Cinema Online's ELEPHANT AND THE SEA Review

"With a strong undercurrent of how unfulfilling life truly is, ebbing away from watery themes of entrapment, burden and convalescence - Woo Ming Jin, a Malaysian without fake accents, has shot a world class art film that is at once outstanding among his peers."

- Cinema Online

Hi folks, Edmund here. Cinema Online had just put up a 4-star review (THANKS!) for THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA. Check it out!

LINK

嗨! 大家好! 以下的是电影杂志CINEMA ONLINE 的《大象与海》影评。 多谢指教！

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THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA PRESS PREMIERE!!

It finally happened! "The Elephant And The Sea" finally had its Malaysian Premiere at the Curve Cathay Cineplex this morning to a crowd of press, friends and family.
And I just got back in time for it! Many thanks to Edmund and the three-muskateers-interns for their hard work, and also to the people of Da Huang pictures for helping out!


After traveling to some 30 festivals or more, it's finally coming home. It's a great joy for me on a personal level to see the film finally hitting the theaters. Even if we don't do the business of films like Transformers or Dark Knight, I won't be disappointed... hehe. As I said, having it screened in Malaysia was one of the goals I had while making this film, so I was really happy today. And this is genuine happiness, which is rare. This is like having that realization that you're in love with someone, and there's that possibility that that someone loves you back. You're not totally sure, but it doesn't matter, because you're in love with her. or him. And it is this knowledge that makes you happy, as I am happy now. In this cynical world, I'm glad that I'm constantly falling in love. It's a great feeling.


And it was great seeing the old gang again. Berg, Meng Hui, Chung Kok Keong, Liang the cinematographer, Gan Hui Yee our PM/all purpose person. Having everyone together again and catching up is one of those things that just makes me feel that everything we've done, all the obstacles we've been through, they've all been worth it.


I felt like we had some sort of big family reunion. I mean, even if we haven't really been complete strangers all this while, an event like this, it makes your heart kinda fuzzy and I'm just glad that we're all friends and we're still together. Sometimes when you make difficult films, friendships are lost, and the bitterness lingers. I'm glad that did not happen. We were tight throughout the film, and we're tight now.


When I look back, it's been almost 2 years, this journey of The Elephant and The Sea. The journey's almost over, but hell, we've had a great ride. I'm up for the next one, for sure!


The film comes out on August 21! Only at Cathay Cineplex! I saw the malaysian edit with Edmund's additional music and I must say I was happy with the new cut. It's quicker paced, and generally very audience friendly. I am pretty confident the public will enjoy it, whether they are used to art films or not.


For the rest of you, I hope you'll take the time to find out!

Love and Kisses,

Ming Jin

THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA Synopsis 《大象与海》剧情介绍

Hi. It's Edmund (or Swifty) again. Seems that Ming Jin had gone off to Australia. Our recent telemovie, KURUS (DAYS OF THE TURQUOISE SKY) was chosen for screening by The Brisbane International Film Festival. So it's up to me to fill in while he's gone.

But back to THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA. Anyway, we'll be holding a press screening of the film at Cathay Cineleisure on the 12th of August, 11am (That's next Tuesday).

Based on some recent Facebook messages, I have a disturbing feeling that many people have mistaken that date to be THE ONE AND ONLY DAY we're screening the film in Malaysia. Look guys, THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA begins its theatrical run at Cathay from the 21st of August. And like most indie films, it will have a 2-week run (more if box-office is good), so you can catch the film on weekends.

I made a mistake of not posting the synopsis of the film earlier, especially when I uploaded THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA trailer, so I'm doing it now for those who're interested to know what is this film about.

Synopsis:
The inhabitants of a Malaysian coastal fishing village struggle in a hostile environment. Has there been a disaster? A deadly epidemic? What happened to the elephant? Was there an elephant? An intriguing tragiccomedy about the isolation of the human condition.

This critically-acclaimed film had won the BEST DIRECTOR and CRITICS Awards at last year's Cine Digital Seoul Film Festival. It also won a SPECIAL JURY AWARD at the Torino Film Festival, and another BEST DIRECTOR Award at the recently concluded DIBA Digital Barcelona Film Festival in Spain.

