I think that the difficult part of this job is when I’m expected to talk about the rules of a sport I am not familiar with. I need to study the game and memorize all the rules in a very short period of time.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How long do you spend preparing for one episode of the TV program?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: The truth is that I never really have much time to prepare. I work under a research team; they give me the information I need right before the deadline, or face to face on the actual day of shooting. So sometimes I need to do some extra research myself.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng15.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng">Lisa Cheng</a> </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">revising before a monologue for<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://nowsports.now-tv.com/">Now Sports</a></span> (July 2008)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Are the episodes scripted or improvised?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: They provide me with voice-over scripts for each episode. And they also provide me with recommended questions and reference materials when I interview somebody.</div><br /><br /><center></center><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Why did you choose to learn boxing and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai">Muay Thai</a>?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng12.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />LC: I started boxing because I have a friend in gymnastics who is also a boxer. So it was easy for me to begin. A few months after I started regular training, I had an accident - my knee injury - so I couldn’t train anymore. But I didn’t want to give up on it, so I took a boxing coach course to learn about the theory. At that time I had a friend who was a Hong Kong boxing team committee coach. The Hong Kong team were about to enter a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Muay Thai</span></a> competition in Thailand. I wanted to travel and I wanted to watch fights so I bought a ticket and followed them. I found that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Muay Thai </span></a>is more skilled, more useful and more dynamic than boxing. And I found out that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Muay Thai </span></a>training in Thailand is cheap and professional: very systematic training programs are the norm there. So I started to come to Thailand by myself. I go back from time to time….</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng17.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng">Lisa Cheng</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;">: Muay Thai Action Queen! (Thailand 2008)</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you choose to train in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai">Muay Thai</a> in order to attend a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts">Mixed Martial Arts</a> competition?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">LC: I worked as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-1"><span style="font-weight: bold;">K-1</span></a> commentator for <a href="http://nowsports.now-tv.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Now Sports</span></a> and have also often watched <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MMA</span></a> fights. Doing these things was motivation for me to want to train in fighting. I think <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_Thai" style="font-weight: bold;">Muay Thai</a> is the most harmful fighting in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_martial_arts"><span style="font-weight: bold;">MMA</span></a> (laughs)!!</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng20.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng">Lisa Cheng</a></span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> & Master Noi: Muay Thai training in Bangkok (2008)</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"></span><br /><center></center><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have you ever fought in real life?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: The last time I really fought was when I was a kid… haha! No more after that… I think I changed my attitude after I got into the sports field. It’s been a long time since I have even argued with anyone.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: And have you fought in a martial arts competition before?</span><br /><br />LC: I have not yet entered a fight competition but I think I will someday. I want to win, so I want to be well prepared.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Women with too much muscle are not really...</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">“f</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">eminine”, right? I assume there are different categories and different kinds of training for female bodybuilders. Can you explain a little bit about your bodybuilding training?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng21.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />LC: I agree that women should not have too much muscle. I’m in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Body Fitness</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss Fitness</span> categories, which are different from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">B</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">odybuilding</span> category. So I don’t need to build up too much muscle. I need to be more feminine, pretty, sexy, and have a healthy muscle style for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Body Fitness</span> category. So I usually just put a lot of energy into training at the gym: five days a week, two hours per session. Concerning <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss Fitness</span>, we are judged on the level of the physical ability of our bodies. There is a 90-second aerobic session in which you have to show off your physical skills onstage. That’s why I’m learning gymnastics right now. (2)</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Is there any female bodybuilder that you like?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">LC: Yes! <a href="http://www.singpowerfit.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Roongtawan </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">“</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sing</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">”</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.singpowerfit.com/"> Jindasing</a>.</span> She’s a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Body Fitness</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bodybuilding</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss Fitness </span>champion. She’s from Thailand and was my idol when I started out in the field. On top of her multiple championships, I really like her face…and her heart.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Which category do you prefer: Body Fitness or Miss Fitness?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: The goal of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Body Fitness</span> is to have a perfect body, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss Fitness</span> is for showing off physical skills. I like the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss Fitness</span> category more, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">Body Fitness </span>is actually easier for me to win. I hope that more hard work will help me have better results in both categories.</div><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng25.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng">Lisa Cheng</a>:</span></span>Miss Fitness</span> event, 2008 <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships</span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: I noticed that most of the magazines about Hong Kong movie stars primarily gossip about their private lives. But it seems that magazines about sports celebrities are more serious and respectful. Am I right or wrong?</span></div><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng10.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: Absolutely right!! I think everybody in Hong Kong, not just magazines, has respect for athletes. I like my image because I represent Hong Kong when I compete with other countries. On the other hand, regarding movie stars, this is just the way Hong Kong is… Everybody likes to talk about the stars so the media likes to follow them around and expose their private lives.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: For which magazines have you modeled? Was it only for Fitness magazines? Or for fashion magazines too? Any other sports magazines?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I have been interviewed by almost all the Hong Kong magazines and newspapers but the interviews were mostly about my life. Occasionally they ask me to do a bit of fashion modeling, which I am happy to do. I have mostly appeared in teen and sport magazines. I have also done photo shoots for catalogues, posters and things like that for different sports companies like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nike,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">High Peak</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sport Direction</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Exxtasy</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Orca</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">SSI</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What commercial and/or fitness videos have you shot recently?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng24.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I recently shot an instructional video on how to use the fitness facilities in the Hong Kong Police fitness rooms. It was a project for the Police sponsored by the Hong Kong Government.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How do you feel about the July 2009 cancellation of the Bodybuilding events by the East Asian Games Association?(3)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: It was unbelievable! When I heard that the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bodybuilding</span> events were suddenly cancelled, my heart was totally broken! I had been excited and looking forward to joining the competition for an entire year. The East Asian Games Association had decided to host the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bodybuilding</span> events and they were to take place in my home town, Hong Kong. I had East Asian competitor experience and I believed that I would be very successful and do well if I just worked hard. I decided to give up my job and even paid to go all by myself to China to do some hard training. I still feel really sad and disappointed. Now I will attend a different tournament in China. I usually use the China competition to warm up for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_Games"><span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Games,</span></a> but now I will put all my heart into the upcoming China tournament. I will actually compete in the several <span style="font-weight: bold;">Miss China Fitness </span>competitions held throughout China in September and November 2009.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng26.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng">Lisa Cheng</a> - </span>Hong Kong - September 2009<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Any other projects?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">LC</span>: I tutor school fitness courses because I want to save money for travelling, training and other goals! I also plan to begin preparing to do more work in commercial jobs. I’ll tell you something: I don’t know why, but I have a special feeling that something is coming up for me soon. I really hope so! Haha!</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Interview conducted by </span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/fredambroisine"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> July-September 2009. Edited for </span><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> by </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/achillesgirl"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Sylvia Rorem</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/patty.keung"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Patty Keung</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.gigcreation.com/">Gig Creations</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. Photos: <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span></a>'s personnal collection. Research for <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</span></a>: </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/flywithvicky"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Victor Gee</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/adelineckayee"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Adeline C. Kayee</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Michael Ortega</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and <a href="http://hkmdb.com/phpBB3/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=5537" style="font-weight: bold;">dleedlee</a> (<a href="http://hkmdb.com/phpBB3/index.php"><span style="font-weight: bold;">HKMDB forum</span></a>). Mega-thanks to <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">L</span></a></span><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">isa Cheng</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> for her kindness and patience!</span></div><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng27.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-size: 85%;">(1) This section of the interview was done in early July 2009. Since then, Lisa Cheng won both the August 2009 <span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian Body Fitness and Miss Fitness Championships</span> in Thailand.<br />(2) Additional comment by Lisa Cheng: “Since the cancellation of the Bodybuilding events at the 2009 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_Games"><span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Games</span></a>, I am now training at the gym seven days a week, two hours or more per session.”<br />(3) Read more about the cancellation here <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hkedition/2009-07/22/content_8456308.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Bodybuilding muscled out of 2009 EAG</a><a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/hkedition/2009-07/22/content_8456308.htm" style="font-weight: bold;"> (China Daily)</a> and<br />here <a href="http://www.takungpao.com/news/09/07/22/WF-1115370.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">Lisa Cheng feels lost at Bodybuildong contest being cu (Ta Kung Pao)</span></a> </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Chinese only)</span><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Translation of above article - Ta Kung Pao - July 22nd, 2009</span>: Hong Kong athlete <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng</span> is in Guangzhou preparing for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_Games"><span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Games</span></a>. She feels very shocked and disappointed that the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bodybuilding</span> events have been cut. When asked to comment regarding the incident, she said, “I was only informed by a friend this afternoon. I feel hurt and almost unable to accept this reality. I’ve only just pulled myself together. Ever since I found out that there would be <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bodybuilding</span> events at this year’s <span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Games </span>I have been practicing diligently. In fact, I am training with China’s Guangzhou body building team right now. I have a lot of advantage in this contest and am very confident I could win a medal. Now that I know the contest has been cut, I feel lost and very upset. Originally I intended to use the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Asian_Games"><span style="font-weight: bold;">East Asian Games</span></a> as a warm up before I entered the national contest in Thailand. Now I can only focus on the Thailand contest.” There is a rumor that there are conflicts between the <a href="http://www.ifbb.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>(<span style="font-weight: bold;">IFBB</span>) and the <a href="http://www.abbf.asia/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Asian Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation</span></a> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">ABBF</span>). The <span style="font-weight: bold;">IFBB</span> has apparently tried to block the official capacity of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">ABBF</span>. About this, Lisa comments, “I have heard before that there were conflicts between the two federations, but as an athlete, not everything is under my control. I can only do my best within my own arena.”</span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090922_lisasa/lisacheng29.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chenglisa.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng's Official Website</span></a> - <a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/lisacheng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa's blog on Alive Not Dead</span></a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/LisaLoveLizard"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa's videos on Youtube</span></a> - <a href="http://www.thaibody.com/person/1bcb7cc8/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lisa Cheng on ThaiBody.com</span></a></div></div></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-86270091580796292632009-09-18T10:48:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.478-07:00A TRIBUTE TO BUTTERFLY WU AT THE PARIS CHINESE FILM FESTIVAL!<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1pgMNRpstODmhkveGRcHLTTuDm1mdQ9nVydI2c7LiZYL3GSpDtjZACwPfHkd9jCUG_mwWL-CYGWGWiIbEx94hFfjJCqQKJXv7X6Wr0RbDU9ww4aFeFUv2IjuoUQMDMeTkSbR-b6SHgY/s1600/hudie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ1pgMNRpstODmhkveGRcHLTTuDm1mdQ9nVydI2c7LiZYL3GSpDtjZACwPfHkd9jCUG_mwWL-CYGWGWiIbEx94hFfjJCqQKJXv7X6Wr0RbDU9ww4aFeFUv2IjuoUQMDMeTkSbR-b6SHgY/s1600/hudie.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090918_huedie/twinsisters.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />The 4th annual <span style="font-weight: bold;">Festival du Cinéma Chinois de Paris</span> (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Paris Chinese Film Festival</span>) will be held at the Gaumont Opéra theaters September 22nd through October 26th, 2009. More than 30 screenings will feature many new releases including Feng Xiao-gang’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">If You Are The One / La Perle Rare 非诚勿扰”</span>; Gordon Chan’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Painted Skin 画皮</span>”; Cheng Kaige’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mei Lanfang梅蘭芳</span>” and Ning Jingwu’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Lala’s Gun 滚拉拉的枪</span>” (closing movie – the director will be attending!). Classic films include the great animation movie “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Monkey King</span>” and a 2005 documentary about the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shanghai Animation Film Studio</span> co-directed by Chinese cinema expert <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marie-Claire Quiquemelle</span> (also attending!).