#Chi-Shing Chiu

[badmovieihave]

Bad movie I have Triangle 2007 aka Tit sam Gok

[culturalgutter]

Jet ‘s Chang Mo-Kei’s kung fu has been struck by the Jinx Palm, blocking his chi, destroying his ability to perform kung fu and causing him to need constant infusions of chi from Taoist priest Chang San-Fung (Sammo Hung). But Chang can only be cured by a massive infusion of yang energy, which he receives after falling off a cliff and meets a hermit chained to a bolder who teaches him the Great Solar Stance to get back at the hermit’s own enemies. Afterwards, Chang is super-skilled and learns kung fu with the ease of Jet Li. Then things get crazy with everybody flying and chi all over the place, a Mongol princess, the King of Green Bat, all the martial arts schools fighting each other, hundreds of people running around with flags, the not-evil Evil Cult, Hermit Chained to a Boulder Fist. And then, as it gets to the big end fight, it just stops, teasing a sequel that was never made. And I was filled with wonder.

Wong Jing’s Kung Fu Cult Master (1993) is the first time I know that I watched something adapted from a Louis Cha story. It is based on the third novel in Cha’s Condor Trilogy, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre. I probably saw it at the old Golden Classics Cinema in Toronto. It was when I was watching all the Jet Li movies. This one was memorable and, having no familiarity with the source material, I found it difficult to follow. That didn’t stop me from pretending later I had been struck by a Jinx Palm. (What do you expect me to do when you give me charcoal powder toothpaste, people?). I was filled with wonder.

Since then I have made sense of what I saw through translated comics adaptations, in particular Ma Wing-Shing’s Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre (Comic One, 2002), the novel Kung Fu Cult Master adapts. It seems fitting that I would first read Louis Cha via the comics of Ma Shing-Wing and Tony Wong’s The Legendary Couple (ComicOne, 2002), an adaptation of Cha’s Return of the Condor Heroes. It parallels how I first encountered him in a way that I remember in Kung Fu Cult Master, rather than Chor Yuen’s elegant Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre (1978) or Wong Kar-Wai’s deconstruction and sorta prequel, Ashes of Time (Redux or not) (1993; 2008).

Behold this wonder! Gold Lion and Green Bat in Kung Fu Cult Master

Slightly more elegant Green Bat in Chor Yuen’s 1978 Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre

The comics and the 1983 television adaptations allowed me to become familiar with Cha and these stories. They allowed me start to understand stories that assumed familiarity with the story, whether Kung Fu Cult Master, Ashes of Time, or  Jeffrey Lau’s Lunar New Year parody of The Legend of Condor Heroes, The Eagle Shooting Heroes (1993), shot with the same cast and at the same time as Ashes of Time. Please note Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in each film.

As the Blind Swordsmani in Ashes of Time

Suffering from a painful allergic reaction as Duan Zhixing in Eagle Shooting Heroes

In the early 1990s, Louis Cha was what Ip Man movies are now.

I watched some of the 2000s and 2010s tv adaptations in non-subtitled form, but by then I could understand who and what I was seeing. In fact, I was pleased when I could actually get the joke that the landlord and landlady in Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Hustle (2006) were the ill-fated lovers of Return of the Condor Heroes, Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü played by Andy Lau and Idy Chan in the 1983 tv adaptation I borrowed from a good friend and have since gotten for myself.

Andy Lau as Yang Guo and Idy Chan as Xiaolongnu in 1983

Carman Lee as Xiaolongnu, Lois Koo as Yang Guo and giant condor friend in 1995.

Yuen Qiu as Xiaolongnu and Yuen Wah as Yang Guo in Kung Fu Hustle. Ha, I get the joke now! I can laugh!

And it helped a lot watching those shows when I read Tony Wong’s Legendary Couple, because the translations of the names were so different, but I recognized a disreputable Taoist when I saw him.* Sometimes the Wudang Clan is something to mess with.

Cha’s most adapted–and possibly referenced–books are the Condor Trilogy:  Legend of Condor Heroes; Return of the Condor Heroes; and, Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre. They are sequels, but follow family and kung fu school lines more than the adventures of any one protagonist through three novels. And luckily for us, McLehose Press is planning on translated the whole trilogy into English. The first volume, Legends of the Condor Heroes: A Hero Born, translanted by Anna Holmwood, is now available. No English speakers will ever need to struggle like I did again. The kung fu fantasy works of Louis Cha will be available to us all–or at least some of them.