I'm still in Tokyo, so I won't get to attend the press screening. I'm a little disappointed, since I'm eager to see what others have to say about my first attempt at composing for a film soundtrack.

Check out the trailer of THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA if you haven't already.

大家好, 又是我， 杨毅恒。 我们绿灯电影制作公司的作品《不是师生恋》参与了布里斯本国际影展， 所以胡导演已经飞了去澳洲。 我又要在这部落里‘客串’了。

还是说回《大象与海》吧。 本片将在8月12日早上11点在CATHAY CINELEISURE为《大象与海》召开一个传媒试映会。 希望可以和传媒的朋友以及一些博客们分享此电影。 现在就与大家稍微介绍一下本片的剧情。

剧情：
《大象与海》大胆地以大象和海洋为意象，以充满地区色彩和诗意的语言探索了马来西亚在经济巨变中的的社会百态。片中生涩的小镇少年，在底层生活中绽放青春的少女以及孤独沉默的壮年男子，被编织到带有淡淡哀愁和惆怅的现实气息之中，凝结成大时代来临之前波澜不惊的寂静。

二十年前是台湾，今日是马来西亚，亚洲电影新潮下一站及可能重回到乡村路上打拼，然而 时移世易，编导胡明进不用乡土文学撑场，大胆单刀直入以大象为心像，以大海为意志浴场，作诗性超现实的现代探索。他与《太阳雨》的何宇恒等人的出现，令人开始憧憬马来西亚初生的华语电影。

我还在日本， 所以无法参与此试映会， 感得有点遗憾。 本身也想听一听大家对我所创作的电影配乐*有何评论。

我的中文还是很差， 请多多包涵。

* （本人是电影的其中一位制片人， 也有份参与片子的剪辑及配乐创作）

再次与大家分享一下小弟所剪辑出来的《大象与海》预告片， 请多多指教：

Happy birthday, Ming Jin! 胡导演， 生日快乐！

Heya folks, Edmund here, THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA will be opening in two weeks and I'm getting excited even though I'm thousands of kilometers away in Tokyo!

It's Ming Jin's birthday today. He's off to do a shoot, so I'm just wishing him happy birthday here!

From now on, my posts will be in dual languages. So I shall post this in Chinese as well!

嗨， 大家好！ 我是杨毅恒， 大马独立电影《大象与海》的其中一位制片人， 也有份参与本片的剪辑还有配乐制作。 《大象与海》即将在八月二十一日上映。 还有两个星期的时间！ 虽然小弟现在还在东京， 但真的是觉得很兴奋！

其实今天是导演胡明进*的生日。 他仍然忙着拍摄， 所以我只好在此祝他生日快乐。

从现在开始，我将利用英语及中文在这部落留言。 可是小弟的中文真的很烂， 所以请多多包涵。

* （在一些影展及网页上， 胡导演的名字总是被译成‘吴明金’， 其实那不是正确的写法， 只因为胡导演本身是受英文教育的， 所以没把自己的中文名字写好， 可是现在的他已经很勤力地在学习中文， 希望不久后， 他可以说一口流利的中文！）

THE ELEPHANT AND THE SEA TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Hi guys,

We have officially begun pre-selling tickets for The Elephant and the Sea! These specially printed limited edition tickets are going for a special rate of RM6 for Students and RM8 for everyone else!

The tickets are valid for ANY screenings from AUGUST 21 to SEPTEMBER 3, 2008, at the CATHAY CINEPLEXES, at the CURVE DAMANSARA.

We are offering this discounted rate (from the normal RM10), to encourage people to watch the film, and just cause we can!

Here's another thing: the first 20 people who buy in BULK (10 ticket and above) will receive an invitation to our PRESS PREMIERE on August 12, where you can watch the movie and mingle with the almost famous stars of the film! (note the premiere will be held during the daytime)

We have roughly 500 tickets and once that's done, it's done.


So here's how you can get the tickets:

1. Tickets can be purchased and PICKED UP at the DA HUANG PICTURES office at SS1, Petaling Jaya. For more information please email us at greenlightpicture@gmail.com

2. You can email us personally, and we can reserve the tickets for you to be picked up. If you are buying in bulk, there is a chance we may be able to deliver it to you.

3. If you would like to purchase tickets but cannot pick them up for some reason, please email us anyway, and we'll help you figure it out!