<br /><br />The Festival also includes a special tribute to the Queen of Chinese Cinema, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hu Die 胡蝶</span> a.k.a. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Butterfly Wu </span>(1908-1989), the famous “Girl in Red” from the lost 1928 film series “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Burning of the Red Lotus Temple 火烧红莲寺</span>”. This film was the first major Chinese martial arts movie and also the longest movie ever made, with a running time of 27 hours divided between 18 parts!<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090918_huedie/hudie.jpg" /></center>The film festival begins on <span style="font-weight: bold;">September 22nd</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Opening Night</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">September 29th,</span> features <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Tribute To Butterfly Wu </span>presented by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Mitterand </span>(French Minister of Culture), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wang Taihua </span>(Chinese Minister of Radio, Cinema and Television), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jérôme Seydoux</span> (Co-President of Pathé Films), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jean-Jacques Annaud</span> (Film Festival “Godfather”) and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Deanna Gao</span> (Film Festival Founder and President).<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Butterfly Wu Tribute films</span>: (click on title to read summary): </li></ul><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090918_huedie/hudie2.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />September 29th, 2009<br />8.00 pm “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/spip.php?article103">The Twin Sisters</a> / Sœurs Jumelles 姊妹花</span>” (1933)<br /><br />October 1st, 2009<br />6.10 pm “<span style="font-weight: bold;">A Marriage Through Tears and Laughter / </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amours Prédestinés </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">啼笑姻缘</span>” (1932)<br />8.00 pm “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/spip.php?article105">The Dreams of Spring</a> / Rêves de Printemps 春之梦</span>” (1946)<br /><br />October 2nd, 2009<br />6.00 pm “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/spip.php?article105">The Divine</a> / Le Fard et les Larmes 胭脂泪</span>” a.k.a. “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rouge Tears</span>” (1938)<br />8.10 pm “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/spip.php?article105">The March of Tenderness</a> / Le Marché de la Tendresse 脂粉市场</span>” (1933)<br /><br />October 3rd , 2009<br />4.40 pm “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Destins de Femmes / A Bible for Daughters 女儿经</span>” a.k.a. “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bible for Girls</span>” (1934)<br /><br />This is the very first time these extremely rare prints will be shown outside of China, so don’t miss this amazing opportunity!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Festival’s Websit</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">e</span>: <a href="http://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">French</a> - <a href="http://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/?lang=en" style="font-weight: bold;">English</a> - <a href="http://www.festivalducinemachinoisdeparis.com/?lang=zh" style="font-weight: bold;">Chinese</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Other Link</span>: <a href="http://www.chinesemirror.com/index/2007/02/empress_butterf.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Empress Butterfly: Hu Die (The Chinese Mirror) </a></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-66798653792147372782009-09-16T14:32:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.478-07:00CANDACE KITA INTERVIEW PART 1: HOLLYWOOD HOTTIE<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-XB-TqgC4wDejOKK5CatD2ey02pdDa7NtkVmk18fjnzJFnamrYiJAbnvpj-mKBmZWgl5-p_mfwhHlGfF0a7n77cS3YAhsIPbTP1LSvHRiUIbhpAAMW2PXwrh-2OrKlWLA4SmKvFJRa4/s1600/candace1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-XB-TqgC4wDejOKK5CatD2ey02pdDa7NtkVmk18fjnzJFnamrYiJAbnvpj-mKBmZWgl5-p_mfwhHlGfF0a7n77cS3YAhsIPbTP1LSvHRiUIbhpAAMW2PXwrh-2OrKlWLA4SmKvFJRa4/s1600/candace1.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace01.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />After playing an American housewife turned Super Villainess in the Fox Kids television show “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Masked Rider</span>” while still a teenager, actress and model <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.candacekita.com/">Candace Kita</a> </span>quickly moved on to sexier characters in movies (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Barb Wire</span>”, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">I now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry</span>”) and television (“C<span style="font-weight: bold;">omplete Savages</span>”, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Son of the Beach</span>”, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Two and a Half Men</span>”, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nip/Tuck</span>”). </div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Candace is also a women’s safety advocate and created a weekly radio show in L.A. called <a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hottie Help with Candace Kita</span></a> in October 2008. This year she will publish <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Hottie Handbook: A Girl's Guide to Safety</span>. She also recently inspired an action comic book, <a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kyu-Shin</span></a>, closed a deal with iPhone, is appearing in a 2010 calendar and is launching a cosmetics line for Asian women. Before you read about Candace’s future projects, please enjoy this first part of her interview in which she discusses her modeling and acting careers….</div><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace02.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: Kita is not your real last name. Why did you change it?</span><br /><br />Candace Kita: I changed my last name several years ago after “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Masked Rider</span>” when I joined a new agency. People at the agency thought <span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Bender</span> (my real name) varied by only a few letters to the actress <span style="font-weight: bold;">Candice Bergen</span>. So it was changed on their advice. Kita means "north" in Japanese. Many times actors change their names because their real names are too close or exactly the same to someone who is already famous. Funny, huh?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikerollerson/" target="new"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace03.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You are Japanese-American. Were you born in Japan or in the US?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I was born in the United States and was raised all over including California, Texas, Florida, Belgium and England.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you speak Japanese?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I speak very little Japanese unfortunately. I was primarily raised in areas where there weren’t a lot of Japanese-speaking people and didn’t have the opportunity to go to Japanese school on the weekends like a lot of Japanese Americans. Sometimes I watch the Japanese soaps and game shows on TV and can sort of make out what is going on.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How often do you go to Japan?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I’ve actually only been to Japan once; it was a great experience and one of my goals is to go back very soon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How long did you live in Belgium and England before moving to Texas?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I was in England for two years and I was in Belgium for a year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Why did you choose to study philosophy and religion in college?</span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace04.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I have always been interested in philosophy. Where I went to school, the philosophy and religion departments were tied together so I ended up double majoring in both. I also have an equivalent to an art minor. After college I pursued a Master’s degree in sociology. But I am lacking my thesis because I got bitten by the acting bug and quit to pursue a career in the dramatic arts.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You started your artistic activities as a flautist. When was that?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I started playing the flute when I was 11 years old. I love music and was interested in a woodwind instrument in particular. I ended up playing in the <a href="http://palmbeachsymphony.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Palm Beach Symphony Orchestra</span></a> and had many wonderful experiences because of it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You also studied sign language. When and why?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I studied American Sign Language in college because I had always been interested in it as a language. It is a conceptual language and the signs really correspond to their meaning. Because of this, I felt like it would be an easy language to pick up. It has actually really helped in acting as I’ve booked quite a few roles doing sign language over the years. I can be seen doing sign language in the movie “<span style="font-weight: bold;">VIP</span>” with <a href="http://www.pamelaanderson.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pamela Anderson</span></a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you get the opportunity to start modeling?</span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace05.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: One day I walked into a hair salon with a girlfriend of mine. She was going to get her haircut and I was just along for the ride. I have very long hair and was sitting in the foyer waiting for her. The owner of the salon asked if I would appear in an advertisement for the salon. That was my first job and it sort of went from there. I didn’t initially pursue it at all, but opportunities began to present themselves when I was out and about. I was eventually with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wilhelmina Agency</span> in Los Angeles for five years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What did you learn from the agency? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I learned the importance of keeping your book fresh with new pictures all of the time. It is really important to shoot often to get new looks. And it is important to build good relations with clients so they will ask you back each year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What kind of work did they give you? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I had campaigns for <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Nordstrom</a>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Marshall Fields</span>, <a href="http://www.neimanmarcus.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Neiman Marcus</a>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Little Book</span>, <a href="http://www.xoxo.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">XOXO</a>, <a href="http://www.diesel.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Diesel</a>, <a href="http://www.chineselaundry.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Chinese Laundry</a>, <a href="http://www.brighton.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Brighton Shoes and Accessories</a>,<a href="http://www.lifestride.com/"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Life Stride</span></a>. These and others were my main clients that I worked with each year.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candacead.jpg" /></center><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When and how did you make the transition into acting? And where did you study?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: Modeling opportunities may have presented themselves to me, but beginning to act was a concerted effort. I first had to move to Los Angeles in the 90’s and then began pounding the pavement just like every other actor out there. I have always had a private coach whom I’ve worked with for years and hire him for every theatrical audition. But I’ve also studied with some great commercial and theatrical teachers in Los Angeles. Most recently, I’m taking a comedy class that will begin next month. So it is never-ending studying in a nutshell.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you move to L.A. specifically to become an actress? </span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace06.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: Yes, I moved to L.A. with the express interest in being an actor. Good thing I didn't know how difficult it would be until I got here or I might have never moved!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Your first movie appearance was in the 1991 film “Stealth Hunters”. How did this opportunity happen? Were you still living in Texas at that time?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: Yes, this is a great question. Sometimes things literally fall into your lap. I was living in Texas at the time and was in graduate school. A friend of mine was a special effects makeup artist and considered the best in Texas. His friend did all of the special effects weaponry on “<a href="http://www.robocop.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Robocop</span></a>” which was filmed in Dallas. He had a friend who was directing a film and needed a newscaster. I came in and got the part. Ironically, they changed the end of the film at the last minute and I got cut out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How easy or difficult is it to work with the right people when you’re a beginner? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I was lucky; within two weeks of moving to L.A. I had both a commercial and theatrical agent. But I also didn't sit around either. I immediately found a bookstore that catered to actors, found an agent and managers book, and made over 80 submissions by mail. I'll never forget. I received calls within a week and had met with over twelve agencies within the next two weeks, and chose my agent and manager then.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: "Masked Rider" was your first major role. How did you get the part?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I auditioned five times for the part. This took place over the course of a month. Usually you find out quickly if you’ve landed a role. For this part, every time I went to a callback, I thought that was it and moved on. Then, a week later, I’d get a call to go back again. I was much younger than the role so at first this was a problem for them. At the 4th audition, they paired me up with a few people to see who I looked right with. And the 5th I finally went to network. And after I got the part they had me come in a few times so hair and makeup could play with my look to get it just right for actual shooting.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace07.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Saban</span>'s "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mask Rider</span>" (1995)<br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you describe your character in "Masked Rider"?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: My character, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbara Stewart</span>, was married to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hal Stewart.</span> They were the typical American couple, but I was Asian and we had two adopted children, one Caucasian and one African American. We were FOX-KIDS’ first multi-racial family. Our family adopts another son who is from a far-away planet. We don’t know this and all sorts of funny things start to happen because of this. My character was kidnapped to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spider Base</span> in outer space and becomes a villain, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbaria</span>. She then fights the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Masked Rider</span>.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace08.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> as <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbaria</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mask Rider</span>" (1995)<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: After playing the calm, soft, typical housewife Barbara, you go to the dark side as Barbaria. It seems that you had <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SceqDB0eaNY">a lot of fun playing the bad girl</a>. How did you prepare yourself to play Barbaria? </span></div></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace09.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbara Stewart</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbaria</span> are two completely different characters, to say the least. I basically prepared myself by getting into the costume. I remember a quote from <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jimmy Stewart</span>; he said if he got into the shoes of his character he would become the person. Getting into the costume, which is quite elaborate, helped immensely. Also, as a sidenote, becoming <span style="font-weight: bold;">Barbara Stewart</span> was no easy task either. I don't look like Barbara, and was always the first one in the makeup chair at 5:45 a.m. each day. It involved heavy makeup and a laquered hairdo. It looked very simple on camera, but was actually not. A few times we rehearsed a scene early on set before going into makeup. The crew with whom I had worked for over a year did not recognize me.</div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />FA: “Masked Rider” is basically an Americanized version of "Kamen Rider", right?<br /><br /></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace13.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />CK: Yes, the American version took pre-existing footage of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Kamen Rider</span>” in Japan and used it in the new series here in the States. We did three seasons and 40 episodes, including one episode, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ferbus’ First Christmas</span>”, that won the <a href="http://www.filmadvisoryboard.org/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Film Advisory Board Award for Excellence</span></a> in Portraying Family Values. The concept was basically an alien from a distant planet, Edenoi, is marooned on earth. While on earth, he is adopted by a kind family, the Stewarts, and learns about life on earth while fighting the evil Count Dregon and his minions. The villains were great on the show and were my favorite to watch.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Were you familiar with "Kamen Rider" before working on "Masked Rider"?