Dr. Louis Cha Leung-yung was born in 1924 in Haining, Jiaxing, China and lives in Hong Kong. That’s right, Cha is still going at 94. He has worked as an editor editor and journalist, but it was his wuxia novels, written between 1955 and 1972 under the pseudonym “Jin Yong,” (Kam Yung in Cantonese) that brought him a tremendous success. According to Holmwood, “sales of his books worldwide stand at 300 million, and if bootleg copies are taken into consideration, that figure rises to a staggering one billion.”

Cha got his start as a copy editor in 1947 at Shanghai’s Ta Kung Po newspaper. He became deputy editor of Hong Kong’s Hsin Wan Po. He left journalism briefly to work as as screenwriter for Great Wall Movie Enterprises, Ltd. In 1959, Cha co-founded Hong Kong’s Ming Pao newspaper. And it was primarily Ming Pao that serialized his fifteen wuxia stories. His first was The Romance Of The Book And The Sword (1955). His last was Sword of the Yue Maiden. He retired from writing fiction in 1972 and he’s been updating and revising the work ever since. There was a time in the 1970s when his books were simultaneously banned in both the Mainland–because it was seen as satirizing and criticizing the Chinese government–and in Taiwan–because it was seen as somehow pro-Communist, anti-Kuomintang and critical of Taiwan’s one-party rule.In 1995, he retired from his position as editor-in-chief of Ming Pao. Cha has been active in Hong Kong politics, helping draft the Hong Kong Basic Law and then working on the Preparatory Committee in advance of the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. And he’s spent much of the new millennium pursuing higher education. He studied at St. John’s College in Cambridge, receiving a doctorate in Chinese history in 2010. And the South China Morning Post reports that Cha (might have) received another doctorate, this one in Chinese literature from Peking University in 2013. Of course, this doesn’t even begin to cover his probable knowledge of martial arts like the Nine Yin Manual and 18 Dragon Palm. One assumes Dr. Cha is cultured in all things.

Dr. Louis Cha via the South China Morning Post

Whenever I think of Louis Cha, I think of Tony Leung Chiu-wai in Wong Kar-Wai’s In The Mood For Love (2000). Sure, there is lovely music and melancholy love with the sartorially unstoppable Maggie Cheung, but it is easy to overlook that not only is Tony Leung a writer, he is a writer of wuxia novels. I’m not saying that Wong made a movie about Louis Cha’s love life, which I hope is less depressing, but I think Cha and writers like Gu Long  and Wang Dulu were in the background. Especially after Ashes Of Time. And Ashes of Time is a lot easier to follow if you realize it is a deconstruction of the Condor Trilogy. It relies on the same kind of familiarity that Peter Greenaway relies on people having with The Tempest in watching Prospero’s Books (1991). I love that the touchstones for both extremely artsy-fartsy directors are different. I love that Wong works with a serialized wuxia writer. It would be like Greenaway deconstructing Tolkien or Robert E. Howard**—but all wrapped up together. The high and low brow have a common enemy. God save us from the middle brow.

And Cha is being compared to Tolkien and George R. R. Martin in many of the reviews of A Hero Born. In fact, right on the cover a blurb from the Irish Times reads, “A Chinese Lord of the Rings.” And I get it. It’s short hand. People need some kind of reference before they’ll pick up the book. That’s fine. There will be plenty of time for pedantry later. Once people have read the book and become Cha fans, they can start arguing on the internet, “Hey, Louis Cha is a much more prolific author than Tolkien ever was with a more profound influence on Chinese language literature and readers.”

I would probably make those comparisons myself if my first encounter with Cha’s characters and stories hadn’t been Kung Fu Cult Master. Then again, Kung Fu Cult Master is the first half of a projected two-art adaptation but, like Ralph Bakshi’s animated Lord of the Rings, there was never a part two. So. Yeah. It’s just that I don’t know what other comparison to make.

