By Claire Lee
Top names in Chinese cinema will be in town later this week as part of a five-day celebration of Chinese films in Seoul.
Chinese actors Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi are to visit Seoul for the opening ceremony of 2013 Chinese Film Festival, which is set to be held this Sunday, along with famed Chinese director Wong Kar Wai.
The two stars are starring in Wong’s martial arts film “The Grandmasters,” which has been selected as the opener of this year’s Chinese Film Festival in Seoul. The film is set against the backdrop of tumultuous 1930s China and features the life of Chinese martial arts fighter Yip Man, who also famously taught Bruce Lee.
Leung stars as Yip Man, while Zhang plays Gong Er, a daughter of the powerful martial arts master from northern China. Meanwhile, Korean actress Song Hye-gyo appears in the film as Yip’s wife.
Zhang is a frequent visitor to Korea. She attended Busan International Film Festival last year, and attended 2013 Pyeongchang Special Olympics World Winter Games in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, in January.
Leung’s last visit to Korea was back in 2008, during his promotional tour of Chinese epic war film “Red Cliff.” Meanwhile, Wong’s first visit to Korea took place in 1995. He has attended a number of BIFF editions in the past.
“The Grandmasters,” which was the opener of this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, is slated to hit theaters in Korea in the second half of this year.
For more information on the Chinese Film Festival, call (02) 517-3353.
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)