I was misquoted on June 4 massacre, says Tony Leung
Award-winning actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai has denied voicing support for the central government's actions during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, after human rights activists accused him of selling his conscience to boost his career on the mainland.
The former Cannes award-winner said in a statement that B International magazine had 'misquoted' him and taken his comments on his new movie, Hero - which premiered last night - out of context.
In the interview, the 40-year-old was said to have drawn an analogy between Beijing and the emperor Qin Shihuang, portrayed in Hero, by saying he supported the tyrannical emperor's actions as long as they led to peace.
'I agree with the message of peace and human kindness in the film,' he was quoted as saying. 'For example, during the June 4 incident, I didn't join in any demonstrations because what the Chinese government did was right - to maintain stability, which was good for everybody.'
However, after activists accused the star of ignorance, a statement was released on his behalf saying it had not been his intention to make personal comments on political issues.
'We would like to first clarify that his interview was misquoted,' it said. 'He regrets any misunderstanding over this matter.'
But the editor-in-chief of B International, Angelica Cheung, last night maintained Leung had not been misquoted, saying she took down everything he said 'word for word'.
'We are not a political magazine and have nothing to gain from [misquoting him]. I was actually very surprised when he offered the analogy because we had not mentioned it at all,' Ms Cheung said. 'If you read the whole interview, you will see that his analogy fits in perfectly. It is not out of context at all.'
Hero, with a US$31 million [HK$240 million] budget, has been heralded by critics as the next Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which won four Oscars last year. An edited version of the film, directed by Zhang Yimou, ran in Shenzhen and Beijing for seven days in October so it would qualify for next year's Oscars.
Hero goes on general release in Hong Kong today and across the mainland tomorrow.
At last night's premiere at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, co-star Maggie Cheung Man-yuk said she was thrilled that Hero had made it through a preliminary round of judging for the best foreign film Oscar. 'Getting through the first round alone is very good,' she said.
The premiere was attended by Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and the film's stars, Leung, Cheung and Donnie Yen. Faye Wong, who sings the film's theme song, also attended.
