Grande Ecole

Grande Ecole
(2004)
Directed by
Robert Salis
Writing credits Robert Salis (scenario) &
Jean-Marie Besset
Cast overview, first billed only:

Gregori Baquet....Paul
Alice Taglioni ....Agnès
Jocelyn Quivrin....Louis-Arnault
Elodie Navarre....Emeline
Arthur Jugnot....Chouquet
Salim Kechiouche ....Mécir
Eva Darlan ....Mme Chouquet

Every year the French education system filters out students who are earmarked as potential candidates for high ranking government positions. They are shipped off to a number of schools known as "Grandes Ecoles," where they are trained to become future leaders of the country. GRANDE ECOLE is a scandalous dramatization of events that happen among the fiercely competitive students, focusing on a burgeoning homosexual relationship between two roommates.
The strict rules of the school forbid such contact, and the students soon come to blows with the overly fussy administration, who seek to clamp down on the boys activities. The tension between the students and the school officials builds to an unbearable breaking point, with director Robert Salis drawing on the main characters ethnic origins to add another facet to the conflict. A brave statement on the state of contemporary French schooling, GRANDE ECOLE is a powerful, moving drama from a director who, on this evidence, has a glittering future ahead of him.
Reviews
Paul is the hunky son of a Marseilles contractor. Raised to be brilliant but also racist (snubbing Arabs) and classist (snubbing blue-collar workers and the poor), Paul is sent to an elite Parisian economics college where he is supposed to learn about management and marketing. But Paul isn't his father's son. He's artistically-minded (which should be your first clue about his inner life) and rejects his father's biases. Soon, Paul has taken up with Agnes, a young woman who is attending the liberal-arts university next door and who is an avid supporter of human rights.
One of Paul's roommates is Louis-Arnault, a hunky business major with a penchant for water polo (he comes from a legendarily wealthy background) and girls. The other is the materialistic, shallow, rich boy, Chouquet.
Paul has a stunning girlfriend, the beautiful Emeline, who also attends the school of economics. While Louis-Arnault's and Emeline's relationship seems stable and loving, Paul's relationship with Agnes seems a bit rockier. Paul loves Agnes, but is a little emotionally and physically withdrawn from her.
It's not long before Paul develops an intense homosexual crush on the handsome, athletic Louis-Arnault -- even going so far as to steal his boxers! Then the handsome Arabian blue-collar worker, Mecir, arrives on campus as part of the construction crew renovating buildings on the school grounds. Paul is equally attracted to Mecir.
Agnes is no dummy: She senses Paul's ambivalence and proposes a test. If Paul seduces Louis-Arnault first, Agnes will leave and never say a word. If Agnes seduces Louis-Arnault first, then Paul must give up his homosexual longings and be exclusively heterosexual and monogamous with her.The great problem with the film is that it is not entirely clear why Agnes would suggest such a thing. For his part, Paul never agrees to Agnes' plan -- so just what does Agnes think she is doing?
After the first hour, Chouquet drops completely out of the picture -- which is frustrating. Mecir figures more and more prominently in Paul's sex life and emotions. But just as the viewer expects religion to become an issue (Mecir is clearly a practicing Muslim), it doesn't.
Much more satisfying is the film's extensive commentary on the emotional desert that is capitalism, greed and materialism. There is a tremendously important and well-written discussion during the film's climax that is a real wonder. The grand ideas fly fast and furious, and the writing and acting is pure gold there.
For the most part, however, the film's sexual themes -- which are ostensibly it's raison d'etre -- are muddy. The film's commentaries on race, class, materialism and the burden of history are much clearer and more satisfying.
Overall, the quality of the acting is rather good. Salim Kechiouche is superb, and Gregori Baquet has his moments. Also rising above the fray is Alice Taglioni, who is subtle and powerful as the put-upon Agnes.

Gregori Baquet
Actor
Born on December 11, 1970 in Paris (France)
Currently in the series: A woman of honour , Limiting Extreme
Biography
At 6 years, his/her father, Maurice Bucket , the registered voter with the academy, where it learns the piano. It is put then at the clarinet, the saxophone and the song. It takes its first steps on scene in the troop of its college. In order to devote itself to this passion, it decides to give up its studies.
After its military service, it signs its first contract with Karim Salah, who allows him to play in plays of Molière or Shakespeare, like Hamlet . It plays sides of Jean Marais and Bernadette Lafont in Arlésienne .

With the cinema, it obtains small roles in the white Queen at the sides of Catherine Deneuve and Richard Bohringer , like in film of Jean-Pierre Ronssin , Irresolu . Large school of Robert Dirtied , makes it possible to him to interpret the role of a homosexual student. It turns in two short films, Attention AIDS (of Paul Boujenah ) and the Life of dead (of Arnaud Desplechin ).

The face of Grégori also appears on the small screen, om it interprets Mathieu in Limiting the Extrême series . It is, thereafter, with the credits of several tele series, like the Holidays of the Love , an episode of Joséphine, guardian angel and a Woman of honour , for which it incarne the gendarme Stéphane Cluzeau.
The Tatoo short film , mark its beginnings as a realizer.

