Compiled by MARTIN CARVALHO, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
DESPITE not being familiar with South-East Asian culture, Chinese actor Datuk Fan Bingbing amazed director Chong Keat Aun with her professionalism and dedication in his latest award-winning feature film Mother Bhumi.
In the film, Fan played a widowed farmer who uses black magic to help her community in Kedah, China Press reported.
According to Chong, many of his peers urged him not to cast Fan, saying the actress could never play a convincing farmer.
Chong stood firm on his decision, and was wowed by the diligence Fan showed during filming.
Having grown up in Shandong, China, Fan has never experienced life in a South-East Asian village. Chong said he had to give clear directions to Fan on how to walk in a padi field, lead a water buffalo, squat like a farmer, eat with one’s hand and even to recite a magic spell.
He said Fan had proven her detractors wrong by winning Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards this year, an accolade she had coveted for many years.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a, it denotes a separate news item.