</span><br /><br />CK: No I was not, and researched as soon as I was told I got the part. It is funny, last July I was a guest at <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comicon, San Diego</span></a>. When I was there I was introduced to the director and producer of the new “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Masked Rider”</span> series. Many of the cast members in the new show had also not heard of “Masked Rider” and did the exact same thing I did as soon as they found out they got the part!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Other than “Masked Rider”, you also appeared regularly in two other TV series between 2001 and 2004...<br /><br /></span>CK: Yes, I was a series recurring in a show for <a href="http://abc.go.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ABC</span></a> called “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete Savages</span>”. I play <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mel Gibson</span>’s girlfriend, Misty, and die a funny death in three episodes. It is the only time <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mel Gibson</span> has acted on American television. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candacemel2.jpg" /></center></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mel Gibson</span>: Two Misty's deaths in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete Savages</span>" (2004)</span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />FA: You and Mel Gibson did some hilarious <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqFPlKCCHZo">spoof safety videos</a> for the series. Four years later you have your own radio show about safety, Hottie Help. Is this a coincidence?<br /><br /></span>CK: I know; it is funny. I realized that a while back too. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mel Gibson</span> was executive producer of the series so he would cameo as<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Officer Steve Cox</span>. Each week I died an unusual death like <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kenny</span> in “<a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">South Park</span></a>”. So it is ironic. Mel and I actually spoke about people behaving inappropriately, but little did I know I'd write a book about it.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candacemel1.jpg" /></center></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mel </span>&<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace </span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete Savages</span>" (2004 - Episode: "Thanksgiving with the Savages")</span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />FA: How did you meet Mel Gibson for the first time, and how was it to work with the star of “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkriid1YxHY">Mad Max</a>”, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4kxZIMOO0A">Lethal Weapon</a>”, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZCbPbJnxNY">Braveheart</a>” and </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnou6Lftfok">Payback</a>”</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">?<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: Mel is a super nice, easy going, energetic person. He has more energy than almost any other person I have met. I met him the first day on set and he was full of life and made me laugh. He is actually known for being a prankster on set. He had me put on fake chest hair in the makeup department once for fun. Then in rehearsals for the hot tub scene, he told me to very casually take off my robe and get into the tub with him. The crew was so shocked for a moment no one said anything. Then, they all burst out laughing.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace10.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace </span>& <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mel</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete Savages</span>" (2004 - Episode: "Hot Water")</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Your “Complete Savages” safety videos are hilarious! They should have appeared more often!<br /><br /></span>CK: Mel had plans for many more episodes with me, but the series was cancelled. His next episode involved me getting attacked by giant ants at a picnic. That would have been super! And another episode where <span style="font-weight: bold;">Officer Steve Cox</span> has flashbacks and imagines me in a rice patty with a gun and huge bamboo hat on. I told him that was too stereotypical and I didn't think it would make it on air. Haha. I was also a regular on “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Son-Beach-Vol-Timothy-Stack/dp/B00008AOTD"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Son of the Beach</span></a>” - a spoof of “<a href="http://www.baywatch.com/">Baywatch</a>” - on FX. I did five episodes with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Stack</span>.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candacesob.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Son of the Beach</span>" (2001 - Episode: "Rod Strikes Back")</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: In the beginning of your acting career, you appeared briefly in the great erotic thriller “Wild Side” starring Christopher Walken, Anne Heche, Joan Chen and Steven Bauer...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: My part was cut out of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Wild Side</span>” although I appear in the credits.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Actually, you appear in the 110-minute director's cut of "Wild Side"! I read that the movie was taken from director Donald Cammel and was cut by the studio. He was so upset that he committed suicide. Four years later in 2000, the original editor restored it and made the director's cut available on DVD (Tartan UK). Did you know about that?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: How funny, I was cut out of one version and not the other! Yes, I knew about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K7J6c5u5tg"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Donald Cammel</span></a> committing suicide a few years after the fact. I knew his wife, <span style="font-weight: bold;">China Kong</span>, and felt badly for her afterwards. I don't know what she is doing now as it has been several years. Donald co-directed a very good movie starring <a href="http://www.mickjagger.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mick Jagger</span> </a>in 1970, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFxfn3LakeM"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Performance</span></a>”.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candacews.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Christopher Waken</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anne Heche</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Wild Side</span>" (1996)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You’re very funny <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8b3Im9iAdo">as a prison convict</a> in an episode of "Pepper Dennis" with Rebecca Romijn. What was it like shooting?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: It was interesting because we shot for one week in a real women's correctional facility in Los Angeles; it was high security and very interesting being in a real jail. Haha. We wore the real orange jumpsuits and were in tiny 9 x 12' cells. It made me realize you really don't want to ever go to jail; the food is just terrible!<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candacedennis.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Rebecca Rominj</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pepper Denis</span>" (2006)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You’re going to be in the very last episode of "<a href="http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/niptuck/">Nip/Tuck</a>". Can you tell me more about it?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: I am only allowed to say that I am a guest star on the final episode of “<a href="http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/niptuck/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nip/Tuck”</span></a>. This is the very last show of the entire series, not season, and will show sometime in 2010. They said it is a "cheeky" ending to a "cheeky" series. I had actually never seen an episode until after I got the part. It is a very tongue-in-cheek show. The cast is great and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Famke Janssen</span> (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">X-Men</span>”) also has a role in the series finale.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candaceniptuck.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Nip/Tuck</span>" (2009)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have you always had full control of your image as a model and actress? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">CK</span>: No and this is something that is difficult. Sometimes it is very difficult to control your image. I suggest to new models to always read the contract carefully; take the time to read it fully. And if you have any questions, ask.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">End of part 1. Coming soon: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita: The Hottie Helper</span>. In this second and final part of her interview, Candace will talk about her women’s safety radio show, <a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hottie Help with Candace Kita</span></a>; her charity work with <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotties-with-a-Heart/53064153438">Hotties with a Heart</a></span>; the <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Comic Con</span></a>; the action fantasy comic book<span style="font-weight: bold;"> <a href="http://www.scaretactixgraphix.com/kyushin.html">Kyu-shin</a></span>, and her many other new projects! </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace12.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">More <a href="http://www.candacekita.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita</span></a>'s photos by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikerollerson/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mike Rollerson</span> on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Flikr</span></a></span></div><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090916_candace1/candace11.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />Interview conducted by <a href="http://fredambroisine.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine</span></a> in July/August 2009 and edited by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/achillesgirl"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sylvia Rorem</span></a> in September 2009 for <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/">ActionQueens.com</a>. </span>Thanks to<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Mike Rollerson & </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Candace Kita.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.candacekita.com/">Candace Kita Official Website</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.alivenotdead.com/candacekita">Candace's Blog (AliveNotDead)</a><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.twitter.com/candacekitapr">Follow Candace on Twitter</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candace-Kita/63207062816">Candace Kita on Facebook</a> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/therealcandacekita">Friend Candace on My Space</a> </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/CandaceKita">Candace’s videos on Youtube</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/MikeRollerson">Mike Rollerson photos on Flickr</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.latalkradio.com/Candace.php">Hottie Help Poscast (LA Talk Radio)</a><br /></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/hottiehelp"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hottie Help on MySpace</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=31012442290">Hottie Help on FaceBook</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hotties-with-a-Heart/53064153438">Hotties with a ♥ on FaceBook</a><br /></span></div></div><br /><br /><center><br /><br /></center></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-38660551270940804972009-09-14T15:53:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.478-07:00THE ABSURD FESTIVAL: WARRIORS, CANNIBALS, GANGSTERS, ALIENS, PSYCHOS & ACTION QUEENS!!<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img style="margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; float: right; width: 260px;" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/children.jpg" alt="" border="0" /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Action Queens.com</span></a> is proud to announce its first official partnership with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Absurde Séance</span>!<br /><br />Premieres, unreleased films, rare jewels, curiosities, extreme flicks and improbable z-movies: all of this in a festive atmosphere for an audience who wants a taste of <span style="font-style: italic;">something different</span>…<br /><br />The Nantes organization <span style="font-weight: bold;">Absurde Séance</span> has screened more than 350 movies in the last decade. To celebrate its 10-year Anniversary, A<span style="font-weight: bold;">bsurde Séance</span> presents the 4-day <span style="font-weight: bold;">Absurd Film Festival September 23rd</span>-26th, 2009! Marc Caro (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Dante 101</span>”), Titof (the pornstar!) and Olivier Bach (DVD distributor and producer of Greg Morin’s French zombie short “<a href="http://www.myspace.com/frenchzombie"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paris by Night of the Living Dead</span></a>”) will be attending!!<br /><br />If you love Really Good Bad-Ass movies or movies So Bad They’re Good, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Absurd Festival </span>guarantees a Really Good Time!!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/absurdefestival2009.jpg" /></center><br />Among the 14 movies to be shown, three are 70’s & 80’s classics: Don Coscarelli’s sword-and-sorcery fantasy “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Beastmaster</span>” (1982) starring Marc Singer (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">V</span>”) and Tanya Roberts (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Sheena</span>”); the 1979 Japanese space-travel sci-fi action film “<span style="font-weight: bold;">G.I. Samurai</span>” (granddaddy of the 2005 remake “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Samurai Commando Mission 1549”</span>) starring Sonny Shiba (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Streetfighter</span>”); and the rare Italian nunsploitation flick directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Flavia The Heretic</span>” (1974).<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/flavia.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Gianfranco Mingozzi's “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Flavia The Heretic</span>” (1974)<br /></span></div><br />2008-09 movies will include the French premiere of Tom Shankland’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Children</span>” - Possessed children turn against their parents on Christmas vacation! (French release: Oct. 21st, 2009).<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/childrenposter.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Tom Shankland’s “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >The Children</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2008)<br /></span></div><br />September 23, Opening day: The Absurd Festival will screen Chris Stapp’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">he Devil Dared Me To</span>”, a film about a New Zealander trying to become the greatest living stuntman; and Martin Weisz’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Grimm Love</span>”, the story of a student obsessed with cannibalism.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/devilgrimm.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Chris Stapp’s “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >he Devil Dared Me To</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2007) & Martin Weisz’s “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Grimm Love</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2006)</span><br /></div><br />These two films will be followed by Fantastic Night, a four-film all-night show starting at 10.30 pm!!<br /><br />The Fantastic Night film line up:<br /><br />John Harris’s claustrophobic monster horror film “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Descent 2</span>” - see "<a href="http://fredambroisine.com/2009/08/descent-2-blood-and-monsters-shit.html">The Descent 2" : Blood and (Monsters) Shit</a>.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/descent2.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">John Harris's “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >The Descent 2</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2009)</span><br /></div><br />Paul Solet’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Grace</span>”: After a terrible accident, a woman decices to give birth to her supposedly dead baby!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/grace.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Paul Solet’s “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Grace</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2009)<br /></span></div><br />Brett Leonard’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Feed</span>”, a 2005 thriller about a psycho who feeds fat women to death. Censorship was heavy on this movie in the U.S.; don’t miss this rare opportunity to see the uncut Australian version!!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/feed.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Brett Leonard’s “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Feed</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2005)<br /><br /></span></div>Jake West’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Evil Aliens</span>”, a UK sci-fi horror comedy à la “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bad Taste</span>” and “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Evil Dead”</span>.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/evilaliens.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Jake West’s “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Evil Aliens</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2005)</span><br /></div><br />Also showing:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img style="margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; float: left; width: 260px;" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/ladyblood.jpg" alt="" border="0" />Released in August 2008, Jean-Marc Vincent’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Lady Blood</span>”, starring Emmanuelle Escourrou, is the surprising sequel to Alain Robak’s 1993 “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Baby Blood</span>” (a.k.a. “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Evil Within</span>”). Released in France this August, Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">20th Century Boys - Chapter 2</span>”, adapted from Naoki Urasawa sci-fi mystery manga, is back! The movie takes place 15 years after Chapter One although both movies were made at the same time. The third part of this ambitious trilogy will be released in Japan at the end of 2009.