In an interview with South China Morning Post, Anna Holmwood describes Legends of the Condor Heroes: A Hero Born as “China’s Walter Scott mixed with The Lord of the Rings fantasy things. That’s exactly what it is.” For their part, the SCMP copy editor chose a title comparing the trilogy with George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice And Fire. A Hero Born is wuxia at its best. It’s 1205 CE and the Jin are encroaching on the Song Empire. The emperor is unworthy and the people are oppressed. Itinerant heroes try to make things right. Two of them, Skyfury Guo and Ironheart Yang encounter a grumpy Taoist priest Chu Qiuji*** who, while heroic, is a jerk. He avidly demonstrates why the Wu Tang Clan is nothing to mess with. Guo and Yang become involved in a fight with soldiers and must flee. Their children, Guo Jing and Yang Kang grow up on different sides of the conflict. Plus, there’s Genghis Khan! And a secret beggar sect! And one of my favorite characters keeps his wife’s body in a frozen cave! I wish I could do better, but I’ll just suggest you read the book, read the comics, watch the tv shows and movies.

Oh, yeah, and there’s plenty of fantastic kung fu move and school names and action. Comics, while also working in a static medium, don’t face the same kinds of challenges a novel does in depicting action. Comics creator Ma Wing-Shing in particular captures the force of the martial arts masters moves. I am particularly fond of his chi lines. But Holmwood has some interesting thoughts on translating the names of the various stances, fists and swords as well as conveying the choreography of a fight sans images.

“The name [of these moves] is very evocative and it’s part of the creating of the world, but what really matters to readers is can they follow who is doing what, what the actions are, who is hitting whom, and how they are hitting them,” she said. “When you are translating, you have to read on such a careful and deep level. You are constantly asking yourself: is the hand going there? Is it going up or down? How is this move working? That’s the most challenging part – is to be able to express what the actions are in a way that is going to be vivid on the page and people can clearly understand and follow what’s happening.”

“You can shorten sentences to make the action move, and use some short punchy verbs that make the actions very fast,” she said. “When you want to draw attention to the moment for dramatic effect, you add more details, slow it down, and make the sentence a big longer.”

And I have to say it works. Right from the start of A Hero Born, I easily imagine Chu Qiuji’s unnecessarily brutal fights with the heroes he mistakes for scoundrels. Does it help that I’ve read Ma Wing-Shing, Tony Wong and seen film and television adaptations of Cha’s stories? Maybe. But Holmwood does a good job of taking readers into the martial world. I can’t wait for the next translated volume of Legend of Condor Heroes finally presented if not in its original serial format, something close. McLehose is planning three more volumes of Legend of Condor Heroes before starting on Return of the Condor Heroes–making this a burly “trilogy.”

Ma Wing-Shing demonstrates how to draw punching.

  I wrote more about Ma Wing-Shing and his adaptation of Hero here.

*This Taoist is no Chang San-Fung / Zhang Sanfang.

