Popular Chinese actress Datuk Fan Bingbing.
Compiled by TEH ATHIRA YUSOF, C.ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
AWARD-WINNING Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun has shared behind-the-scenes footage of his latest film, Mother Bhumi, including a clip showing Fan Bingbing learning how to draw a talisman, China Press reported.
According to Chong, he persuaded his father to guide the actress on creating a talisman to ward off curses, a ritual that was crucial to the film’s plot.
Fan stars in the movie as Feng Yin, a widowed farmer who uses magic to help her community in Kedah.
She revealed that when she first received the script, she knew nothing about black magic.
Under the tutelage of Chong’s father, she began to gain an appreciation for traditional folk beliefs.
“At that moment, feeling confident with my powers, I truly believed I could help others lift their curses,” she quipped.
The behind-the-scene clip, which was uploaded on Facebook, also shows Fan putting on a prosthetic nose.
“He wanted me to change my appearance so I wouldn’t be recognisable,” she said, referring to Chong.
The inspiration for Mother Bhumi came from stories Chong heard as a child about a female shaman and a water buffalo.
“From 2013 to 2016, I often returned home to collect stories from local villages,” he said.
The movie was one of the biggest winners at this year’s Golden Horse Awards, winning in the categories of Best Leading Actress, Best Cinematography and Best Original Film Song.
(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.)