Jocelyn Quivrin
Artiste interprète Cinéma
Long métrage
2005 JACQUOU LE CROQUANT Réal. Laurent BOUTONNAT
2004 L'EMPIRE DES LOUPS Réal. Chris NAHON
2004 SYRIANA Réal. Steven GAGHAN
2003 GRANDE ÉCOLE Réal. Robert SALIS
2003 L'OUTREMANGEUR Réal. Thierry BINISTI
2002 SANS ELLE Réal. Anna de PALMA
2001 QUI VEUT DEVENIR UNE STAR ? Réal. Patrice POOYARD
2000 FÉROCE Réal. Gilles de MAISTRE
1999 SANS PLOMB Réal. Muriel TEODORI
1999 LE PROF Réal. Alexandre JARDIN
1999 PIERRE MÉGEMONT Réal. BEFSCHNARGE
1998 PEUT-ÊTRE Réal. Cédric KLAPISCH
1998 NOËL EN FAMILLE Réal. Aruna VILLIERS et F. BERTHAUD
1997 LAUTREC Réal. Roger PLANCHON
1997 ELIZABETH I Réal. Shekhar KAPUR
1997 LA LEÇON DE MONSIEUR PAILLASSON Réal. Michel FESSLER
1996 AU BOUT DE LA NUIT Réal. Etienne FAURE
1996 COUNTRY BOY Réal. Raphaël SCHNEIDER et Sébastien LAFARGE
1994 FIESTA Réal. Pierre BOUTRON
1994 AU PETIT MARGUERY Réal. Laurent BENEGUI
1993 LE KRASH RECORD Réal. Dominique CHAMPETIER
1992 LOUIS ENFANT ROI Réal. Roger PLANCHON
Sélection officielle Cannes 1993
Court métrage cinéma
1994 OPTION CINÉMA Réal. Patrick VOLSON
Moyen métrage

Artiste interprète Théâtre
2003 L'ÉVENTAIL DE LADY WINDERMERE de Oscar WILDE Adap. Pierre LAVILLE Msc. François-Louis TILLY
1998 DO YOU LOVE ME de Redjep MITROVISTA Festival d'Avignon

Artiste interprète Télévision
Série Télévisée
1999 CHÈRE MARIANNE Réal. Pierre JOASSIN
1999 P J Réal. Gérard VERGEZ
1999 MAIGRET HÉSITE Réal. Denys GRANIER DEFERRE
1999 JULIE LESCAUT Réal. Alain WERMUS
1998 EMBARQUEMENT IMMÉDIAT Réal. Aline ISSERMANN
1997 DOSSIERS DISPARUS Réal. Frédéric DEMONT
1991 OEIL POUR OEIL : BESOIN DE PERSONNE Réal. Nicolas LUBLIN
Téléfilm
2001 L'ENFANT DES LUMIÈRES Réal. Daniel VIGNE
2000 RASTIGNAC Réal. Alain TASMA
Prix d'Interprétation Masculine au Festival de Luchon 2001
2000 CLÉMENT Réal. Emmanuelle BERCOT
2000 NANA Réal. Edouard MOLINARO
1999 FREEYOP (PUB) Réal. Bertrand BLIER
1999 L'OMBRE D'UN DOUTE Réal. Gilles BEHAT
1998 LOTO Réal. Cédric KLAPISH
1998 UN POIDS LOURD SUR LA CONSCIENCE Réal. Alain WERMUS
1998 LA BANQUISE Réal. Pierre LARY
1998 LE DERNIER MOT Réal. Sébastien GRALL
1998 20ÈME SIÈCLE Réal. Hélène GETTARY
1997 LE TEMPS DES SECRETS Réal. Daniel VIGNE
1997 LUTTE ANTI TABAC Réal. Marion VERNOUX
1996 HISTOIRE D'HOMMES Réal. Olivier LANGLOIS
1996 COMME UN MALAISE Réal. Pierre LARY
1995 CLARA ET SON JUGE Réal. Joël SANTONI
1995 MYLÈNE Réal. Claire DEVERS
1994 VANESSA ET LA PETITE DORMEUSE Réal. Philippe TRIBOIT
1990 LES COMPAGNONS DE L'AVENTURE Réal. Christophe ANDREI
1990 PORT BREAC'H Réal. Pierre GOUTAS

Salim Kechiouche

Salim Kechiouche is a young French-Arab actor born on 2 April 1979, in Lyon, France. Salim has the face of an angel and the body of a man, and that combination makes him a dream for many. It is no surprise he was chosen by the famous artists Pierre & Gilles to be the subject on several of their works.

Salim Kechiouche made his acting debut at the age of 16, and plays since then often in gay-themed movies, and frequently gay characters. His film roles have included Jamel in À Toute Vitesse (Full Speed - 1996), Saïd in Les Amants Criminels (Criminal Lovers - 1999) and Kacem in Premières Neiges (1999). He also plays Mécir, the young lower class gay Arab school employee, in Grande Ecole (2004), and proofs he is not afraid to show himself nude, full frontal and in hot sex scenes.
But this young Arab Alain Delon does more then making good movies. Photogenic as he is he posed for several photographers, like Philippe Leroux, Pascal Faure and Philippe Quaisse. He is also a talented stage actor that he proves once again with his excellent performance in the theatre play
LE CENTIEME NOM, the impossible love story between a Jewish and a Palestinian boy.
Kechiouche mainly acts in roles in gay-themed films, often playing gay characters.
Filmography:
* À toute vitesse (1996)
* Les Amants Criminels (1999)
* Premières Neiges (1999)
* Grande École (2004)
* Le Clan (2004)
* Vie et Mort de Pier Paolo Passolini (2004)

Big Eden

Big Eden

(2000)