***Or finally making my long hoped for film, Peter Greenaway’s Batman and Robin.

*There is one disreputable Taoist and then there is Chu Qiuji, who is extremely reputable, but incredibly judgmental and harsh. I am afraid to think of what Chu Qiuji might be without Taoism.

 ~~~

Cured of the Jinx Palm, Carol Borden has retired to Peach Blossom Island to study Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

The Many Forms of Louis Cha’s Condor Heroes Jet 's Chang Mo-Kei's kung fu has been struck by the Jinx Palm, blocking his chi, destroying his ability to perform kung fu and causing him to need constant infusions of chi from Taoist priest…

[architectnews]

Mecanoo cloaks palatial Tainan Public Library with decorative aluminium cladding

Patterned aluminium panels wrap the stepped exterior of the Tainan Public Library, which Dutch studio Mecanoo and local office MAYU Architects have completed in southern Taiwan.

The 37,000-square-metre library, located in the city of Tainan, houses over a million books, alongside collections of music, films and modern art.

Its palatial, staggered form was designed by Mecanoo and MAYU Architects to pay homage to local vernacular, including the city's old temples with cantilevered roofs.

Above: Tainan Public Library references local temples. Top image: it has an inverted stepped form

"The oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan has a rich history influenced by different cultures," explained Mecanoo.

"There are remnants of maritime trade with Europe in the 17th century, of the Chinese Ming Dynasty and Japanese settlements from the beginning of the 20th century."

It is wrapped in decorative aluminium cladding

"The city is rich in temples, including the famous 17th century Confucius Temple with its cantilevered roofs and beautifully carved ceilings," added the studio.

"The new library takes from this history, is inspired by the local culture and has been designed for the tropical climate of Tainan."

Its stepped form creates sheltered outdoor space

From afar, Tainan Public Library is distinguished by its large, overhanging upper floor, which is enclosed by aluminium panels adorned with ornate, floral cut-outs.

According to Mecanoo, these panels are modelled on "latticed windows in the old town" and are designed to filter out light and heat during the day while illuminating the building at night.

Its overhanging over floor distinguishes the building from afar

While referencing local vernacular, the staggered exterior of the building also creates a series of sheltered, outdoor spaces, including four sunken patios for outdoor events.

Here, the slender columns that support the upper floors are arranged in groups of four and are intended to give the feeling of walking through a bamboo forest.

The atrium features an installation by Paul Cocksedge

Inside, Tainan Public Library contains different sections dedicated to multimedia, children, teenagers, adults and the city's heritage.

These stand alongside exhibition spaces, a theatre, offices and maker spaces, as well as a study room that is open twenty-four hours a day.

A sculptural red staircase joins is a centrepiece

Entering the building, visitors are greeted by a large atrium that is overlooked by each floor.

Overhead is an installation by UK designer Paul Cocksedge that is composed of suspended sheets of paper, symbolising "freedom of thought and the pleasure of reading".

The atrium and surrounding ground floor spaces are dominated by a wooden material palette, designed to feel warm and welcoming.

On one side, revealed through openings in a slatted wall, is a contrasting sculptural staircase that is painted bright red. This is a centrepiece within the building, visible from each level.

The library incorporates study spaces

The upper levels of the Tainan Public Library have bolder finishes, including bright yellow floors with contrasting black furnishings and circular pendant lights.

The first space visitors pass through is the multimedia library, which is filled with seating and cosy alcoves to watch the film collections. Above are the general and heritage book collections, with links to the roof gardens the complete the building and provide uninterrupted views over the city.

Yellow floors are contrasted with black furnishings

Mecanoo was founded in the Netherlands in 1984 by Dutch architect Francine Houben. Its collaboration with MAYU Architects on the Tainan Public Library follows its recent completion of a giant red cultural centre in Shenzhen that comprises an art gallery, science museum, youth centre and bookshop.

Mecanoo also designed a city library in Birmingham, England, which also has a distinctive stepped form and an ornate facade clad with metallic rings that nod to the city's jewellery quarter.