<br /><br />And finally, two great movies screened at the 15th <span style="font-weight: bold;">L’Etrange Festival</span> in Paris will premiere in Nantes at <span style="font-weight: bold;">L’Absurde Festival</span>: “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Breathless</span>” (Fantasia 2009 Best Picture and Best Actor). This brutal Korean drama marks the directorial debut of Yang Ik-June, who also happens to be screenwriter, producer, and star of the movie! Last but not least, the fantastic animation drama “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mary & Max”</span> (featuring the voices of Toni Colette, Eric Bana and Philip Seymour Hoffman) is one of the most moving films ever made about friendship.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_absurdseance/breathlessmary.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Yang Ik-June's “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Breathless</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2009) and Adam Elliot's “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >Mary & Max”</span><span style="font-size:85%;"> (2009)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FESTIVAL ABSURDE SÉANCE NANTES 2009 (Sept. 23th – 26th, 2009)</span><br />More information about the festival here: <a href="http://www.absurdeseance.fr/">www.absurdeseance.fr</a> (French only).<br />Venue : Cinéma le Katorza, 3, rue Corneille, 44000 Nantes.<br /><br />Youtube trailers: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGEigptwPOU" target="new">"The Beastmaster" (2:12)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeZvK0MdJbA" target="new">"G.I. Samurai" (3:20) </a>- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biQNxtK3KFs" target="new">"Breathless" (2:01)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgRjB8PEDkM" target="new">"Mary & Max" (2:05)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvU5vv7ljYQ" target="new">"Lady Blood" (1:33)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWfKJvv9jzs" target="new">"20th Century Boys Chapter 2" (2:13)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91umuPYc6Nc" target="new">"Evil Aliens" (2:00)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDrQKG1JmJY" target="new">"Feed" (1:19)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXSaViAZsq8" target="new">"Grace" (2:24) </a>- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sks5Cjiqc8o" target="new">"The Descent 2" (2:43)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPEafcIYubk" target="new">"The Devil Dard Me To" (1:37)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_w5ptSLvNU" target="new">"Grimm Love" (2:11) </a>- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QarHjHbjiFE" target="new">"Flavia The Heretic" (1:32)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOrcIyvW5Rk" target="new">"The Children" (1:28)</a><br /><br /><center><img style="width: 520px;" src="http://cine-serie-tv.portail.free.fr/critiques-de-films/21-08-2009/the-children/the_children_15.jpg" /></center><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Tom Shankland’s “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >The Children</span><span style="font-size:85%;">” (2008)</span><br /></div><br />NB: Weekly Screenings at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Nouveau Latina</span> in Paris start on September 19th, 2009. On the evening of the 19th at exactly midnight, director <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tom Shankland</span> will personally introduce his movie “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Children</span>”!! (see <a href="http://www.myspace.fr/absurdeseance"><span style="font-weight: bold;">L'Absurde Séance on MySpace</span></a>)<br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-35959823970606740572009-09-12T16:13:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.478-07:00MAGGIE Q: THE "NAKED WEAPON" INTERVIEW<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrStKm__ak0JeRiNMhltUet8V_nAFEUnOVsgl5cjvMuq29K4LW53Cw5DaQCThF_-PzSAYDXEIrwjqOT7LRHrvUNRCSogZbmvct4ntEklC9Deo8Vze2yxwbDyqyktzJMRzXX1vaoXypANc/s1600/maggienaked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrStKm__ak0JeRiNMhltUet8V_nAFEUnOVsgl5cjvMuq29K4LW53Cw5DaQCThF_-PzSAYDXEIrwjqOT7LRHrvUNRCSogZbmvct4ntEklC9Deo8Vze2yxwbDyqyktzJMRzXX1vaoXypANc/s1600/maggienaked.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon00.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />While “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>” may not be the greatest movie ever made, it nevertheless made a deep impression on Hong Kong audiences and, perhaps more importantly, gave Maggie Q her first major acting role. Directed by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching Siu-Tung</span> (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">A Chinese Ghost Story</span>”, “S<span style="font-weight: bold;">wordsman II</span>”) and produced/written by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wong Jing</span> (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Killer</span>”), “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>” mixes Hollywood high-tech blockbuster with Hong Kong style <span style="font-style: italic;">exploitaction</span> and is the movie that showcased Maggie Q’s talent and kickstarted her international career.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This is the second part of a pre-Hollywood Maggie Q interview done in 2004, two years after the Hong Kong theatrical release of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>”. Parts of the following interview can be found on the “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>” French CTV International DVD (the 20-minute documentary entitled “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Maggie Q & A</span>” - in English with French subtitles) released since <a href="http://www.amazon.fr/Naked-Weapon-Maggie-Q/dp/B000OY6II0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1252797748&sr=8-3">June 2007</a> (1). The full “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>” interview with Maggie Q is now published for the first time on the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/">Action Queens</a> </span>website! Enjoy...</div><br /></div><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon01.jpg" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine : How did you get involved in “Naked Weapon”? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon02.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maggie Q</span>: Hmm, it was actually <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4275&display_set=eng">Wong Jing</a> </span>who first came to me with the script. I didn’t like the script when I got it. I hated it, I literally felt like, “It’s out the window.” And then what happened was, I didn’t want to work on a project that included the kind of content that it had at that time. So <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4275&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wong Jing</span></a> went to <a href="http://www.mediaasia.com/home.php?locale=en" style="font-weight: bold;">Media Asia</a> and said “Look, we want to do this movie; you guys should produce it.” <a href="http://www.mediaasia.com/home.php?locale=en"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Media Asia</span> </a>agreed to do it. And because I signed with them as a company, it was a very smart move on <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4275&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wong Jing</span></a>’s part (laughs). I had a certain amount of films I had to complete for my contract, and I told <a href="http://www.mediaasia.com/home.php?locale=en"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Media Asia</span> </a>what I thought of the script: “Look, I don’t like it, and I know I have to do films for you but I don’t like the script, and unless it’s gonna change, I’m not doing it.” They said, “Okay, let’s talk.” I have to tell you, it wasn’t really fighting, but there was a lot of discussion before I would actually take the film. I felt that the premise of the film was really good, but it went off on certain tangents that were unnecessary. So we went through a lot of negotiation and months of changing the script, rewriting and redoing the concept, and when it was done I finally agreed to take the script annd we ending up doing it. In the end, I’m really happy I did it because I have a lot of respect for the director. We got on really well, and he pushed me really far. He pushed me further than a lot of people have done. It was difficult, but at the end of the day you’re very pleased that it happened.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maggie Q</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>" (2002)<br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What was it like working with <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4379&display_set=eng">Ching Siu-tung</a>?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> If you know anything about Hong Kong films, you know he has a reputation as the toughest action director in Asia. It was very tough on the set. He was always very tough on me. It was difficult for me to ever back down because I knew there were things that were not possible for me to do. But it’s almost as if he believed in me more than I believed in myself. And because he did, I was able to do things that I never though I would accomplish in an action film. And I’m happy about that. I’m so grateful to him.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tony Ching Siu-tung & Maggie Q</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>"</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What about the things in the script that you didn’t like and that you wanted changed? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon05.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> We changed a lot of things that I didn’t like. There was only one thing that they kept that I did not like. You can’t win them all, I have to say. I would say I got 80% of what I wanted removed from the script, and I had to compromise on the other 20%. Which I understand. I’m not completely happy with the film. There are things I wish they would have re-edited. But as far as the action goes, and as far as the drama goes… it’s always difficult to put drama into an action film. It’s a very fine line. Sometimes it can be very tacky; sometimes it can be very good. It really depends on being able to balance it correctly. I think <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4379&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching Siu-tung</span></a> did a good job; he’s not used to directing drama and action together, so it was okay!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you practice martial arts before you made this movie? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon06.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> The funny thing about Hong Kong movies is that there are two things we don’t have: time and money (laughs). So when a production is going to go, they’re gonna go right away, they don’t want to waste any more money. Which is smart, but it’s difficult for us actors sometimes. Because, I mean, you need time; there is a process. Especially with action: you’re gonna need time to go over it with the choregraphers, and I never got that time. I mean, when I took the film we started production a week later, and that same week I was finishing up another project. And boom, I just went right into working with the toughest action director in Asia and doing some of the toughest sequences I’ve ever done in my life! It was very difficult, I have to tell you. On my down time, when I was not onscreen, I was working it out, trying to get it down, going through it with the action choreographer and my stuntwomen, and all those kinds of things. It was completely exhausting; I never had a moment to rest because I was always worried about my action on screen. <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4379&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching Siu-tung</span></a> never wanted doubles to jump in front of me because I was the star of the film. He’d say, “I want to show your face. I want to show people that this is you, this is what you’re doing, and this is what we’ve turned you into. That’s gonna make me proud. I don’t want doubles, I want Maggie.” And I was like, “Jesus!” (She laughes and makes the sign of the cross). It was an honor for me that he thought I was so capable, but for me it was terrifying. I really wish I had time to do more training. If I did, it would probably have been even better. But I think, considering the limited amount of time and money we had, and the lack of experience and all these things, it came out really well.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon07.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching Siu-tung</span>'s "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>" (2002)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you discover that you had any special skills during your training for “Naked Weapon”? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> I did actually. To be honest, before I started training in this way, I was the most inflexible person you could ever meet in your life. I was an athlete, so I was strong. I was a runner and a swimmer, and did things like that. Normally when you’re strong, you’re not usually flexible. You’re either one or the other. If you’re both, you’re pretty special! (laughs) I wasn’t. It is hard to pinpoint what you are good at. <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4379&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching Siu-tung </span></a>told me that normally, smaller movements make women look a lot better onscreen. But we found out when I was filming that bigger movements and very dramatic moves for some reason made me look better as a woman. So he started training me with the men instead of with the women. He wanted me to get the male techniques down instead of the female techniques because it was visually better for me. That was very strange because men are tougher (laughs). So it was quite a ride. There was not a night I went home when I wasn’t bruised from head to toe, or bleeding, or had lumps somewhere. It was like five months of boot camp!<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon08.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching Siu-tung</span>'s "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>" (2002)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you watch any previous Ching Siu-tung movies before or during the shooting?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ: </span><a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4379&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching Siu-tung </span></a>actually started out as an actor. He was an action actor for the <span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><a href="http://www.shaw.sg/sw_about.aspx"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shaw Brothers</span></a> back in the day. He did two movies which were very old and very funny. My friend, who is one of the Shaw’s sons, dug them out of the archives for me. I actually brought them to the set and played them for everybody, and he was so mad at me because he’s very shy about being known as an actor! He didn’t want anybody to know. He’s amazing; he is able to tell stories with his action. I love that.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon09.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tony Ching Siu-tung & Maggie Q</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>"</span></div><br />If you look at Hong Kong movies from 20-30 years ago, that’s what we were doing at that time: we were telling stories with movement. It was a very physical kind of storytelling. Hollywood is just now starting to catch on to that. And now everybody says “Oh it’s so special, look at “The Matrix”, look at this and that.” But in Hong Kong we were saying, “That’s not special. We’ve been doing that forever!” (laughs) I find it very interesting that people who have been around for so long, like <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=4379&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ching-Siu-tung</span></a>, are still able to reinvent themselves and tell new stories, modern stories. The kind of movies we make now are what they were making back then. It’s just a transition in their lives. It makes me really proud to be able to work with them because I’m working with a piece of history.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon12.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maggie Q</span> on the set of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>"</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What was this movie with Ching Siu-tung that you found?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ: </span>It’s called “<a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=5983&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Monkey Kung-Fu</span></a>”! (laughs) Oh, if you could get a hold of this movie! He actually looked a bit like Jackie when he was young. He’s a small guy and he moves very well. It was unbelievable. It was so nice to see that he’s been in front of the camera as well, so he knows how I feel. Even though he’s tough he knows how to empathize with actors. So I finally learned where that empathy came from.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Ching Siu-tung was also in the Shaw Brothers movie “Come Drink With Me” with <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=3257&display_set=eng">Cheng Pei-pei</a>, who plays your mother in “Naked Weapon”... </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> Yeah! But she didn’t get to do any action in “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>”, which is really unfortunate, because she’s the best! She was so mad at Ching Siu-tung on the set. She said, “Next time we work together, I’d better be fighting!” And he said “Okay, I promise, I promise!” (laughs). She was great in “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>”; I really liked her.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon10.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cheng Pei-pei </span>in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>"</span> (2002)</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Have you seen any of <a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/people/view.mhtml?id=3257&display_set=eng">Cheng Pei-pei</a>’s movies? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ: </span>Absolutely. I didn’t know who she was before “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=8937&display_set=eng">Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</a>”</span> because I was not a Hong Kong film buff. When I saw “<a href="http://hkmdb.com/db/movies/view.mhtml?id=8937&display_set=eng"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Crouching Tiger</span></a>” I asked, “Who is this woman?!” They told me she is from Hong Kong and she has daughters who are martial artists and I said, “Oh my goodness!!” I asked a friend of mine who is a producer to dig up her old stuff. He edited a bunch of stuff together for me to see. This woman blows my mind! The way she moves! She’s not a small woman: she’s tall and she’s substantial. It’s amazing, amazing. She’s great!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Most of the dialogue in “Naked Weapon” are in English. I guess this is for the international market? Who made this decision? </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon11.