After working in China directing such internationally acclaimed arthouse hits as Farewell My Concubine and The Emperors And The Assassin, mainland director Chen Kaige (right) said the system of union rules took some getting used to when he made his international directing debut, Killing Me Softly.
'The European crew was very professional and tried its hardest to get things done as best as possible. The biggest difficulties came during winter when the daylight lasted for about six or seven hours, so we had to make the most of our shooting time,'' Chen said.
'Even then, with the union rules, we had to take an hour off for lunch. So, we were always facing that time pressure. In China, people would just rush through lunch and get on with it,' Chen said at a luncheon to meet distributors at the Cannes International Film Festival.
'But being fully briefed by my producers helped tremendously in ironing out whatever other difficulties there might have been. However, I could not be really relaxed on the set. Maybe next time it will be better.'
Killing Me Softly, which stars Heather Graham and Joseph Fiennes, was filmed entirely in England. The movie tells the story of a research scientist who opts out of a safe relationship only to form an obsessive bond with a mysterious mountaineer. It is scheduled for European release in October.
Although he has now had his first taste of international film-making, Chen said he would not be forsaking his homeland for greener pastures. 'I want to do both Chinese movies and international ones. Ideally, I would like to be able to alternate between them,' he said.