Elsewhere, the studio is currently developing a proposal for a copper-coloured tower alongside Frankfurt station as well as a sinuous maritime museum for Rotterdam harbour.

Photography is by Ethan Lee.

Project credits:

Project team: Mecanoo and MAYU Client: Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government, Taiwan Construction: Envision Engineering Consultants Installation advisor: Frontier Tech Institute of Engineering Design & Consultant Wayfinding: Path & Landforms Contractor: Fu Tsu Construction, Shing Tai Hydro-Power Engineering Design principals: Francine Houben, Malone Chang and Yu-lin Chen Mecanoo design team: Rodrigo Louro, Friso van der Steen, Rodrigo Bandini, Johan Hanegraaf, Rachel Lin, Yuli Huang, Yuanyuan Chen, Natalia Leszcynska, George Orfanopoulos, Antonio Sanna, Wanjen Lin, Yunying Chiu, Tsailing Shih, Eliano Felicio and Nienke Andersson MAYU design team: Ting-yi Lo, Yun-shan Huang, Che-sheng Wang, Ting-yi Lo, Che-sheng Wang, Chia-ru Lin, Beatrice Cordella, Meng-yue Ruan, Qi-ping Yang, Li-chi Yeh, Ya-zhi Guo, Che-kang liu, Yun-shan Huang, Chia-ru Lin, Ting-yi Lo, Ya-yun Wang, Wei-chieh Pan, Yun Chen, Ting-yi Li, Cheng-wei Li, Chih-hung Wang, Yung-hsien Fang, Jui-pao Chan, Tien-hsi Hsu, Ya-tieh Yu, Guan-wun Chen and Yu-lun Liang

The post Mecanoo cloaks palatial Tainan Public Library with decorative aluminium cladding appeared first on Dezeen.

[badmintop]

Pebulutangkis Indonesia U-15 Dan U-17 Bawa Pulang Dua Gelar Dari Myanmar

Pebulutangkis Indonesia membawa pulang dua gelar dari ajang turnamen bulutangkis Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships 2017 yang berlangsung di National Indoor Stadium (1) Thu Wun Na Rangon Myanmar.

Berita Bulutangkis Terbaru - Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships 2017

Dua gelar Indonesia ini dipersembahkan masing masing satu gelar dari kategori ganda putri U-17 sedangka satu gelar lainnya didapatkan oleh pasangan ganda campuran U-15. Indonesia sendiri sebenarnya berkesempatan membawa pulang satu gelar dari nomer tunggal putri U-15 dan ganda campuran U-17. Sayangnya, wakil-wakil Indonesia gagal mengalahkan lawan-lawannya dan hanya puas menjadi runner up.

Ganda campuran U-17 Indonesia yakni Leo Rolly Carnando dan Metya Inayah Cindiani yang merupakan unggulan kedua harus kalah dari ganda campuran unggulan satu asal Hong Kong yakni Ko Shing hei dan Yeung Pui Lam dalam dua game langsung dengan skor 21-10 dan 21-19.

Indonesia baru mendapatkan gelar setelah pasangan ganda putri Indonesia U-17melakoni partai All Indonesian Finals. Ganda putri Putri Larasatti dan Melanni Mamahit sukses mengandaskan ganda putri asal Indonesia lainnya yakni Kelly Larissa dan Shelandry Vyola dengan skor 21-14 dan 21-15.

Gelar kedua Indonesia kemudian didapatkan dari pasangan ganda campuran muda U-15 yakni Muhammad Ridwanul Arifin yang berpasangan dengan Fadillah Nur Hidayah. Keduanya mengalahkan ganda campuran Thailand Wisa Srisuriya dan Pornnicha Suwatanodom 22-20 dan 21-16.

Satu gelar dari nomer tunggal gagal dipersembahkan oleh Stephani Widjaja. Pebulutangkis Jaya Raya Jakarta ini gagal menjinakkan wakil dari India yakni Samiya Imad Farooqui. Ia kalah dalam 3 game dengan skor akhir 15-21 21-17 21-19.

Thailand sendiri menjadi juara umum di turnamen ini dengan meraup tiga gelar dari 10 gelar yang dipertandingkan di Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships 2017 atau Kejuaraan Bulutangkis Asia U-15 dan U-17 tahun 2017. Raihan yang didapatkan Indonesia membuatnya menjadi nomer dua di bawah Thailand dengan dua emas dan dua perak.

Berikut ini hasil lengkap pertandingan babak final turnamen bulutangkis Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships 2017.

Tunggal Putra U17 : Kunlavut Vitidsarn [1] [Thailand] Versus Jhy Dar Ooi [Malaysia] 21-6 21-8

Tunggal Putri U17 : Pattarasuda Chaiwan [1] [Thailand] Versus Riko Gunji [Japan] 21-5 21-15

Ganda Campuran U17 : Ko Shing Hei [1]/Yeung Pui Lam [Hong Kong] Versus Leo Rolly Carnando [2]/Metya Inayah Cindiani [Indonesia] 21-10 21-19

Ganda Putri U17 : Putri Larasati/Melanni Mamahit [Indonesia] Versus Kelly Larissa/Shelandry Vyola [Indonesia] 21-14 21-15

Ganda Putra U17 : Cheng Kai Wen/Chiu Yuh Hong [Chinese Taipei] Versus Jacky Jing Hong Kok/Jhy Dar Ooi [Malaysia] 21-18 21-16

Tunggal Putri U15 : Samiya Imad Farooqui [3] [India] Versus Widjaja Stephani [Indonesia] 15-21 21-17 21-19

Ganda Putri U15 : Pornpicha Choeikeewong/Pornnicha Suwatanodom [Thailand] Versus Krittaporn Jiantanet [1]/Sasikarn Piyawatcharavijit [Thailand] 21-11 23-21

Tunggal Putra U15 : Riki Takei [5] [Japan] Versus Puritat Arree [3] [Thailand] 13-21 21-17 21-16

Ganda Campuran U15 : Muhammad Ridwanul Arifin/Fadillah Nur Hidayah [Indonesia] Versus Wisa Srisuriya/Pornnicha Suwatanodom [Thailand] 22-20 21-16