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ: </span>It was <a href="http://www.mediaasia.com/home.php?locale=en"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Media Asia.</span></a> This thing [exploitaction] was sort of catching on in the west, and they wanted to use new generation actors. You know, British-born Chinese, American-born Chinese, Canadian-born Chinese. All those people who are coming back to Hong Kong and are bilingual. They wanted to make a film that showed the international audience that we have talent here, and that we can also speak English, do action, and that we’re not confined to one genre. There is an eclectic mix of people that live in Hong Kong, and we’re able to make these sort of movies on a Western level without any budget. I mean, if you look at what we did with “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>” with the budget we had… people in the West would die if they knew how much we spent on that movie! It looks like a bigger movie because we made it look like a bigger movie. But it’s not a big movie (laughs). It’s amazing. I’m really proud of what we do in Hong Kong because we don’t have much, but we still get it done. And when you’ve worked in an industry like that, you can work anywhere.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What about the eroticism in the movie? Did you have any problems with the “hot” scenes?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon13.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> I didn’t have any problems with the love scenes or things like that because falling in love and being with people in that way is a natural part of life. So that wasn’t a very big problem, except logistically with what you can and cannot show. I did have a problem with some of the violation scenes. I knew what they were trying to do with it. I knew they were trying to prove what these girls had been through. But I thought the execution was not right. It really could have been edited out. Because if you don’t it execute it right, it doesn’t mean anything to the audience. It’s just gratuitous violence and sex. And that’s what I felt about it. I’ve never had too much of a problem with love scenes because I think love is a big big part of life, and it comes up in every single movie all the time. That wasn’t a big problem. The other stuff was very difficult for me.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon14.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Daniel Wu </span>&<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Maggie Q</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>" (2002)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What was your reaction when you saw “Naked Weapon” on the big screen?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> I hated seeing the entire movie onscreen! I went to the premiere and… I find myself sometimes looking away whenever I see myself onscreen. Because it’s very odd. And in addition to it being odd, you’re always your worse critic. In whatever business you do, you’re always the one that is hardest on yourself. You think, “maybe I should have done that, or maybe that wasn’t right…” But, when I saw it I thought, “You know, honestly, being in the movie and knowing the conditions we worked under, we really belted it out, didn’t we!” I was really surprised how it turned out because I knew how difficult it was to make. And when you watch it on screen, it doesn’t seem that way. I think that’s the magic of movie making: that we are fooling you guys (laughs). I think we were able to do that, and I was really happy. To be honest, I was most pleased with the action. The action is, to me, the highlight of the film and the thing I’m most proud of.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090913_nakedweapon/nakedweapon15.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Maggie Q</span> in "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>" (2002)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you have something to say to readers about to discover “Naked Weapon” and Maggie Q? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MQ:</span> Oh, my Goodness!!! (laughs) Oh God, I hate being put on the spot! Simply, I hope they will enjoy it. I really do. It was a tough film to make. It’s not the best, but look out for me! I’ll be coming out with bigger and better stuff soon!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Interview conducted in 2004 by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine </span>at The Drop (Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong)</span><span style="font-style: italic;">. Edited in September 2009 by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sylvia Rorem</span> for <a href="http://www.actionqueens.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">ActionQueens.com</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Antony Szeto</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Colette Koo</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bey Logan</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Laurence Ambroisine</span> & <span style="font-weight: bold;">Maggie Q</span>.</span><br /><br />(1) The French DVD of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Naked Weapon</span>” will be re-released in October 2009. The movie is also available in UK (Hong Kong Legends), Germany (Ascot Elite) and of course, Hong Kong (Mega Star)<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQvH3UX2pQ8">“Naked Weapon” UK trailer</a> (1:47)</li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3rzqUAe-Jw">“Naked Weapon” Hong Kong trailer – English version</a> (3:16)</li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r21jhcmktXY">“Naked Weapon” Hong Kong trailer – Cantonese version</a> (2:22) </li></ul></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/2009/07/maggie-q-pre-hollywood-interview-part-1.html"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/2009/maggieq.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><b>Maggie Q Pre-Hollywood Interview (Part 1)</b></span></a></center>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-45806870629760468932009-09-03T01:00:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.478-07:00“MARTYRS” JAPANESE THEATRICAL RELEASE: SOLD OUT IN TOKYO!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20cYPaN-3ysSaRtG6TSk_ejjrislYuRhw5ZUGG_2TfmZy9Wbu81VT1ZE-keyVoqZwhx32JrhGlc_C8n9SQc-Fn81YqycgPl5qdxos8z-JbWccRSAB2pn8nM9H4vvEBWJ3SekMjHu4NyE/s1600/martyrsmorjana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20cYPaN-3ysSaRtG6TSk_ejjrislYuRhw5ZUGG_2TfmZy9Wbu81VT1ZE-keyVoqZwhx32JrhGlc_C8n9SQc-Fn81YqycgPl5qdxos8z-JbWccRSAB2pn8nM9H4vvEBWJ3SekMjHu4NyE/s1600/martyrsmorjana.jpg" /></a>Released in France in September 2008, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pascal Laugier</span>'s disturbing second feature “<a href="http://www.martyrs-lefilm.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs</span></a>” (the story of a young woman who wants to take revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child) just officially hit the screens in Japan through the distribution company <a href="http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">King Records</span></a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090903_martyrs/martyrs01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090903_martyrs/martyrs01.jpg" style="height: 290px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 260px;" /></a></div>Five months after its screening at <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.tohotheater.jp/theater/roppongi/">Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills</a>,</span> during the <a href="http://www.unifrance.jp/festival/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">French Film Festival in Japan</span></a> last March, “<a href="http://www.martyrs-lefilm.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs</span></a>” was showed again in Tokyo on August 29, 2009 at the <a href="http://www.theater-n.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Theater N Shibuya</span></a> (THE cinema venue specializing in genre movies) and packed a full house. The last three spectators had to watch the movie standing!<br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">King Records</span></a>, the audience that night was a bit different from the usual horror film viewers: There were more women and the audience was more the "cinephile" type. After Tokyo, the movie will also be screened in other Japanese cities.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090903_martyrs/martyrs04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mylène Jampanoï</span> in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pascal Laugier</span>'s "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs</span>" (2008)</span></div><br />The “<a href="http://www.martyrs-lefilm.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs</span></a>” Japanese press-kit is <a href="http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/martyrs/">online at the distributor’s website</a>. Click on the picture below to see it (warning! Not for the faint-at-heart).<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/martyrs" target="new"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090903_martyrs/martyrs02.jpg" /></a></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Front cover of the Japanese press-kit of "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs</span>"</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></div>“<a href="http://www.martyrs-lefilm.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs</span></a>” is also available in France on DVD/Blu-ray through <a href="http://www.wildside.fr/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wild Side video</span></a> since March 3rd, 2009, and in the U.S. through <a href="http://weinsteinco.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Weinstein Company</span></a> since April 28th, 2009. It has been out in UK through <a href="http://www.optimumreleasing.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Optimum Home Entertainment</span></a> since May 25th, 2009.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090903_martyrs/martyrs03.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">"<span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs</span>" UK poster<br /><br /></span></div>You can also watch the unreleased short documentary “<a href="http://fredambroisine.com/videos/080903martyrsE.htm"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Martyrs vs Censorship</span></a>” featuring <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pascal Laugier</span> and the lead actress <span style="font-weight: bold;">Morjana El Alaoui</span> online by clicking on the picture below.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/videos/080903martyrsE.htm"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/player/martyrs.jpg" /></a></center>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-27313289397363621422009-09-01T01:00:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.479-07:00KATE FREUND INTERVIEW PART 2: COMEDY CENTERED<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb9wkjc3KLojqqqpMWZPBk3mSliTvsbN5xFxaBYqcZvv7FofQYCdWguDKBSTj3DjMQFFJgD_3Ilxt8rq8q9XrMUHUrMzDaf-mW1gGJYBAt9rMw_2hJuVVbKQiCuVd2XvTNON6ikli6FA/s1600/katefreund2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHb9wkjc3KLojqqqpMWZPBk3mSliTvsbN5xFxaBYqcZvv7FofQYCdWguDKBSTj3DjMQFFJgD_3Ilxt8rq8q9XrMUHUrMzDaf-mW1gGJYBAt9rMw_2hJuVVbKQiCuVd2XvTNON6ikli6FA/s1600/katefreund2.jpg" /></a></div>In the second and last part of her interview, D.I.Y. writer-director-actress <a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> talks about some of her great <a href="http://www.channel101.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Channel</span> </a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.channel101.com/">101</a> </span>(unhopefully) rejected shows, the TV series “<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”, <a href="http://www.steveagee.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Agee,</span></a> animation, music, and her new projects. Enjoy...</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund20.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: Five of the eleven shows that you did for Channel 101 have been successfully screened (“<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=192">Pussy Talk</a>”, “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234">Mega Bitch Meltdown</a>”, “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=334">The Day My Boyfriend Became</a>”, “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=339">Turdy Longbows</a>” and “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=356">The Vacationaires</a>”). What are the titles of the unselected six others shows, and where can they be seen? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span>: Oh the list of rejected shows. I made “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Astral Girl</span>”, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Cast or Kill</span>”, “<a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Manesia</span></a>”, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZnV5NWQX8g"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Enders of Love</span></a>”, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe-kr_hWcrk"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Death's Best Friend</span></a>” and “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMi46fsLQ_Q"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sushi Rocka</span></a>”. Some of them I put up on my youtube channel, some of them lives on tape never to see the light of day.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/annamanesia1.jpg" /></center><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> in "<a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Manesia</span></a>" (2007)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: “<a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/">Anna Manesia</a>” aired on <a href="http://www.vh1.com/">VH1 </a>in a TV program called <a href="http://fr.video.yahoo.com/watch/333166/2157767">Acceptable TV</a>. Can you tell me more about it ?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://fr.video.yahoo.com/watch/333166/2157767">Acceptable TV</a> </span>was a sketch series that ran on <a href="http://www.vh1.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">VH1</span></a> for one season. Each week an internet audience would pick a user generated short that they wanted to see on TV. “<a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Manesia</span></a>” was selected to play in the first episode. The plot for “<a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Manesia</span></a>” revolves around a girl (played by <a href="http://www.amyroiland.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amy Roiland</span></a>) who gets hit by a car and looses her memory. Instead of taking her to the hospital my character tells her she is a robot and forces her into slavery.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/annamanesia2.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.amyroiland.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Amy Roiland</span></a> as Anna in "<a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Manesia</span></a>" (2007)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How many “Anna Manesia” episodes did you make?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/annamanesia3.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF:</span> I only made two episodes of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna</span>”. The second Episode I think I shot in a day on a whim.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9huIqyJKOZ0">Episode 2</a> can be seen on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/RobSchrab">Rob Schrab's Youtube channel</a>, but what happened to <a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/">episode 1</a>?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: For some reason, the first episode of<span style="font-weight: bold;"> “</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Manesia</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">”</span> was yanked down from Youtube. I need to re upload that, thanks for reminding me.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: In “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe-kr_hWcrk">Death’s Best Friend</a>”, you play... Death! Where did the idea come from?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/deathsbestfriend2.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />I was at the gym and I was thinking about what if you were like the angel of death and didn't know it and slowly all of your friends started dying off. The I thought, maybe it would be more interesting if it was this kinda nerdy, sweet girl who's best friend was actually death. I just loved the concept of someone saying they're death's best friend and then having it be literal. It is unfortunate that this show got rejected because I really liked <a href="http://www.blogger.com/Kelsy%20Abbott"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kelsy Abbott</span></a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/jdryznar" style="font-weight: bold;">JD Ryznar</a> in it.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/deathsbestfriend.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe-kr_hWcrk">Death’s Best Friend</a>”</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> artwork by Hedzo (2007)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: All the work you've directed are obviously personnal, but what is your most personnal work so far among all your shorts so far?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: I think, “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=334"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Day My Boyfriend Became</span></a>”. I was the most nervous about that project because I was the only girl on set. I was working with so many talented comedians and I was worried that they wouldn't think it was funny. I really tried to be as over prepared as possible and make the shoot go by quick. It's difficult when you are working with so many people, trying to direct and then act in scenes. I just wanted everyone to have a good time. I think that is the trick with actors. If they have fun the first time they work with you they will come back again.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund23.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">in “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=334"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Day My Boyfriend Became</span></a>” (2009)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you get involved in the </span>“<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”<span style="font-weight: bold;">? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/ssp.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />KF: I have the lovely, <a href="http://sarahsilvermanonline.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Silverman</span></a> to thank for casting me in her show. I just was in the right place at the right time and she thought of me.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you know her previous work like the movie “<a href="http://www.jesusismagicthemovie.com/">Jesus is Magic</a>”? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: I saw <span style="font-weight: bold;">“<a href="http://www.jesusismagicthemovie.com/">Jesus is Magic</a>” </span> in the theater and thought it was hysterical. I also remember her from “<span style="font-weight: bold;">There's Something About Mary</span>” and thought wow, this woman is funny. I’m really fortunate to get to be around her when she performs. Sarah is so fearless on stage. She’s really an inspiration because she’s a writer, a singer and can play the guitar. She’s a true entertainer in addition to being a pretty face.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund31.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://sarahsilvermanonline.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Silverman</span></a> and </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> in “<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Season 1 , Episode 3: Positively Negative)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you think “nasty humour” (“Borat”, “Sarah Silverman”...) is better accepted nowadays?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF:</span> I think people just want to laugh. “<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>” can be nasty or raunchy but it usually is juxtaposed with something sweet or tragic. I don’t know, the second you start analyzing why something is funny, it sorta looses its humor. For me, comedy is like a reflex test. When something is so funny, your body just reacts to it.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You played one character in Season 1 of </span>“<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">and another one in Season 2. How did that happen? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF:</span> Second season, I did the Margaret character at the table read. I was just subbing in, because they hadn't cast that character yet. When they cast <a href="http://twitter.com/CarrieAizley"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carrie Aizley</span></a>, they thought it would be funny if I was her minion because we had a similar haircut and coloring. I just got really lucky.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund24.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> and </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://twitter.com/CarrieAizley"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Carrie Aizley</span></a> on the set of “<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">(Season 2, Episode 1: "Bored of the Rings") - Photo by <a href="http://www.steveagee.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Agee</span></a></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA:Can you describe both of the characters that you played? </span>(<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo below from </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Season 1 , Episode 3</span></span>)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund32.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF: </span>First season, I played Whitney. She works for Sarah as an AIDS awareness volunteer. During a meeting, I say something that makes Sarah feel like I am challenging her authority and she fires me. I get her back in the end when I throw a tomato at her during a rally for AIDS.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Second season, I was cast as Margaret. She’s an uptight, Christian conservative with an extremist agenda. Sarah mistakes my character as an angry lesbian and doesn’t realize that I am helping Carrie’s character plan to blow up an abortion clinic. It was fun, I got to wear an ugly pair of ridiculously high-waisted pants and have a gun.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you follow the script 100%? Or did you add some personnal elements or improvise? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF: </span>The scripts are so funny that you don’t want to go off page. However it is a pretty loose set and they give you the opportunity to make the character your own.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you also work on the third season of </span>“<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”<span style="font-weight: bold;">?</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo below b<span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">y </span></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/">Kate Freund</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> - 2009</span>)</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/stevebrianballet.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />Yes, I cameo as a waitress who gives Sarah a dirty look when she finds out Sarah is a bed wetter. I also did the voice of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Stu the crab</span>. They are still shooting the third season. But so far, I have been a drug induced partier and a few weeks ago, I helped choreograph a dance piece between <a href="http://www.steveagee.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Agee</span></a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brianposehn"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brian Posehn</span></a>. Those two guys are so, so funny. I also contributed some T-shirt designs for Sarah to wear this season.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Steve Agee is best known now for his work on </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">“<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">, but you also collaborated with him before that on one of his 101 Channel shorts, “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=226">Just The Three Of Us</a>”. Can you tell me more about him? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: <a href="http://www.steveagee.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Agee</span></a> is an American comedian. He's hilarious and just an all around great guy. I've worked with a lot. He is the voice of Treenie from “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZnV5NWQX8g"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Enders of Love</span></a>”, he was in the VH1 version of “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/">Anna Manesia</a></span>”, and he did me a huge favor and actually is the tall monster in “<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234">Mega Bitch Meltdown</a></span>”. He's a great guy to have on set because he's funny and takes awesome pictures. This last year, I animated a teaser for his project he is doing with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/mattberrysmusic"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matt Berry</span></a>. Berry is an English comedian and the two of them write insulting songs about each other. It's pretty funny and the songs are really good.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund25.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://www.steveagee.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Steve Agee</span></a> and <a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a></span> <span style="font-size: 85%;">- Photo by Kate Freund</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You edit your own movies. Do you do this because you have no choice or because you like it? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: When it comes to editing, it’s too easy to pass it off to someone else. I have worked with director’s who have absolutely no vision or concept of what they are doing and the shoot is terrible but then they hand it off to an editor and they make it into something incredible. It’s really unfair, I feel like so many times, directors get the credit when the editor is responsible for making the film watchable. That being said, I never want to be at the mercy of an editor. When I was 22, I was producing an entertainment tonight like show called “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rough Cut LA</span>”...</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund26.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> in “</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Rough Cut LA</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">” (2005)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">...I was working with my editor and I wanted a series of fast, quick cuts that would flip back and forth between the inside of the club and the outside signage. The editor looked at me like I was an idiot. He said, “Um do you know how long and how many cuts you would need for it to flicker back and forth like that? I don’t have time to do that and besides it looks good already. I mean, I guess I could do it if you want but it will be a waste of time.” I felt stupid, so I said it was fine and we called it a night. I went home and was all bummed out. I told Rob what happened and he said, “It’s called a blink filter. You just slap it on the clip.” I was stunned. The editor just wanted to go home early. I never want to be in that position where I have to compromise what I am doing because I don’t know the software. From that day forward, I learned how to edit.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund27.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> in a Channy Special for the <a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=332"><span style="font-weight: bold;">2008 Channel 101 Awards</span></a></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You direct both animation and live-action films. Which one is more difficult to do? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: With animation, you have full control. If you forget to get a shot, you can just draw it up real quickly. I get more frustrated when I shoot live action. I work with a very small crew but even still the idea of a re-shoot because we forgot something always makes my stomach drop. Also with animation, you don't have to worry about locations, getting all your actors there at the same time, losing your daylight or weather conditions.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/endersoflove.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a>'s </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> “</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZnV5NWQX8g"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Enders of Love</span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">”</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Doing Animation requires time and patience. So you must actually be a very calm person, not at all like the characters that you’re usually playing?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF:</span> I drink a lot of caffeine when I'm animating. That helps me focus. My favorite tea is <span style="font-weight: bold;">Yerba Matte</span> when I'm animating. It's super strong but it doesn't make me feel like I'm having a heart attack. It's hard to be tethered to a computer for more then a few hours without getting distracted and start looking up crap online. Doing animation by yourself can be very lonely.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Are you working on Mac or PC? </span>(<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo below by <a href="http://www.matthewfreund.com/">Matt Freund</a></span>)</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund28.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF:</span> I'm a Mac girl. I use the MacBook Pro for editing and animation. The software I prefer is final cut and after effects. I'd love to learn Maya but I don't know when I would find the time. I have a habit of picking up too many hobbies.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When did you start to get involved in animation and special effects?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF:</span> Sevan Najarian mentored me with animation. I always enjoyed drawing little cartoons. My first cartoon was a music video for Rob’s birthday. It featured all of my friends dancing on a green screen to the song <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pretty in Pink</span>. I animated the singer. It’s so wonky but I still like that video. I followed that up with another animated music video for <a href="http://www.myspace.com/themagneticfields"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Magnetic Fields</span></a>. I just did it for fun, because I loved the song so much and was bummed there was no music video. I thought if I animate one, it would be a great opportunity for me to practice using after effects. Little did I realize, it's more difficult to sync up the mouths when there is music embedded in the vocal track. I couldn't scrub through the audio so I had to listen to the song over and over and over again just to get the mouth movements correct. It's really a testament to how great <a href="http://www.myspace.com/themagneticfields"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Magnetic Fields</span></a> are. I listened to that song probably close to a thousand times and still love it. It’s been pretty well received on youtube and has over 80,000 hits. The band even contacted me and thanked me for the video so that was beyond cool.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund30.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a>'s music video for </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">“</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">I Don't Want To Get Over You</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">” </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> (</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">The Magnetic Fields)</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: By the way, why did you choose to learn the banjo? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: I always wanted to play an instrument. I played drums very briefly in a band in college but then got kicked out. I was over at my friend Kevin's house and he had so many instruments on his walls. I saw the banjo hanging there and he let me borrow it. I think this was around 2004. My brother is super cool and for my birthday got me my banjo. Actually we just wrote a new song together titled, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg4h7ylqorw"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Damn You Woman</span></a>”. It's up on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/RobSchrab">Rob Schrab's youtube page</a>.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund29.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> in </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">“<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234">Mega Bitch Meltdown</a>” (2007)</span></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Who are your favorite music artists /bands? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: <a href="http://www.myspace.com/themagneticfields"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Magnetic Fields</span></a> obviously. I like <a href="http://www.myspace.com/themountaingoats"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Mountain Goats</span>,</a> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/teganandsara"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tegan and Sarah</span></a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brighteyes"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bright Eyes</span></a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/electriclightorchestra"><span style="font-weight: bold;">ELO</span></a>, <a href="http://www.johnlennon.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">John Lennon</span></a>, <a href="http://www.sweetadeline.net/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Elliot Smith</span></a>, <a href="http://www.buddyhollyonline.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Buddy Holly</span></a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/coconutrecords"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coconut Records</span></a> and I just started to listen to <a href="http://www.myspace.com/chadvangaalen"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Chad VanGaalen</span></a>. He is an animator and musician. I'm obsessed with his song "<a href="http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1707415/chad_vangaalen_molten_light/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Molten Light</span></a>".</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How do you split your time between your personal projects and your paid jobs? </span>(<span style="font-style: italic;">Photo below by <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=92">Sammy Primero</a></span> <span style="font-style: italic;">- 2009</span>)</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund21.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />KF: I don't have weekends. My creative projects are how I socialize. I usually hang out with the people who I like working with and we spend our time being creative instead of going to the beach or shopping.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Because you’re creating puppets and doing animation, do you ever think about making a </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">puppet </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">animation movie? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: I'd love to do that some day.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> FA: You just did a short horror? Can you tell me more about it? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Debbie</span>” is an experimental Horror Film. It's about a creature being held against her will and forced to listen to this agonizing voice that represents the disconnected upper class. It's a surreal torture film. What was interesting for me as a participant in the project was I was the body of the creature and also the voice of the tormentor. To be honest, I love playing monsters or creatures. I spent 6 hours completely blind for the “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Debbie</span>” shoot but loved every minute of it. “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Debbie</span>” is directed by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jonathon Sims</span>. I met him about 5 years ago when I cast a horror project. He just called me out of the blue and said:"Do you want to dress up in a Quinceniera dress and play a tortured blind creature? ". The short should be up online in September 2009.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090830_katefreund2/katefreund22.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> on the set of “</span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Debbie</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">” (2009) - Photos by <a href="http://www.vonswank.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Robin Von Swank</span></a></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What are your new projects? Your next projects? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">KF: Right now I'm working on a new cartoon, a pilot and a baby blanket for my sister.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Interview done in July/August 2009. Thanks to </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://katefreund.com/">Kate Freund</a>, <a href="http://www.matthewfreund.com/">Matt Freund</a>, <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=92">Sammy Primero</a>, </span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.vonswank.com/">Robin Von Swank</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">, Hedzo, <a href="http://www.channel101.com/">Channel 101</a> & <a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/">Comedy Central</a></span>. Check out the first part by clicking on the picture below.