Italiano
The screening and press conference for Fu zi – After This Our Exile (in competition in the Cinema2006 section) by master Hong Kong filmmaker Patrick Tam was held in the Sala Teatro Studio. The press conference was attended by the director, actors Aaron Kwok and (the very young) Ng King-To and the two stars, Charlie Young and Kelly Lin.
The film’s central theme is the relationship between a man and his son, a strong yet desperate bond that disintegrates when the boy is forced to steal to pay off his father’s debts. They meet up ten years, when many things have changed in both their lives.
“Fu zi is my first film after 17 years. It is truly a pleasure to present it here in Rome,” said Tam. “My absence [from cinema] stems also from the fact of not having been able to have complete creative control of my films. I have nevertheless continued working, seeking out new talent and teaching in schools. The screenplay came about from a collaboration with one my students in Malaysia, Tian Koi Leong. “The story revolves around a relationship between a father and son, and family situations are furthermore universal”, he continued. “To me, the boy is the key to interpreting the entire story. He has a difficult relationship with his father and his mother runs away even though she loves him deeply. Thus, all of his childhood memories come back to him. The story is tragic, it opens the heart and touches it profoundly. But what I wanted to stress was the importance of family in our lives. The father-son relationship and a good upbringing are eternal”. On the crisis in Hong Kong cinema, the director emphasised the lack of new talent and screenwriters’ poor abilities.
“This was my first time playing a father, I have to thank Patrick Tam for having given me this opportunity and having taught me so much,” said Aaron Kwok. “I owe much to my personal experiences over the years as well. I started out as a singer, which became a hindrance in the film world. I now want to continue learning, acting, and learning even more”. On his relationship with the young Ng King-To (who was overcome by emotion during the discussion), the actor was very playful: “We get along very well, on the set we played football and on the Playstation”.
The two actresses also commented on their satisfaction. Lin said she was happy for this “great experience, which I will remember for the rest of my life”. Young pointed out that she played a role very different from her part in Seven Swords and that “the story is so pertinent that it reflects the true situation of many families”.
The film’s central theme is the relationship between a man and his son, a strong yet desperate bond that disintegrates when the boy is forced to steal to pay off his father’s debts. They meet up ten years, when many things have changed in both their lives.
“Fu zi is my first film after 17 years. It is truly a pleasure to present it here in Rome,” said Tam. “My absence [from cinema] stems also from the fact of not having been able to have complete creative control of my films. I have nevertheless continued working, seeking out new talent and teaching in schools. The screenplay came about from a collaboration with one my students in Malaysia, Tian Koi Leong. “The story revolves around a relationship between a father and son, and family situations are furthermore universal”, he continued. “To me, the boy is the key to interpreting the entire story. He has a difficult relationship with his father and his mother runs away even though she loves him deeply. Thus, all of his childhood memories come back to him. The story is tragic, it opens the heart and touches it profoundly. But what I wanted to stress was the importance of family in our lives. The father-son relationship and a good upbringing are eternal”. On the crisis in Hong Kong cinema, the director emphasised the lack of new talent and screenwriters’ poor abilities.
“This was my first time playing a father, I have to thank Patrick Tam for having given me this opportunity and having taught me so much,” said Aaron Kwok. “I owe much to my personal experiences over the years as well. I started out as a singer, which became a hindrance in the film world. I now want to continue learning, acting, and learning even more”. On his relationship with the young Ng King-To (who was overcome by emotion during the discussion), the actor was very playful: “We get along very well, on the set we played football and on the Playstation”.
The two actresses also commented on their satisfaction. Lin said she was happy for this “great experience, which I will remember for the rest of my life”. Young pointed out that she played a role very different from her part in Seven Swords and that “the story is so pertinent that it reflects the true situation of many families”.
 