Ganda Putra U15 : Muhammad Fazriq Mohamad Razif/Zhen Yi Ong [Malaysia] Versus Lin Hao-Chi/Wen Sheng Hao [Chinese Taipei] 21-18 21-16

from Bulutangkisbadminton.com http://ift.tt/2fTxbnj

[bigbrainer]

Hong Kong land task forces

Government

http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/2108759/land-supply-task-force-signals-new-government

Citizens

Organization / Profession Name

1. Architect / Donald Choi

2. CoVision 16 / Kwan Siu Lun

3. Central and Western District Concern Group / Katty Law

4. Designing Hong Kong / Paul Zimmerman

5. Engineer / Ronald Taylor

6. Engineer / C M Lee

7. Finance/Economy / David Webb

8. HKBU (Department of Geography) / Tang Wing Shing

9. HK Countryside Foundation / Lam Chiu Ying

10. University professor / Dr. Brian Fong

11. HKU / Billy Hau

12. Institute of Future Cities, CUHK / Mee Kam Ng

13. CUHK / Leung Kai Chi

14. Land Watch / Lee Wing Tat

15. East Lantau Metropolis Concern Group / Tom Yam

16. Legal / Azan Marwah

17. Legal / Ruy Barretto

18. Legislator, Land Justice League / Chu Hoi Dick

19. Legislator, Housing Authority / Andrew Wan Siu Kin

20. Liber Research / Chan Kim Ching

21. Liber Research / Camille Lam

22. Town Planner / Ian Brownlee

23. ProCommons / Albert Lai

24. ProCommons / George Cautherley

25. Surveyor / Edward Yiu

26. Surveyor / Roger Nissim

27. Land Justice League / Leung Tak Ming

http://www.designinghongkong.com/v4/%e3%80%8c%e6%b0%91%e9%96%93%e5%9c%9f%e5%9c%b0%e8%b3%87%e6%ba%90%e5%b0%88%e5%ae%b6%e7%b5%84%e3%80%8d%e6%88%90%e7%ab%8b-formation-of-a-citizens-task-force-on-land-resources-2/

[24movieworld]

“Ip Man: Final Fight” provides the perfect conclusion to a great story

Starting in 2008, Ip Man, the master of Wing Chun, has featured as the main character in a number of movies and a TV series. “Final Fight” presents the story of his last period, when he moved to Hong Kong from Foshan, following the victory of the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War, since he was a police officer of the previous regime, the Kuomintang.

“Ip Man: Final Fight” is released by Cine Asia

The film begins in 1949, upon his arrival in Hong Kong, where a sick and alone, 56 -year-old Ip Man (his wife and son had stayed in Foshan) starts teaching Wing Chun on the rooftop of a building that houses the hotel staff’s general association. He meets and accepts new students from every part of society, and his class consists of laborers, a lot of which are members of the labor movement, correctional officers, even policemen. Among them, the central ones are Tang Shing, a police officer, Leung Sheung, the chairman of the general association, Wong Tung, a correctional officer, and the wives of the last two, Lee King and Chan Sei-mui.

Unavoidably, as the labor movement erupts in Hong Kong, the different status of his students brings conflict among them, although Ip Man uses his influence to help them any way he can. Eventually his wife comes to Hong Kong, but does not stay much, since she has left their son behind. This, however, is the last time he sees her, as she dies shortly after returning to Foshan, and eventually his son comes to live with him. His circle of students take care of Ip Man, both financially and domestically, while he meets Jenny during a fair, and becomes romantically involved with her, to the disappointment of his students and particularly the female ones.

The challenges never stop for Ip Man, this time having to face Ng Chung, a White Crane Style master, and finally, the local crime lord, Dragon, who hosts some underground fights that involve some of Ip Man’s students.

Herman Yau directs the most humanistic entry in the franchise, focusing more on Ip Man as a man than as a martial artist, through his relationship with his students and his family. In that fashion, although once more idealized to some degree, Ip Man’s portrait is realistic enough, presenting a man with principles, but also with passions, and one who is not above breaking the law in order to protect his students. His relationship with Jenny is the most distinct aspect of this style tactic.

Anthony Wong’s casting in the titular role also moves towards this direction, as the veteran actor highlights his character’s martial arts background (he is a lifelong martial arts practitioner and spent over a year preparing for the role) but also his human side. The same applies to Eric Tsang’s presence as Ng Chung, with the two of them inducing their characters with a gusto that benefits the film to the largest degree. Furthermore, Wong is, once more, as cool as ever, in both the dramatic and the action scenes, with the scenes he appears smoking being the highlights of his style. Zhou Chuchu as Jenny provides another distinct performance, with a style that suits the role of the femme fatale/ apple of discord perfectly. Xiong Xinxin as Dragon has a small but rather distinct role as the ultimate villain of the film, with his physique benefitting the role to the fullest.