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/2009/08/kate-freund-interview-part-1-101.html"><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/2009/katefreund1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/2009/08/kate-freund-interview-part-1-101.html"><b>Kate Freund: The 101 Connection</b></a></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Some Kate Freund's streaming videos</span>:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">"Anna Manesia": <a href="http://revver.com/video/205049/anna-manesia/">Episode 1</a> - <a href="http://revver.com/video/251461/anna-manesia-episode-2/">Episode 2</a> - "Mega Bitch Meltdown": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vse4S-uulUI">Trailer</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmIfKMkJhC0">Episode 1</a> - "The Day My Boyfriend Became": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KpUAJQtAdM">Episode 1</a> - "Turdy Longbows": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEaPC3f03Gk">Episode 1</a> - "The Vacationaires": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNPapi9_biY">Episode 1</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-dYiZCCe9s">Episode 2</a> - "Pussy Talk": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8CwgcZQXU0">Episode 1</a> - "Water and Power: Miami": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htYgFEip9nQ">Episode 1</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJAVQ_Kky_M">Episode 2</a> - "Just the Three of Us": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOp_LZCyeyA">Episode 1</a> - "The Pop": <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cnP_l9EFxk">Episode 1</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfbpof2kPp0">Episode 2</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sod32tnwVBg">Episode 3</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4_iukR7M58">Kate Freund's Converse Ad</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp5eBxU248Y&feature=fvw">Magnetic Fields: I Don't Want To Get Over You</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMi46fsLQ_Q">"Sushi Rocka"</a> (Short) - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjWosj03k7A">"The Lonely Sink" </a>(Short) - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD601DfrSqI">Holiday Song </a>(Animation / Music Video)</div>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-14827763243805946292009-08-20T07:49:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.479-07:00JAMES BOND HEROINE OLGA KURYLENKO GOES BALLISTIC IN "KIROT"<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISXkUK-igPoWoRAW1hvLEFeNd56cUUxoHDzZQ4E5tQwhdFx2W8DY_HO-WtISDSB6MEy85-bVDJrB4MPul5mF0Dqs4z9-678EyLA2cjl9COm_RcqhLcF3lcvd9ALgQgPy4_ouYwWYHWNI/s1600/kirot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISXkUK-igPoWoRAW1hvLEFeNd56cUUxoHDzZQ4E5tQwhdFx2W8DY_HO-WtISDSB6MEy85-bVDJrB4MPul5mF0Dqs4z9-678EyLA2cjl9COm_RcqhLcF3lcvd9ALgQgPy4_ouYwWYHWNI/s1600/kirot.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090820_kirot/kirot1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />In “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Kirot</span>”, James Bond heroine <span style="font-weight: bold;">Olga Kurylenko</span> (“<span style="font-weight: bold;">Quantum of Solace</span>” and Neil Marshall's upcoming "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Centurion</span>") is Galia, an assassin from Ukraine living in Tel Aviv, who’s involved against her will with the local sex-traffic mafia.<br /><br />Away from her daughter who stayed in Ukraine, Galia wants to escape from her new employees after disobeying her latest contract. She will join forces with her neighbor Elinor (played by popular Israeli actress and pop rock singer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ninet Tayeb</span>) a battered wife who shares with her an adjoining wall, and who wants to fight as well for her freedom.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090820_kirot/kirot3.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Olga Kurylenko</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ninet Tayeb</span> in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Danny Lerner</span>'s "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Kirot</span>" (2009)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Procuded by veteran filmmaker <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ehud Bleiberg</span>, chairman of the L.A. based production and sales company <a href="http://www.bleibergent.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bleiberg Entertainment</span></a>, “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Kiro</span>t” (which means “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Walls</span>” in Hebrew), is the second feature film of Israeli director <span style="font-weight: bold;">Danny Lerner</span> after the acclaimed mystery drama “<a href="http://www.frozendays.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frozen Days</span></a>”. The movie will have its world premiere at the <span style="font-weight: bold;">2009 <a href="http://www.tiff.net/">Toronto International Film Festival</a></span> (September 10-19 2009) as the opening film for the new <a href="http://www.tiff.net/press?newsId=651"><span style="font-weight: bold;">City to City</span> </a>section, which shows this year 10 films from and about Tel Aviv.</div><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090820_kirot/kirot2.jpg" /></center></center>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-26270858414777814922009-08-19T11:45:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.479-07:00"THE DESCENT 2" : BLOOD AND (MONSTERS) SHIT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmuY9rdpcBk6gTnxO-2jOlEPTw9La5m2grVkLKgp5fzlgf3SwhIwA0AajSSTyhCqqbYDQLnJK3F5ijyyHUhr9lFR5uftdfEoXNaTBDjsyszgm1SiW4Nmtr-M3Yb_ylwWGT8Jqt1HyYSo/s1600/descent2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmuY9rdpcBk6gTnxO-2jOlEPTw9La5m2grVkLKgp5fzlgf3SwhIwA0AajSSTyhCqqbYDQLnJK3F5ijyyHUhr9lFR5uftdfEoXNaTBDjsyszgm1SiW4Nmtr-M3Yb_ylwWGT8Jqt1HyYSo/s1600/descent2.jpg" /></a></div><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090819_descent2/descent2e.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" />Today was held the very first French press screening of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Descent: Part 2</span>”, the efficient sequel of Neil Marshall 2005 spelunking claustrophobic horror monster movie. This sequel marks the directorial debut of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jon Harris</span>, who worked for the last 15 years as an editor (He did in particular, Guy Ritchie’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Snatch</span>”, Matthew Vaughn’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Layer Cake</span>”, James Watkins’s “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Eden Lake</span>” and the first part of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Descent</span>”).<br /><br />If you watched the director’s cut of “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Descent</span>”, you probably know that there’s no way to make a sequel to it, at least with the same characters of the first film, because they all died or were about to die, lost in an underground labyrinth of tunnels and caves, populated with blind angry/hungry devil-esque creatures.<br /><br />But it was finally decided that “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Descent: Part 2</span>” would be a direct follow-up to the North American version of the original film, where the character of Sarah Carter (played by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Shauna Macdonald</span>) succeeds to escape from the monstered caves.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090819_descent2/descent2a.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Sometimes you have to let go</span>.</div><br />Still, why would she go back in hell instead of staying safely at home? Well, the scripwriters had the practical idea to make her amnesiac. So basically, after her escape, heavily traumatized and covered in (others’s people) blood, Sarah is questionned by two cops, and is obviously suspected by one of them, the veteran Vaines (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Gavan O’Herlihy</span>). The other one, Elen Rios (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Krysten Cummings</span>) who’s also a mother, feels empathy for Sarah (who has lost a child in an accident one year earlier) and think she has nothing to do with the missing of her friends.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090819_descent2/descent2d.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Sarah is going back to hell</span>.<br /><br /></div>When a good cop dog find the entrance to an old well at the place of an old farmer (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Michael J. Reynolds</span>), Vaines decides to go underground and look for the missing girls, with Elen, Sarah and also a rescue team, composed by the experimented Dan Sheperd (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Douglas Hodge</span>) and two younger volunteers, Cath (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Skellern</span>) and Greg (<span style="font-weight: bold;">Joshua Dallas</span>).<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090819_descent2/descent2c.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Deep underground floor please</span>.<br /><br /></div>Then, you probably guess how things will go. By the time Sarah will start to recover her memory, very uncool things will happen, and mostly to human beings. In the dark and oppressive depths of the unknown cave system, people will be lost, stuck, chased, scratched, dismembered, shitted on (litterally), bitten, and eventually eaten, unless they fight back...savagely.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090819_descent2/descent2b.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Will they make it?<br /></span></div><br />“<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Descent: Part 2</span>” will be released in the <a href="http://www.pathedistribution.com/accueil/filmavenir.php?IDFilm=1742">French theaters on October 14th, 2009</a>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6209301701243084256.post-52722673768061901242009-08-16T01:01:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:48:24.479-07:00KATE FREUND INTERVIEW PART 1: THE 101 CONNECTION<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvQCmrL93ieEv5vCZV0j3m-IKcxX73U7hufcJta3MV8NvqLpiUM_CO4JAUBZ-EaIXwJPnEJDjvbT-ldn2RqmPPNzlqTGqQZXQ-Py0HD1jeHtn9O8r3iDxjec0eELZIJ6Ef0ue9UYdUqY/s1600/katefreund1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvQCmrL93ieEv5vCZV0j3m-IKcxX73U7hufcJta3MV8NvqLpiUM_CO4JAUBZ-EaIXwJPnEJDjvbT-ldn2RqmPPNzlqTGqQZXQ-Py0HD1jeHtn9O8r3iDxjec0eELZIJ6Ef0ue9UYdUqY/s1600/katefreund1.jpg" /></a></div>If you know the great <a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">Comedy Central</a> TV show “<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”, you surely have seen <a href="http://www.katefreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span></a> in a couple of episodes from seasons 1 (Positively Negative) & 2 (Bored of the Rings).</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund00.jpg" style="margin-top: 0pt; width: 260px;" /></a>But if you’re familiar to the short film festival <span style="font-weight: bold;">Channel 101</span> and <a href="http://www.channel101.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">its website</span></a> (created by <a href="http://danharmon.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dan Harmon </span></a>and <a href="http://www.robschrab.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rob Schrab</span></a> – who also co-created “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span>”), you probably have seen her a lot more, since she directed and/or played in numerous hilarious short movies since 2005, including her action horror “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mega Bitch Meltdown</span></a>” (Super Chicks vs. Zombies), the Swedished “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=339"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Turdy Longbows</span></a>” (the “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pippi Longstocking</span></a>” of the new millennium) and the totally insane “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=356"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vacationaires</span></a>” (the part 2 was just put online).</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Here is the first half of the two-part interview of this multitalented artist who likes to make movies in the living room (<span style="font-style: italic;">Kate's pink hair photo by </span><a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=92" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sammy Primero</span></a>).</div></div><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund01.jpg" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frédéric Ambroisine: Is your name Freund German?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Freund</span>: My last name is German for “friend”. I'm German, Italian but I was raised in Los Angeles my entire life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You are an actress, director, writer, editor, music composer, banjo performer, producer, animator, make-up and digital effect artist, costume designer, casting director and illustrator. Did I forget something? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I also make little stuffed animals and puppets. I sell the stuffed animals through <a href="http://www.katerdoll.etsy.com/">www.katerdoll.etsy.com</a> Also, if you watch “<span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span>”, there is a puppet named Ookie that I made.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund12.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Rob Schrab, Ookie, Kurt Scholler, Chris Romano - "<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>"</span></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Among all those activities, what was the first one who attracted you? The one that gave you the desire to work in the entertainment business?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund08.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: When I was little, I hated school. I didn’t see the point in going. It felt like I was doing a bunch of work and not getting paid for it. When I was six, some kids from a higher grade came into our classroom and said, “who is trying out for the talent show?” Several kids raised their hands and got to leave class. Obviously, I wanted to get out of class and I raised my hand. Sure enough I was dismissed. I couldn’t believe it. They just let me leave because I said I had a talent. Something sorta clicked in my head, if you had talent you could get out of doing normal work.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">They lead me into the auditorium and put me on stage. Then said, “what’s your talent?” Honestly, I didn’t have one so I faked it. I started singing and acting out the song, <span style="font-weight: bold;">My Boyfriend’s Back</span>. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the song lyrics so I just made up my own hoping no one would notice. I thought for sure that they would be mad at me for acting like I had a talent but everyone thought it was funny. They actually thought it was all part of my routine and put me in the show. From then on, I said I wanted to be an entertainer.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund09.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund by <a href="http://www.matthewfreund.com/">Matt Freund</a> (the previous and next one too)</span></div><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you study acting or filmmaking?</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund11.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: From around 9-15, I performed regularly at The Santa Monica Playhouse. Then for some reason, I lost all interest in theater and starting studying film acting from David Wells and Sally Piper and did workshop classes with my then manager Hines and Hunt. I almost didn’t go to college because I was cast in a pilot that was a “sure” go. Like every “sure” go, the show didn’t get picked up and it really bummed me out. I felt like I had put so much time and energy into acting that it was time for a break and enrolled in the University of California, Irvine as a Biology Major. I had always been interested in science and for some reason that seemed logical. However, for Christmas that year, my dad got me a video camera and I started making little movies with my dorm mates. I lasted one more quarter at UCI and then transferred to USC to study creative writing and screenwriting. At USC, I collaborated on over 30 student films. It was a great environment but honestly, I think the best film school out there is Channel 101 and it is free.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: On your “official” – but incomplete - filmography (IMDB), you started to work as an actress, and then a casting director? How did that happened?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/onceandagain.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: When I was 17, I was cast in “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Once & Again</span>” as an out of control party girl. It was a bit part but I really enjoyed working and getting out of school. The director was a family friend and knew I was interested in the entertainment industry. I asked if I could get an internship in editing and he said, “no but we have something in the casting department.” I had already met all the casting women because they used me on their show, so I thought great I know I’ll get this internship. I interned and then was an assistant for Amy Lippens Casting for about two years. When I was at USC, I wanted to work on as many projects as possible but unless you were in the directing/production program everyone was kinda snooty. I didn’t want to P.A and had all this casting experience so I just became the go to girl for casting at that film school. I got to meet all the budding directors and didn’t have to lug around a bunch of heavy gear.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: What do you have to do as a casting director?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: Basically what a casting director does is a lot of work that most people take for granted. You’re sent hundreds of actor submissions and from those you pick people to come in and read for the part. It was really interesting for me to see the other side of the audition process. At then end of the day, it gets really stressful because you just want to find that perfect person that the director, producers and network all like.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How did you met Rob Schrab? Did you know about his work before knowing him personally?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund02.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I met Rob in 2005. I was working as a producer for “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Rough Cut LA”</span>, it was an entertainment news show minus the gossip. We’d constantly pitch stories that were about talented filmmakers or film festivals and then send a camera crew and a host to interview. My friend had just shown me <a href="http://www.channel101.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Channel101.com</span></a>. They were a huge fan of Justin Roiland’s “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=121"><span style="font-weight: bold;">House of Cosby’s</span></a>.” I looked at the site and couldn’t believe how funny the videos were and that people were making these out of their living rooms with out a big budget. It was the complete opposite of USC, you could make something for dirt cheap and still entertain people.