Directed & Writing credits by
Thomas Bezucha

Cast overview
Arye Gross ....Henry Hart
Eric Schweig ....Pike Dexter
Tim DeKay....Dean Stewart
Louise Fletcher ....Grace Cornwell
George Coe ....Sam Hart
Nan Martin ....Widow Thayer
O'Neal Compton ...Jim Soams
Corinne Bohrer....Anna Rudolph

BIG EDEN
An artist living in NYC returns home to Big Eden, a rural area of Montana, to care for his ailing grandfather. The artist gets reacquainted with people from his past, including an old high school friend. Romantic complications ensue.
This is not a film for viewers looking for lots of fast paced action and excitement. It's more of a character study that focuses on the lives of warm-hearted, ordinary people who are caring and sensitive. People spend a lot of time cooking and eating. (I don't recall a film in which there was so much food). More idealistic than realistic, the film's underlying contemporary message is a welcome change from the usual Hollywood gloom and doom theme. On the other hand, some of the relationships between characters are not obvious, which renders a slightly muddled story.

Overall, "Big Eden" is a well-made movie with good production design, adroit cinematography (that captures a beautiful landscape), and fine acting. And, I like the Tex-Mex music, though to someone like me who lives in Texas, the music seems a little out of place ... so to speak. But maybe not.

One of the best things about "Big Eden" is the inclusion of Nan Martin as an elderly gadabout. With her deep-throated voice and her animated expressions, she stands out as a unique, and thoroughly entertaining, actress. Would love to see her in more films.
I thought I was going to a free screening of Moulin Rouge, and got stuck watching Big Eden instead. I was a little apprehensive about sitting through a gay romantic comedy, but I had a free evening, so I thought, what the hell. And I wound up half-heartedly enjoying myself. Big Eden is the name of a small down in what seems to be the most beautiful (and most liberal-minded) corner of Montana. After 20 years away, Henry Hart (Arye Gross), a neurotic New York painter, is called back to his childhood home in order to take care of his ailing grandfather. Henry is torn up when macho Dean, the object of his teenage infatuations, also shows up in town and wants to pal around like old times. Meanwhile, Pike (Eric Schweig), a surly Native American who runs the local general store, finds himself attracted to Henry, but, unable to come to terms with his feelings (or, like Henry and Dean, his homosexuality), shows his affection for Henry by secretly cooking gourmet dishes that he is nominally delivering to the Hart household as offerings from the dodgy kitchen of the town spinster.

It's sweet, it's harmless, it's fluff. Writer/director Bezucha makes the standard indie mistake of populating his film with wonderful supporting characters (the film's joke is that everybody in this redneck cowboy town is completely aware - and supportive - of Henry and Pike's homosexuality, even while the two men desperately try to keep it hidden) while making his lead yet another dullard whom everybody apparently loves to death even though his personality registers as a big zero with the audience. Also, while you can't go wrong with that breathtaking Montana scenery, Rob Sweeney's cinematography is mostly by-the-books. Joseph Conlan contributes a decent score, though we really don't need to hear a "mystical Indian tune" whenever Pike appears onscreen. That said, if you can deal with a couple of scenes of men kissing each other (let's face it, the gay audience would have a fit of Bezucha kept his leading men's lips apart), you'll have a fine, if forgettable, time with this indie trifle. And Eric Schweig is quite impressive in a surprisingly complex role.

Arye Gross
Stocky, unconventionally handsome supporting player and occasional lead of stage, TV and features. Gross got his start in West Coast stage productions ranging from classics ("The Three Sisters" and "Much Ado About Nothing") to contemporary works ("Room Service" and "Le Bete"). Gross made his feature debut in the "grade Z" actioner "Exterminator 2" (1984) and garnered some attention as C. Thomas Howell's roommate in the lackluster social satire "Soul Man" (1986). This turned out to be the defining role for Gross--the funny sidekick. Other features followed including "Tequila Sunrise" (1988), playing Mel Gibson's informant cousin, "Coup De Ville" (1990), as the middle brother and "A Midnight Clear" (1992), as the Jewish soldier.
While primarily a film and stage actor, Gross is best known for his work on the hit sitcom "Ellen" (ABC, 1994-95) entitled "These Friends of Mine" during its first season. As Adam, Ellen's platonic friend and roommate, Gross added a much needed male perspective to the mostly female forum.
Born: on 03/17/60 in Los Angeles, California
Actor
Education
• University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California, theater
Milestones
• 1984 Feature acting debut, "Exterminator 2"
• 1987 First film in a leading role, "House II: The Second Story"
• 1994 TV series debut as a regular role, "Ellen/These Friends of Mine"
• 2000 Had lead role of a NYC artist who returns to him hometown in Montana to care for his ailing grandfather in "Big Eden"
• Appeared in numerous West Coast stage productions including "The Three Sisters", "Taming of the Shrew" and "Much Ado About Nothing"
• Made TV guest appearances on the series "Different Strokes" and "Knight Rider"
• Performed in several radio plays for NPR (National Public Radio)
• Spent one year with the El Teatro Campesino
• Spent three years as a member of the South Coast Repertory Company