I hope you will all support us! Thanks

MJ

INTERVIEW WITH THE ACTRESS TAN CHUI MUI

It has been a crazy few weeks! And it just gets busier...

Anyway today I would like to introduce an up and coming actress to the ELEPHANT AND THE SEA family: Tan Chui Mui, who plays 2 roles in the film!

INTERVIEW WITH TAN CHUI MUI -

Q: 1. STATE YOUR NAME AND PROFESSION.

MUI: I was not given a name. I sell fish, and sometimes I do something else..... Ohh.... My real name? My real name is Tan Chui Mui. I work in this big company called Da Huang Pictures. We do international business. We sell fish, and sometimes we do something else.

2. YOU PLAY TWO ROLES IN THE FILM ELEPHANT AND THE SEA. CAN YOU PLEASE ELABORATE ON EACH ROLE?

MUI: Did I have two roles? But the production manager paid me only for one role!
I was told that it is the SAME ROLE, that this girl is desperate for money, because her father is sick and her brother is in debt with loan shark, and her mother committed suicide. So she have to take two jobs. She work as a sales girl in this fish shop, selling expensive "flower horn" fish. At night she work as a call girl. Does that mean that I should had get paid for TWO ROLES?


> 3. HAVE YOU EVER WORKED AS A DIRECT SALES PERSON OR MULTI LEVEL MARKETER SELLING SKIN CARE PRODUCTS OR VITAMINS, ETC.? IS YES, HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE? IF NO, WOULD YOU CONSIDER DOING IT IN THE FUTURE?

MUI: Yes, when I was 15, I took a part time job in Penang, going door to door, persuading people to subscribe to a daily newspaper. In fact, I quite like the job. I think I am good at selling things, especially when I look a bit shy. I am good at selling movie DVDs especially!


> 3. HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR THE ROLES? DID YOU DO ANY SPECIAL RESEARCH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ROLE OF THE "CALL GIRL?"

MUI: Oh, yes, I put on some weight for that role. That was not difficult. Also, I slept for 4 hours before I acted in that "call girl" scene, so that my face get a bit swollen. The costume designer specially designed my outfit. I was suppose to have a pink wig, but the hair stylist lost it.


> 4. WERE YOU COMFORTABLE DOING THE MORE GRAPHIC SCENES (WHICH HAS BEEN CUT OUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE CINEMA RELEASE)?

MUI: Oh yes, it was very comfortable lying down on the bed. In fact, that was the most comfortable position during the whole shoot. I don't mind to do more.


> 5. I HEAR YOU ARE ALSO A DIRECTOR. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WOO MING JIN'S DIRECTING STYLE ON SET?

MUI: Oh. Yes. Sometimes I also direct. I think Woo Ming Jin is a serious director. He take care of his actors very well, and he make us very comfortable on set!

> 6. PEOPLE HAVE COMPARED THE DIRECTOR WOO MING JIN TO GEORGE LUCAS AND WONG KAR WAI. DO YOU THINK THAT IS A FAIR COMPARISON?

MUI: I think the question doesn't make sense.

> 7. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE MORE TALENTED AS AN ACTRESS OR DIRECTOR?

MUI: I think I am multi-talented.

> 8. WOULD YOU ACT IN ONE OF MING JIN'S FILMS AGAIN? IF NO, WHY NOT.

MUI: Yes, in fact I am now preparing for a role in Woo Ming Jin's next big action film. I'm now trying to lose weight to suit this role. I am also going to dinging, dancing and martial art classes.

> 9. WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

MUI: Newspaper. Especially when you read it when it is the wrapping of your nasi lemak.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

A BREWING STORM

I have started taking pictures with my NikonD80, which I bought last year but barely had a chance to use.

A couple months ago, I was chilling in some beach, and took some pictures. The picture I am posting now was taken in the late evening, almost at dusk (my favorite time to shoot or take photos). I saw some clouds forming into this interesting shape, and quickly snapped a few shots. This "formation" lasted for about 10 minutes before dissipating and then it started to rain.

This picture is a digital composite of roughly 5-6 pictures. CLICK on the picture to view the full size (though I have heavily compressed it).

I am doing a series of these "staged" photographs in the coming months. It's quite fun. It's like making a short film, but instead of shooting video, you take pictures.

MJ