Chairman: TANG Tao (Film Critic)
Attendants:
Derek CHIU (Director)
Raymond TO (Script Writer)
Flora CHAN (Actress)
POON Chan-leung (Actor)
KO Hon-man (Actor)
YIP Lim-sum (Film Critic)

TANG Tao: "LOVE AU ZEN" is a movie based on a play. What is the difference between the original play and the movie now we are watching?

Raymond TO: First of all, I would like to share the experience with the younger generation. I'm also lucky to see so many audiences there as normally script writers won't be stand out in a movie credit. This movie didn't come like a stage play and that's the effort of director Derek CHIU. Derek is a person from film industry with strong sense of film. What I wish is that he won't delete my scripts. Other things are the efforts by Derek. That's impresses him as I divide the play into more sectors to make the synopsis more clear. Of course, we need to cut some stuffs from a 2 1/2 hours of play into a film with running time of 96 minutes.

TANG Tao: This movie is about Love, Buddhism as well as Zen with lots of laughers. Does it make more difficult to direct?

Derek CHIU: I've discussed with you before the seminar. It's a very good script but very hard to make a film talking about Zen and Buddha. However, I really love the play as it presents the big topic on Love and Zen in a very relax approach. It's easy to bore people on this topic and laughers are necessary to make audiences feel happy when watching. It's about love but in the angle of Zen. I don't have any religion but I would prefer Buddhism if I have to choose one. I love the discussions on 'yuan' and I agree with it. During the process, I have seen lots of book on the topic and discussed with Raymond To a lot about the topic.

TANG Tao: Let's ask question to our actress Flora CHAN. During the process your preparation for this movie and discussions with director Derek CHIU, in what way you can handle the character as Mila in the film as there are lots of things like the apple are very symbolic in presentation.

Flora CHAN: I do need to thank script writer Raymond and director Derek CHIU for letting me know the meaning of the film. At the beginning, I don't have any idea about the contents like 'yuen' or 'Mirror Flower and Water Moon'. During the filming, I read books borrowed from my friend and I found that lots of people are fear about Zen as they perceive the topic to be difficult. In fact, lots of stuffs in Zen are very solid. You don't need to be old to understand. During the preparation process, I would like to thank my fellow like POON Chan-leung and KO Hon-man for explaining the meaning of the script.

TANG Tao: KO Hon-man, your role in the movie is the same as that in the play, how's your feeling about working this movie?

KO Hom-man: When I watch the movie, I remember it's been almost 4 years. When I was on stage 4 years ago, there has been lots of scripts Raymond TO would like to make them on films. I really want LOVE AU ZEN to be on films as it's a story very suitable to be in film as it is talking about the loss of life, which suits the present situation. I worried about being outdated if the movie is not made but finally it comes. At first, I decline for participating in the film as my role is different from the play. Finally, with yuen, I'm still in the production for the same role and I'm really happy about it.

KO Hom-man: Regarding the role, when I worked with the film, as I've been in the play, I understand more about the role with time and I didn't need to spend much time on the script and spend more time with Derek CHIU for the film acting. When I first get the role on the stage, it really interests. In TO's script, there are always remarks for the roles of character and mine is remarked as "High Palme" for the role of Chi Yuen. However, I'm not that kind of people. I tried to read lots of books on Buddhism but I still cannot understand them though the books are not as hard as expected. At first, I don't know how to handle the role. Then Raymond told me that the role is only a person. Finally I gave up as a Buddha but a human being using human's point of view to see others. This make me relaxed from the origin, which is the underline meaning of the script. Finally I feel that after the role I understand that the meaning is to ask us to take down some of the stuffs sometimes.

TANG Tao: POON Chan-leung, can you let us know your feeling about the meaning brought from the movie?

POON Chan-leung: On the first day when I read the script, I ask Derek CHIU and Raymond TO why Sau (his role) asks for learning Buddha. Raymond said I'm lucky as I haven't reached at that stage. Finally, I understand that lots of people nowadays has lots of questions and queries which can be self-generated, or from the society. If you care them, then you will find you lose more at the end. Then I asked Raymond another question but finally I didn't ask it but do it by taking the behaviors and the feeling of the role. Finally, I found that when you take off your burden and you will understand the message of the movie.

Raymond TO: As a supplement, during the play, POON's role is played by TSE Kwan-ho while POON played the role as what Andrew LIN plays now.

TANG Tao: YIP Lim-sam, as a film critic, can you common the relationship of the script in the play and the movie?

YIP Lim-sum: I remembered that the original play is a 4-face stage play which are very common from the normal case. Another difference is that the script is about the Buddha and Zen in love. Now I'm able to watch the film here and it's another 'yuan'. I found there is more about Buddha and Zen closer to Hong Kong. When the play is first presented 4 years ago, it's the time before the financial crisis. Now when it's back in film, Sau's background and career are having more description while this gives me another dimension to digest the film. Regarding love, the feeling looks more suitable for film. The beginning and the ending of the film are different. What really surprise me is the Buddha Temple. At the beginning, the shot between the Temple and the city gives a very large contrast.