Eric Schweig
A prolific Canadian actor of German and Inuit decent, Eric Schweig has excelled onscreen since his feature debut in the 1990 drama The Shaman's Source. A notable key player in such subsequent features as The Last of the Mohicans, Squanto: A Warrior's Tale, and Ron Howard's The Missing, the stocky, physically imposing Schweig has built a lucrative career in Hollywood by both embracing his Inuit heritage and delivering performances that are thoughtful and moving. Schweig was adopted by a German family living in the Western Arctic shortly after his birth in the Canadian Northwest Territories in the summer of 1967, and though he would spend much of his youth living in Bermuda with his adopted family, the clan eventually returned to Canada to settle in Northern Ontario. Striking out on his own at the age of 16, the resourceful teen made a living by framing houses in his native Canada before a role in a 1987 Ontario stage production of The Cradle Will Fall sparked an interest in acting. In 1992, Schweig's career received just the boost it needed when he was hired by director Michael Mann to appear in The Last of the Mohicans, and the remainder of the 1990s found his onscreen career flourishing thanks to roles in such features as Squanto: A Warrior's Tale, The Scarlet Letter, and Tom and Huck. Schweig's 2000 portrayal of a quiet and unassuming general store owner who unexpectedly falls for a New York artist in the independent drama Big Eden offered what was perhaps his most emotionally complex role to date,
and the grateful actor earned almost unanimous critical praise for his memorable performance. Though Schweig's strong leading performance as a policeman attempting to save his brother from self-destruction in Skins also earned positive critical notice, the film unfortunately went largely unseen. Following a pair of supporting roles in 2003's Mrs. Barrington and Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story, Schweig could next be seen as the menacing mystic whose powers border on the supernatural in acclaimed director Ron Howard's brutal Western The Missing. In addition to his acting career, Schweig has also gained a solid reputation as an artist thanks to his remarkable series of Inuit-inspired masks. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Schweig was born to an Inuit mother and a Chippewa Dene father in Inuvik, the Northwest Territories. At six months he was adopted by a German-Canadian family. During his childhood in Inuvik, Bermuda and Toronto he was systematically physically abused by his adoptive parents and ran away from home when he was 16, to become a laborer.

In 1987 he was "discovered" while walking down a Toronto street and cast in the movie The Shaman's Source. At least 16 other films have followed, most notably as Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans. During this period he endured a "roller coaster of alcohol, drugs, violence, failed relationships, despair and confusion" [Schweig] due to the abuse and racism and ethnic identity deprivation of his childhood.
In 1996 he began to regain his cultural identity and is now primarily a carver, especially of Inuit spirit masks, living on Vancouver Island, but he continues to act in films. He is a passionate opponent of the adoption of aboriginal of native people by Europeans.

Tim DeKay
Big Eden Photos
Tim DeKay was born and raised in Lansing, New York. He graduated from Lansing High School in 1981 and is "quite close to 40." For college, DeKay received a B.S. in Business Administration from Le Moyne College and an M.F.A. in Acting from Rutgers University.
Tim DeKay has had a very varied television career. Last year, he booked the recurring role of Reverend Keyes on "Everwood" and appeared for two episodes. This year, he reprised his "Everwood" role in November and was cast as Clayton Jones on the HBO series "Carnivale." Before "Everwood," he appeared on "Party of Five," "Sports Night," and, "Friends."

DeKay has also had a varied career. He appeared in "Welcome to the Neighborhod," "Big Eden," "Swordfish," and "If These Walls Could Talk."
Tim also has had a very varied theater career. He is a lifetime member orf the Actors Studio and teachs acting workshops at LeMoyne College

Fire in the Soul

Fuego En El Alma (Fire In The Soul)
(2002)
Puerto Rico
Director:
Abdiel Colberg
Stars:
Braulio Castillo, hijo, Idalia Pérez Garay,
Rey Pascual, Raúl Dávila, Julián Gil,
Luisa de los Ríos, Daniela Droz
Runtime: 105 mins

Synopsis
Reflecting the closeness of Puerto-Ricans in New York with those on the island, three stories among couples are set on the island and combined to cast emotions of passion, jealousy, doubt and infidelity- couples that are burned by sudden and unexpected feelings and are pushed to make the decision that will change their lives, forever influenced by the events of September 11 in New York City.

The first story is between Millo and his wife Luisa. He is a Double AA baseball player that has missed his opportunities because his father held him back waiting for something better. His anger has turned into jealousy and frustration that will burst out when a new scout appears in town to recruit players, shying away from Millo and offering him a coaching job instead. Millo’s frustration makes him turn against everybody especially his wife whom he abuses physically, and the scout is the ultimate victim of his outrage. Luisa escapes to New York September 11.

The second story is about a pilot who leads a double life as a married man with a daughter in Puerto Rico and a gay lover in New York, a flight attendant on his crew. His life will be turned upside down when his plane is redirected to Bermuda on his way to New York the morning of September 11.

The third story is about Anhelo, mother of the flight attendant, who meets a younger man, a photojournalist and falls passionately in love with him, putting in jeopardy her reputation as an artist and her marriage of many years. The photojournalist is on his way to cover a conference in the World Trade Center.

Braulio Castillo (hijo)
Actor
Fecha de nacimiento: 30 de agosto
Lugar: Santurce, Puerto Rico
Hijo del primerísimo actor Braulio Castillo, su interés por el campo de la actuación se dio a temprana edad. Pero siendo su padre toda una primera figura del arte, el primogénito de los Castillo pospuso el momento de enfrentarse al reto de actuar en un escenario.