Herman Yau paid much attention to the depiction of the era the film takes place in, with the presentation of Hong Kong from the 50’s to the 70’s being accurate as much as artful. Chan Kwong-hung has done a great work in the cinematography of the film, with the panoramic / rotating shots from drones and the depiction of the different settings (roads, slums, poor and rich houses, jail, etc) presenting a number impressive, and vividly colored, images. Another great technical aspect of the movie are Thomas Chong’s costumes, which highlight the transitional era in Hong Kong, with tradition co-existing with modernism and the oriental with the occidental. Jan hung Mak’s subtle but characteristic music also fits the general aesthetics of the film.

None of the above, however, means that the movie is void of action. To the contrary, the martial arts sequences are many and quite impressive, as they usually feature many actors at the same time on the scene. In that fashion, Chung Chi Li and Kwok Lam Sin have done a great job in the choreographies, along with the stunt team. Obviously, Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang are doubled on the most demanding scenes, but Wai Chiu Chung does a great job editing those sequences in a way that makes this tactic almost invisible.

Both the action choreography and the production values find their apogee in three scenes. The one where the strikers clash with the police, the fight among the students of the two schools, and most of all the final sequence, where the rain provides a factor that makes the scene even more impressive.

“Ip Man: Final Fight” is a very entertaining spectacle, as it combines elaborately, drama and action, in a visually impressive package.

from Blogger http://ift.tt/2r0RbaT

[waha-no-baka]

Xi you: Xiang mo pian ou Journey to the West, vu sur Akihabara no Sasayaki http://ift.tt/2o25wSP Xi you: Xiang mo pian ou Journey to the West # Bloc TechniqueTitre original : 西遊·降魔篇, Xi you xiang mo pianGenre : aventure, comédie, fantastiqueScénario : Stephen Chow, Derek Kwok, Xin Huo et Yun WangRéalisation : Stephen Chow et Derek KwokPays d’origine : ChineDurée : 110 minutesDate de sortie : 2013Casting : Shu Qi : mademoiselle Duan Zhang Wen : Xuanzang Huang Bo : Sun Wukong, le Roi des Singes Show Luo : Prince Important Lee Shing-cheung : moine sable Chen Bingqiang : KL Hog Cheng Sihan : maître sans nom Xing Yu : poing de l'étoile du nord Lu Zhengyu : tueur 1 Chi Ling Chiu : tueur 2 Di Yang : tueur 3 Chrissie Chow : tueur 4 Hangyu Ge : tueur 5 Min Hun Fung : moine taoïste Lun Yeung : maire # Synopsis de senscritique Le monde est en proie à des démons, provocant la souffrance des humains. Le jeune Xuan Zang capture ces démons, et, guidé par sa volonté, il décide de les combattre. Risquant sa vie, il va essayer d’en capturer et de le convaincre de l’aider dans le but de secourir le monde en entamant un voyage à la conquête des écritures bouddhistes sacrées, se situant à l’Ouest. # Trailer # info C'est une adaptation du célèbre roman chinois La Pérégrination vers l'Ouest qui est une fable chinoise utilisé dans plein de manga comme Dragon Ball, naruto, Belzebub et Love Hina Tags : #film #chinois http://ift.tt/2p5sVVl

[ozu-teapot]

Mad Detective | Johnnie To / Ka-Fai Wai | 2007

Wai Leung Hung, Chi-Shing Chiu, Suet Lam, Jay Lau, Ching Ting Law, Siu-Fai Cheung, Ka-kit Cheung

[architectnews]

Tainan Public Library, Taiwan

Tainan Public Library, Taiwan Building, Taiwanese Real Estate, Architecture Project, Images

Tainan Public Library in Taiwan

15 Feb 2021

Tainan Public Library

Architects: Mecanoo

Location: Tainan, Taiwan

The oldest city in Taiwan, Tainan has a rich history influenced by different cultures. There are remnants of maritime trade with Europe in the 17th century, of the Chinese Ming Dynasty and Japanese settlements from the beginning of the 20th century. The city is rich in temples, including the famous 17th century Confucius Temple with its cantilevered roofs and beautifully carved ceilings.

The new Tainan Public Library takes from this history, is inspired by the local culture and has been designed for the tropical climate of Tainan. It is home to the city’s cultural heritage, modern art, music, films and over a million books, including more than 16,000 from the Japanese occupation period and of course, is equipped with the latest technologies of a modern library.