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I suggested that we do a piece on <a href="http://www.channel101.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Channel 101 </span></a>and the Executive Producer signed off on it and then told me I should host it. I went down there with a camera crew and interviewed everyone. Rob was the last person we interviewed. I had seen his show Twigger’s Holiday and thought he was brilliant. After the interview we became email friends and then he asked me out. We celebrated our 4 year anniversary in April.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund13.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund and Rob Schrab on the set of "<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>" (Season 3)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Was he (Is he) a kind of mentor for you?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: Rob is a genius. His attention to detail and his comedic timing would inspire anyone. I’m very fortunate to be around someone who is so talented because it makes me try harder as a creative because I know he is going to see it. Rob’s my biggest fan but also my hardest critic.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: When did you hear about Channel 101?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: A friend of mine showed me the Channel 101 website in 2005.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Can you explain a little bit the concept of the 101 Channel. The (failed) pilots and episodes etc.?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/channel101.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: Channel 101 is like a mini TV network. There are five shows in Primetime. These shows are the top voted shows from the screening. And each month, 4-6 new shows are screened alongside the Primetime shows. The audience can only vote for 5 shows. The shows that are the most popular become Primetime shows and they get to make another episode. The shows with the least amount of votes are “failed” pilots because they only get to make the one episode. During any screening a Primetime show can get canceled if a new show gets more votes. Does that make sense?</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: You started as an actress in some 101 Channel shorts in 2005 and then you started to direct your own shorts. Did you have any directing experience before that?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I directed some artsy student films at UCI and USC before delving into 101. The thing is, 101 is one of the best training grounds for honing your craft. It teaches you discipline. You have one month to make something and then it gets rejected or it gets screened in front of a live audience and you instantly know if you are good or not. If the room goes quiet or worse people talk over your show, you know that you have to do better next time. Usually when you submit to a festival you can’t see the initial reaction from the audience until months later. There is a certain immediacy to 101, which is great because you can be timely with your comedy. I helped Rob with “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=173"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thriller, Chiller Theater</span></a>” and then I was a fairy in “Yacht Rock” but I kinda felt like a hypocrite for praising 101 so much and then never making my own show. I wanted to prove that I could make something and contribute too. I’ve made 11 shows for Channel 101 but only 5 have been screened. You never know what the panel is going to react to. Last June I finally got a show into Primetime with co-creators Kelsy Abbott and Kyle Reiter. It’s called "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=356"><b>The Vacationaires</b></a>", watch it!</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund14.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kyle Reiter, Kate Freund and Kelsy Abbot in "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=356" style="font-weight: bold;">The Vacationaires</a>" (2009)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Where did the idea of “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234">Mega Bitch Meltdown</a>” come from?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I wanted to do a show that had a mix of female and male talent. At the time, most of the 101 shows were all staring dudes. I had just watched “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZycGIo9apI"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Switchblade Sisters</span></a>” and “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXFsm44jN4"><span style="font-weight: bold;">N</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">aked Killer</span></a>” and wanted to do a kick ass girls with guns show with a twist.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund07.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund's "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mega Bitch Meltdown</span></a>" (2007) </span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How much did it cost?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: Around 80 bucks. I bought a few rubber masks, the glowing hand communicators and some tape stock. I had lights, and my brother <a href="http://www.matthewfreund.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Matt Freund</span></a>, shot it with his camera. We borrowed guns from fellow 101er <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=13"><span style="font-weight: bold;">David Hartman</span></a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How long was the shooting and the editing?</span><br /><br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund05.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: We shot in Topanga Canyon in January and it was around 30 degrees and it started raining so we had to go up the next weekend to get Myke dancing in his underwear. I was so worried he was going to get sick. I think it took around 3 half days of shooting. The editing took about a week and a half. Rob really helped me with the first action scene.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Did you also cut <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vse4S-uulUI">the trailer</a> for the <a href="http://2007.sxsw.com/blogs/fi.php/2007/01/15/sxsw_and_robert_rodriguez_want_a_39_grin">SXSW Grindhouse Contest Video</a> in 2007?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I saw the SXSW Grindhouse trailer late in the game and was so bummed out because I really wanted to make one. I knew I didn't have time to shoot something new so I just cut up Mega Bitch and wrote a voice over track. I think I did <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vse4S-uulUI"><span style="font-weight: bold;">that trailer</span></a> in one night and fed exed it out in the morning. It was on <a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31581"><span style="font-weight: bold;">aintitcool's</span></a> pick for grindhouse trailers.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund06.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund's "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mega Bitch Meltdown</span></a>" (2007) </span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Why did you choose comedy as your main genre?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it before. I just do projects that I want to do and ultimately, they fall in the comedy genre. I think it goes back to wanting to be an entertainer and some choice words Rob shared with me, “Don’t bore your audience.”</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: There are different levels of craziness in comedy, and it seems that you’re trying to exeed the limits of madness a little bit more one short after another? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: When I make something all I am consciously trying to do is finish it. That being said, I think with each project I am trying to top myself. I mean, who wants to go backward?<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund15.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund's "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=192"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pussy Talk</span></a>"</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">(2006) </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: To know if your work will be efficient, do you have to laugh at your own jokes or make your friends laugh? </span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I live with Rob Schrab. I like to edit in the living room. Rob will pass by and if what I’m working on catches his eye and he stops what he is doing to laugh. I know I am in good shape.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: In your shorts, you’re directing and acting at the same time. How do you manage to focus on your work behind and in front of the camera?</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: Sometimes I watch stuff and it doesn't work. I go eck, why did I do that? If I was behind the monitor I would have changed that but oh well. I just try and make it work in the edit. There's a lot of great actors and there's a lot of great actors out there with baggage. I use myself because I don't want to deal with another person. It just makes things easier. The bigger the cast, the harder the shoot becomes to coordinate. I mean if I had a line producer and a budget then yeah I would work with more people. But we tend to shoot guerilla style. I have a five seater car. If you can all pile in one car it makes life so much easier. That way people are not running late or looking for parking.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund16.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund's "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=334"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Day My Boyfriend Became</span></a>" (2009) </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: In the 101 Channels shorts that you played in and didn’t direct, which one are your favorites? </span></div><br />KF: Working with <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=64"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sevan Narjarian</span></a> on “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=320"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Pop</span></a>” was a great experience. I was cast as Olive Oyl and it was so special because that's a role that my dad always wanted to see me play. As a kid he'd joke with me and tell me I looked just like Olive Oyl because I was so skinny. But back to working with Sevan. It's such a treat. He is so good with effects and direction. I know that whenever he asks me to do something, I want to do it because it is going to look kickass. I also really liked working with <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=285"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danny Jelinek</span></a> on “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=347"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Arrow</span></a>”.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund04.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kyle Kinane and Kate Freund in Abed Gheith & Sevan Najarian's "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=320" style="font-weight: bold;">The Pop</a>" (2008)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Concerning “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=339">Turdy Longbows</a>”, which (kind of) movies inspired you? Did you use some footage from old movie(s) or is it 100% your creation? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I was totally inspired by “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pippi Longstocking</span></a>”. My brother, Matt was the DP on this shoot and he made it look very cinematic. I don't think we used any footage from other movies. I just had to re watch it to make sure. Rob helped color correct the footage to give it a washed out, old VHS tape look. Rob also made the opening logo for 1000 milleniums.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund17.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund in </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">"</span><a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=339"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Turdy Longbows</span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">"</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> (2009)</span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: How was the post-production of “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=339">Turdy Longbows</a>”? The color work and (voluntarily) bad post-synchro are weirdly awesome... </span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I had a script for the show but I wanted it to have that "<span style="font-weight: bold;">Pippi Longstocking"</span> bad dubbed feel. I wanted to push that to an extreme. I really wanted to make it feel old and familiar. There are so many weird shows I watched as a kid, that I never thought were that bizarre but when I go to rewatch them, I'm like why is this edited like this??? Why did they have that character do that? None of this show makes any sense but as a kid I loved it. My favorite shots we did were in front of the abandoned house where I am coming down the hill. To me that totally looks like the original show.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund18.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund and Armen Weitzman in </span><span style="font-size: 85%;">"</span><a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=339"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;">Turdy Longbows</span></a><span style="font-size: 85%;">"</span><span style="font-size: 85%;"> (2009)<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Since it’s a pure nonsense comedy, how did you explain to the actors what’s it’s about? </span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I gave them a script and sent them links to “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pippi Longstocking</span></a>” clips. I've worked with <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=53"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Todd Bishop</span></a> before. He was in Astral girl and “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=334"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Day My Boyfriend Became</span></a>”. He's creative and just gets it. I'll tell him to come dressed as a cowboy and he won't show up dressed as a clown. He understands exactly what I'm going for. <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=779"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Deanna Rooney </span></a>who plays Leena is also extremely awesome. I had worked with her briefly on a channy video and she just brought so much to the table. I had been wanting to work with her for a while. She also does cartoons. Look her up, her art is rad. I know <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=948"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Armen</span></a><a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=948"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> (Weitzman)</span></a> , through the “<a href="http://sarahsilverman.comedycentral.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sarah Silverman Program</span></a>”. He plays the fantasimart clerk and has appeared in several episodes. He was game to do anything.</div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=356">The Vacationaires</a>” contains probably the worst green screen effects that I’ve ever seen. You did it on purpose, right?</span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund03.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: Ha ha ha. I love “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=356"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Vacationaires</span></a>”. That’s a show I co created with <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=647"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Kelsy Abbott</span></a> and <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=778">Kyle Reiter</a>.</span> Originally we were planning on doing a completely different show. We knew that we wanted to work together and that we wanted to be extremely tan to the point of looking filthy. The day of shooting we swapped out our original idea and came up with a show about a family who loves to go on vacations. It was not going to be a green screen show. I think we hung up the blue sheet so it would look like the ocean in the background but that didn’t read at all. When we shot it, the blue screen blanket was stained and wrinkled and not well lit. When I went to key it out it looked terrible. We all started laughing and the gag became about how bad it looked. That show is so ridiculous but I really had a ton of fun working on it for two months. Sad to see that it got cancelled.</div><br /><br /><center><img src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund10.jpg" /></center><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">Kate Freund in "<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=356" style="font-weight: bold;">The Vacationaires</a>" (2009)</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FA: Do you think about making one of your shorts into a feature film?</span></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">KF</span>: I'd like to do a feature version of “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9huIqyJKOZ0"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna Manesia</span></a>” or “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mega Bitch Meltdown</span></a>”. I'd do “<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anna</span>” because of the premise and “<a href="http://www.channel101.com/shows/show.php?show_id=234"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mega</span></a>” for the characters and action. We'll see maybe one day.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">End of part 1. Coming soon on part 2: Kate Freund about “The Sarah Silverman Program”, animation and special effects, editing, music videos, Sarah Silverman, Steve Agee, and her new projects.</span></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks to: <a href="http://www.katefreund.com/">Kate Freund</a>, <a href="http://www.robschrab.com/">Rob Schrab</a>, <a href="http://www.steveagee.com/">Steve Agee</a>, <a href="http://www.matthewfreund.com/">Matt Freund </a>and <a href="http://www.channel101.com/talent/talent.php?talent_id=92">Sammy Primero</a>.</span><br /><br />You can watch a lot of Kate Freund short movies on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Channel 101 </span>(download) or <span style="font-weight: bold;">Youtube</span> (streaming). Check out the links below.<br /><img alt="" border="0" src="http://fredambroisine.com/bloggerpics/20090915_katefreund1/katefreund19.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 260px;" /><br /><ul style="font-weight: bold;"><li><a href="http://www.channel101.com/">Channel 101 (official)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/ThisIsChannel101">Channel 101 (Youtube channel)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.katefreund.com/">Kate Freund (official)</a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/FreundKateFreund">Kate Freund (Youtube channel)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.robschrab.com/">Rob Schrab (official) </a>- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/RobSchrab">Rob Schrab (Youtube channel)</a></li></ul><br /></div></div></center>Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04083450683020215184noreply@blogger.com0