Nacido un 30 de agosto en el Hospital Pavía de Santurce, Braulio cursó estudios secundarios en el Colegio San Antonio de Río Piedras. Y una vez inició su enseñanza universitaria, se acercó al mundo de las comunicaciones en la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Al ingresar al Departamento de Drama, Braulio Castillo hijo comenzó su educación en el arte histriónico dirigido por Dean Zayas.

Durante su periodo de preparación actoral en la U.P.R. trabajó en el proyecto experimental "Eco y Narciso" de Enrique Rentas. Su primera actuación teatral se dio en las escalinatas del Teatro de la Universidad dirigido por Iván Marquez. En esos años universitarios, mientras fungía como locutor radial en su tiempo libre, la actriz Jossie Pérez captó el dramatismo de su voz y lo llevó a debutar profesionalmente en el teatro en noviembre de 1978 con la obra "Filomena Marturano".

Posteriormente Braulio completó su aprendizaje en drama, comedia y musicales al obtener en 1982 un Bachillerato en Arte Dramático del Emerson College de los Estados Unidos.

En el verano de ese mismo año fue contratado por la companía teatral West Stage de Nueva York para participar en las producciones musicales "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", "Fiddler on the Roof" y el clásico de Leonard Bernstein "West Side Story".

En la ciudad de Boston trabajó para el Alley Theater de Cambridge en la obra "Marie & Bruce". Y al llegar a Puerto Rico inició su exitosa trayectoria con las producciones "La señora que dijo no" y el clásico de la dramaturgia nacional, "Tiempo muerto", obra en la que encarnó al jíbaro Juanito.

Desempeñándose como locutor en la emisora radial KQ105, su carrera en la pantalla televisiva se inició en la telenovela "Coralito" que protagonizaban los actores Sully Díaz y Salvador Pineda. Luego de interpretar el personaje de "Gregory" en dicha producción, Braulio pasó a laborar en el melograma "Mili" interpretando el personaje del Dr. Salazar.

Ante la aceptación lograda en el público, Braulio Castillo hijo engalanó la pantalla en producciones como "Tanairí" (1985), donde se destacó con su representación del malvado Pedro Antonio Arizmendi. Un año más tarde protagonizó junto a Claribel Medina su primer melodrama: "El hijo del gitano". Y en lo sucesivo su labor en telenovela rendiría numerosos frutos a través de producciones como "Alejandra" (1987), "Andrea" (1988), "Apartamento de solteras" (1988), "Pacto de amor" (1989), "Karina Montaner" (1990) y "Señora tentación" (1994), entre otras.

Simultáneamente su carrera desplegó con fuerza en las tablas puertorriqueñas. A su debut profesional en "Filomena Marturano", sus actuaciones lo han llevado a incursionar desde el drama a la comedia con igual acierto. Producciones como "Noises Off", "Balada de los inocentes", "Casa de mujeres", "Manos arriba" y "Vidas privadas" han contado con la digna labor de este destacado actor. Así, su actuación en "La dama del alba", fue distinguida por el Círculo de Críticos de Teatro de Puerto Rico como mejor actor de reparto en 1984. Seis años más tarde, "Hijos de un dios imperfecto" y "M. Butterfly" le merecieron un galardón como actor otorgado por la exigente organización.

La carrera de Braulio también ha rendido frutos lejos de su natal Puerto Rico. De esta forma este galán boricua ha laborado en melodramas como "Guadalupe", producida por Capitol en Miami; y "Eternamente Manuela", esta última filmada en Colombia. En 1991 trabajó en Perú junto a Lucero Sánchez y Gustavo Rojo en la producción "Velo negro, velo blanco". Un año más tarde filmó en España "Pasión de vivir"; co producción de Quality Media y la emisora ibérica Telecinco. Y en 1997 actuó en la producción colombiana "Tiempos difíciles".

En 1998 su versatilidad y excelencia como actor lo llevó a la pantalla gigante para protagonizar la película puertorriqueña "Cuentos para despertar" del cineasta Luis Molina Casanova. En ésta Braulio recreó con su personaje la vida y obra del escritor Abelardo Díaz Alfaro. Ese mismo año, trabajó en el largometraje colombiano "No morirás". Meses más tarde laboró junto a la actriz Daniela Luján en la película "Angelito mío".

En su trabajo reciente está el regreso a un rol protagónico en la telenovela puertorriqueña "Cuando despierta el amor", así como su unión a Cordelia González para protagonizar la producción fílmica de Abdiel Colberg, "Los Díaz de Doris" y la película Y si Cristóbal despierta. Del mismo modo su actividad teatral lo mantiene continuamente en carteleras nacionales con obras como la versión al español del clásico contemporáneo "Art".

Idalia Pérez Garay
Actriz
Fecha de nacimiento: 18 de junio
Lugar: Santurce, Puerto Rico
Su afición por el arte comenzó a manifestarse desde temprana edad. Siendo aún niña, Idalia, junto a su hermana Flora, solía preparar pequeñas funciones ante sus familiares canalizándose así su incipiente atracción por el mundo del arte.
Tiempo después ingresó a la Escuela Intermedia Gándara. Posteriormente, durante la d écada del 1960, estudió en la Escuela Superior de Juan Ponce de León. En la institución tuvo la oportunidad de tomar clases con maestros como la Sra. Peña, en el curso de español y la Srta. Gómez, maestra de inglés, quien le inculcó su amor por el teatro.
Al terminar la escuela superior fue admitida a la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Inicialmente Idalia quiso ser escultora pero un recorrido por el pequeño teatro experimental, donde se encontraba la profesora Myrna Casas en medio del ensayo de una obra, le sirvió como el impulso necesario para reclasificarse al Departamento de Drama de la mencionada institución. Allí la joven se concentraría, en un principio, en el diseño de vestuario.
Su formación universitaria estuvo dirigida por distinguidos profesores. Entre ellos se encuentran Gilda Navarra, Dean Zayas y la Srta. Sackett. Igualmente participó con el Teatro Rodante, compañía teatral con la que recorrió Puerto Rico, por espacio de un año, representando la obra "La posadera" de Goldman y "El hombre que casó con mujer muda" de Anatole France. Ambas piezas son parte de la veintena de trabajos que Idalia realizó durante su bachillerato.