Bamboo forest The most striking feature is the inverted stepped shape of the library. Slender columns support the cantilevers in rhythmically placed quartets, giving a feeling of weaving your way through a modern bamboo forest. The striking crown of the building is surrounded by vertical aluminium slats with carved flower patterns, which are reminiscent of the decorative latticed windows in the old town. These slats filter the light and keep the heat out.

In the evening, this unique facade is recognizable from afar. The stepped building offers shelter to visitors both inside and outside and creates a smooth transition from exterior and interior. Below the cantilevers are four sunken patios for outdoor activities, with the largest accessible from the square; lectures, concerts and exhibitions can be organized here. Looking up, you can see the special finish of the awnings: champagne-coloured aluminium panels with a linear staggered relief, providing additional decorative elements to the facades. The rational construction of the library allows maximum flexibility, so that the building is prepared for future changes.

Art and books Once inside, the double-height atrium is inhabited with a work of art by Paul Cocksedge. The installation seems to freeze the moment when white sheets of paper are blown away by the wind, symbolising freedom of thought and the pleasure of reading. Art is exhibited everywhere in the building, not just to look at but also interactive art to touch and play with.

A red sculptural staircase adds an exciting element to the geometric building, intersecting all levels and is visible everywhere through the subtle wooden-slatted flight of stairs.

The ground floor is spacious, transparent and warm due to the wood finish. Upon entry, you are greeted by an arrivals area and the welcome desk, a living room is also located here where you can read newspapers and magazines. Touchscreens with which you can explore the collection and a self-service point for borrowing books also feature on this level. The children’s library with imaginative bookcases and an adjoining patio under the awning for outdoor play is situated below. This level is also home to a spacious study room with its own entrance, where students can study 24/7.

Heritage collection As you make your way to the upper levels of the building, you first encounter a media library with seating and alcoves where you can watch movies, along with a library for teenagers with its own lounge. The general collection is located on the level above this. Beyond there is a floor dedicated to the heritage collection including the Tainan Memorial Exhibition, Japanese Collection Archive and books by Taiwanese authors.

There are also four outdoor areas situated here, which are arranged as roof gardens, as well as three multifunctional spaces for classrooms/workshops and a cafe. At the top of the building, you will find the theatre and conference hall, along with offices for members of staff. From the uppermost levels of the building, a beautiful view of the city through the vertical slats is on display. Furthermore, the building has an art gallery, a maker space and Braille library. There is also a bookshop, so that you can not only read books, but also purchase them.

Tainan Public Library, Taiwan – Building Information

37.000 m2 library with children’s, teenagers and general collection, exhibition spaces for modern art and heritage collection, 24/7 study room (130 seats), multimedia library, café, theatre (324 seats), conference room (123 seats), offices, multipurpose rooms, maker space, bookshop, archive, parking garage, four patios, roof gardens and a square. Design 2016-2017 Realisation 2017-2020 (opening 2021) Client Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tainan City Government, Taiwan Project team Mecanoo and MAYU Architects Construction Envision Engineering Consultants Installation advisor Frontier Tech Institute of Engineering Design & Consultant Wayfinding Path & Landforms Contractor Fu Tsu Construction, Shing Tai Hydro-Power Engineering

Project Team Mecanoo Design Principal: Francine Houben Design Team: Rodrigo Louro, Friso van der Steen, Rodrigo Bandini, Johan Hanegraaf, Rachel Lin, Yuli Huang, Yuanyuan Chen, Natalia Leszcynska, George Orfanopoulos, Antonio Sanna, Wanjen Lin, Yunying Chiu, Tsailing Shih, Eliano Felicio, Nienke Andersson.

Project Team MAYU architects Design Principal: Malone Chang, Yu-lin Chen Design Team: (SD)Ting-yi Lo, Yun-shan Huang, Che-sheng Wang; (DD/CD)Ting-yi Lo, Che-sheng Wang, Chia-ru Lin, Beatrice Cordella, Meng-yue Ruan, Qi-ping Yang, Li-chi Yeh, Ya-zhi Guo, Che-kang liu; (CA)Yun-shan Huang, Chia-ru Lin, Ting-yi Lo, Ya-yun Wang, Wei-chieh Pan, Yun Chen, Ting-yi Li, Cheng-wei Li, Chih-hung Wang, Yung-hsien Fang, Jui-pao Chan, Tien-hsi Hsu, Ya-tieh Yu, Guan-wun Chen, Yu-lun Liang.

Photography by Ethan Lee

Tainan Public Library, Taiwan images / information received 150221

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