Fuera de sus actividades académicas Pérez Garay fue contratada por Dean Zayas para laborar con Teatro del Sesenta. Con dicha casa productora debutó profesionalmente en "Milagro en el mercado viejo" de Osvaldo Dragún. También trabajó con la dramaturga Myrna Casas en la producción "Las Brujas de Salem" representada en el Teatro Tapia.
Luego de completar el bachillerato en 1968, comienza a laborar para el Canal 6 de WIPR. En la emisora del pueblo de Puerto Rico la actriz se desempeñó como anfitriona del espacio "El mundo maravilloso de Penney". Asimismo laboró como la voz de cabina del canal y escribió y produjo un programa de televisión.
Posteriormente le surgió una oferta para impartir clases en su alma mater. As í fue como fungió como instructora auxiliar por un tiempo hasta que la Universidad de Puerto Rico le concedió una beca para continuar estudios postgraduados. Tal reconocimiento la llevó a realizar una audición para la Real Academia de Arte Dramático de Londres, donde fue aceptada entre otros seis estudiantes.

Sin embargo la U.P.R. le advirtió que si deseaba ser profesora no lo podría hacer con el grado que otorgaba la prestigiosa institución inglesa. Ante ello, Idalia solicitó entrada al Colegio Schiller en Estrasburgo, Francia, donde rápidamente fue admitida por el sólo hecho de haber sido aceptada en la Real Academia. Como requisito para obtener el grado de maestría, Pérez presentó una tesis, para la cual viajó a Inglaterra y Alemania, a fin de investigar cómo operaban los centros teatrales de dichos países.
A su regreso a Puerto Rico Idalia se reintegró a los escenarios nacionales a través de la firma Teatro del Sesenta. En la compañía la artista boricua se destacó laborando como diseñadora de vestuario, asistente de producción, directora, actriz, directora artística y administradora.
La labor de Idalia Pérez Garay como actriz la ha llevado a destacarse en innumerables trabajos histriónicos entre los que sobresalen "A puerta cerrada", "Marat Sade", "El gran pinche", "La mandrágora", "El efecto de los Rayos Gamma", "Puerto Rico fu á ", "La verdadera historia de Pedro Navaja", "Te juro Juana que tengo ganas", "Muerte en el Nilo" y "Tiempo muerto" pieza por la que recibió, por parte de l Círculo de Críticos de Teatro de Puerto Rico, el premio a la mejor actriz.
Pérez Garay fue la actriz que estrenó en la década del 80 el clásico de Luis Rafael Sánchez, "Quíntuples", junto al inolvidable actor Francisco Prado. Con é l presentó la obra en La Habana, Bogotá, Caracas, Buenos Aires y Oporto. Posteriormente, ante el fallecimiento de Prado, Idalia retomó el drama basado en la vida de los hermanos Morrison, actuando junto al actor José Félix Gómez en Guanajuato, Madrid y Ciudad México.
Por otro lado, su convincente actuación en la obra "Puertorriqueños" le mereció el premio a Mejor Actriz, otorgado en 1999 por el Círculo de Críticos de Teatro de Puerto Rico.
Pérez Garay dirige el Departamento de Drama de la Universidad de Puerto Rico desde 1994. Allí funge además como profesora de historia de teatro y actuación.

Rey Pascual
El actor y productor Rey Pascual dio a conocer que la película Fuego en el Alma, en la cual algunas escenas se grabaron en Maunabo, sale a la venta en DVD y Video en Estados Unidos en abril y en mayo de exhibe en un Festival en Boston. Como parte de esas actividades Pascual estará ofreciendo una charla en Harvard University sobre la misma. Añadió que espera que luego de esto se logre la venta a una distribuidora internacional .

En la otra película “Bala Perdida” viajara a presentarse en un importante festival en San Diego, California en marzo y en Minessota. Estos festivales son de mucho prestigio a nivel mundial. “Vamos a entrar al mercado europeo por medio de España este año y nos presentaremos en un Festival de Cine en Dinamarca y Noruega así que como ves llegamos a donde los nórdicos” dijo el actor maunabeño muy entusiasmado por éxito que han tenido sus producciones. Sobre planes futuro Pascual dijo que en mayo estrenará la próxima película El Cuerpo del Delito por Telemundo y luego hará el circuito de Festivales.
“Siguiendo con mi compromiso van a ver caras de Maunabo en la misma. Pascual, quien no oculta el amor que siente por su pueblo Maunabo dijo “ojala que me sobre tiempo entre estos viajes para seguir trabajando los sábados en Matuyas, donde tiene un pequeño rincón cerca al rió donde proyecta construir su casa. Además espera pronto poder continuar presentando cine a la montaña ( Matuyas ) como hicimos el pasado año y desarrollar otros proyectos que tiene en mente.

Raúl Dávila
Actor
Fecha de nacimiento: 15 de septiembre
Lugar: Puerto Rico

Cuando en 1963 el actor Raúl Dávila decidió probar suerte en los medios artísticos de los Estados Unidos, su nombre ya era reconocido en la industria como uno de los talentos de mayor promesa en su natal Puerto Rico.
En aquel entonces, el joven galán dominaba la pantalla nacional junto a figuras como Mario Pabón, José Manuel Caicoya, Braulio Castillo y Axel Anderson. "El dominio que entonces llegaba a ejercer una empresa sobre el artista me agobiaba. Sólo tenía libertad en el teatro. Así que un buen día, después de trabajar en 20 telenovelas, me dije: 'Bueno, ya llegué. Soy joven.
Y esto no me ha costado mucho trabajo lograrlo. ¿Voy a seguir haciendo esto el resto de mi vida? Y ahí fue que decidí irme", relata el artista cuya carrera en Telemundo se inició en 1957.
Dejándolo todo, el joven Raúl se fue a probar suerte en el Norte llegando a Nueva York un 23 de noviembre de 1963. ("Cómo olvidar esa fecha si tan pronto llegué al hotel me topé con la noticia del asesinato del presidente Kennedy?").
Como quien traza paralelos en el aire, el choque de aquellas nuevas parecía advertir lo que le esperaba en aquella sociedad. Frío. Lucha. Mas la recompensa era el encuentro con su propio ser. Perseverando, Raúl Dávila fue echando raíces aventajando en algo las generaciones de boricuas que le habían antecedido. Y de esta forma tuvo la oportunidad de vivir el desarrollo artístico que se dio en la Gran Urbe durante la década del 60 para el talento hispano.
Hombro con hombro Raúl fue librando una intensa lucha junto a figuras como Myriam Colón, Raúl Juliá, Carla Pinza y otros tantos que ante las dificultades cerraron filas tras la dignidad. Concentrándose en las áreas de Nueva York, Nueva Jersey y Connecticut, Raúl encabezó programas como "Tribuna hispana", "Mundo latino", "De tú a tú con Raúl", "Realidades", "The Puerto Rican New Yorker" así como animó la Parada Puertorriqueña de Nueva York. Simultáneamente, su rostro comenzó a aparecer en programas de la televisión norteamericana como eran "The Patty Duke Show", "For the People", "The Defenders", "East Side" y "CBS Repertoire Workshop".
En varias ocasiones fue presidente de la organización de actores hispanos Hola. Y del mismo modo comenzó a abrirse paso en la industria del cine norteamericano. Incursionó en producciones fílmicas como "The Man with My Face", Counterplot" y "Felicia". Así como fue reclutado por la industria de la publicidad para realizar comerciales de firmas como Sopas Campbell's, Colgate y The New York Telephone Co. En 1972 Raúl fue premiado en Puerto Rico por el Instituto de Cultura por su labor en la obra "Quién le teme a Virginia Wolf?".
Simultáneamente en Nueva York, el actor obtuvo la misma distinción por parte del diario El Tiempo por su labor en este clásico del teatro estadounidense. Intensificando su labor en el teatro, en la década del 70 Dávila trabajó con suma dedicación cada personaje que le fue encomendado. De esta forma se destacó en interpretaciones de personajes tan diversos como Leonardo en "Bodas de sangre", Juan en "Yerma", Franz en "Tonight or Never", el profesor de "South Pacific", Hortensio en "Kiss Me Kate", Segismundo en "La vida es sueño", el Rey en "The King and I", Anselmo en "The Sun Looks Down", Captain Von Trapp en "The Sound of Music" y Osvaldo en "La Valija". En 1974 estrenó en la Gran Urbe la obra "O casi el alma" de Luis Rafael Sánchez, presentándola simultáneamente en español e inglés.
El actor, cuya preparación académica se dio en la Universidad de Puerto Rico y en la Universidad de Tulane, en Nueva Orleáns, y que posteriormente completó una maestría en Arte Dramático en el Pasadena Playhouse en California, cosechó aplausos a su excelencia histriónica en publicaciones como New York Times, El Tiempo, New York Post, El Fígaro de París y El Diario-La Prensa.

Entrando a la década de los 80, el actor puertorriqueño trabajó en numerosas películas plasmando en "The Believers" junto a Martin Sheen, una de sus actuaciones más impresionantes. Igualmente actuó en telenovelas sajonas como "The Guiding Light", "The Doctors" y "All My Children". En esta última laboró por espacio de cuatro años. Precisamente, es durante esta década que Puerto Rico volvió a aplaudir su talento. En medio del renacer de la industria cinematográfica Raúl Dávila se presentó en "La gran fiesta" encarnando a un poderoso ponceño en la década del 40. Posteriormente, protagonizó en la pantalla chica la comedia televisiva "Carmelo y punto". A lo que se añadió su actuación en el filme "La guagua aérea" que llevó a la pantalla la diáspora puertorriqueña en Nueva York.
Con residencia fija en el estado de Nueva Jersey, Raúl Dávila continúa activo en el arte laborando tanto en Puerto Rico como en los Estados Unidos. Uno de sus proyectos recientes fue la traducción de unas obras de la dramaturga puertorriqueña Carmen Rivera para el Teatro Rodante de Nueva York. En el caso específico de Puerto Rico, Raúl Dávila continúa haciendo apoyando la industria cinematográfica nacional, apareciendo en la película "Linda Sara" de Jacobo Morales, así como en las producciones fílmicas de Abdiel Colberg para la televisión "Milagro en Yauco" (1995) y "Los Díaz de Doris" (2000).

Julián Gil
Como el trabajo más importante de su carrera artística catalogó el actor Julián Gil la interpretación que realizará del personaje "Amaro Viera" en la obra teatral "El crimen del Padre Amaro", que subirá a escena el 18 de marzo, a las 8:00 p.m., en el Centro de Bellas Artes, en Caguas, y que recorrerá escenarios de Mayagüez, Aguada, Barceloneta, Guayama, Ponce y San Juan.
La historia trata de "Amaro", un joven de 24 años que, recién ordenado sacerdote, llegó a la parroquia de un pequeño pueblo llamado Los Reyes para auxiliar en los servicios del templo que dirige "Padre Benito". En el pueblo, "Padre Amaro" conoce a "Amelia", una hermosa joven de 16 años. En su estancia, "Amaro" comienza a darse cuenta de las cosas que ocurren en el pueblo donde el "Padre Benito" recibe ayuda económica de los narcos de la región, encabezados por el "Chato Aguilar". Además, otro cura de la diócesis, el "Padre Natalio", es sospechoso de ayudar e impulsar a guerrilleros. Las cosas se complican cuando "Amelia" y "Amaro" reciben una noticia sorprendente. "Padre Benito" sufre un infarto y el "Padre Natalio" recibe amenazas de ser excomulgado. "Amaro", en medio de estos problemas, se rehúsa a poner en juego su carrera de sacerdote.
Para esta puesta en escena, la obra contará con la dirección teatral de Gil René, la adaptación de la dramaturga Myrna Casas y la escenografía de Gilberto Valenzuela.
El elenco está integrado por los actores Julián Gil como "Padre Amaro Viera", Wanda Záins como "Amelia", Marilyn Pupo como "Dionisia" y la "Narradora", Miguel Angel Suárez como "Padre Benito", Maribel Quiñones como "Sanjuanera", Elí Cay como "El novio", Teófilo Torres como al "Padre Macario", Herman O'Neill como "Doctor Gobea", Gil René como "Padre Libarriño", Yomi Lorenzo como "La Totó", Cristina Sesto como "La Ruca", Naomi Bunafoux como "La tejedora de sueños", Axel Serrant como "Padre José Miguel y Víctor Rodríguez como "El campanero".
El actor Julián Gil, quien encarnará el personaje del "Padre Amaro", expresó que "esta obra se basa en la novela original del escritor portugués Eca de Queiroz, en 1875, donde narra en su novela la historia de estos sacerdotes que se ven rodeados de unas situaciones muy duras y controversiales".
Gil explicó que en esta obra se presentará escenas que se editaron de la película y que contará con la adaptación para teatro de la dramaturga Myrna Casas.
"Obviamente, tratamos que el trabajo no se aleje mucho de la trama que presentó la película porque ese es el recuerdo con que cuenta la gente de esta novela. Sin embargo, se añadirán relatos que se narran en la novela y que por alguna razón se sacó del guión del filme. Puedo adelantar que esta adaptación es excelente", sostuvo el actor.
"Amaro contiene una amplitud de sentimientos que necesita un trabajo de mucha intensidad. Tiene muchos conflictos internos que lo llevan a desarrollar un deseo carnal que termina casi en una locura. Es una mezcla de sentimientos que lo enfrenta a la realidad de los cánones de la Iglesia", recalcó Gil.
El actor adelantó que la dificultad que presenta la caracterización de "Padre Amaro" es que tiene muchos sentimientos ocultos en su interior, lo que hace más retante la representación.
"Lo que requiere el personaje es que el público que esté en sala sienta y entienda el mensaje que se transmitirá", indicó Gil. El relato de "El crimen del Padre Amaro" tiene dos vertientes encontradas de suma importancia: la relación de "Amaro" y "Amelia" y la relación del poder y la Iglesia.
Gil confesó que es posible que este relato cause cierta incomodidad entre algunas personas del público, por la realidad de que toca la fibra de la Iglesia, sin embargo, "todo lo que se hará está escrito en la novela de Eca de Queiroz. Y la línea entre la Iglesia y los deseos carnales, y esta lucha que tiene 'Amaro' dentro de sí, versus sus convicciones religiosas, son los elementos que contrastan con las creencias de la Iglesia". Sin embargo, Gil destacó que lo más importante de esta pieza es que presenta una realidad en una historia muy práctica que vive la Iglesia de hoy día.
Sin embargo, Gil destacó que la historia de "El crimen del Padre Amaro" es una historia de un joven sacerdote con un alma buena y con mejores intenciones, lleno de fe, que poco a poco se corrompe y vende los intereses de la Iglesia en su ambición de obtener una mejor posición política dentro de la institución, donde la generosidad y la adquisición de bienes materiales se convierten en males de egoísmo y amargura.


Idalia Pérez Garay, Rey Pascual, Tito Auger (Fiel a la Vega), Melliangee Pérez Maldonado y la soprano Hilda Ramos, serán algunos de los participantes en este edición de “Plaza de la Cultura:” en Ceiba.

Happy Together

Happy Together

(Hong Kong)
1997
Director:
Wong Kar-Wai
Producer:
Wong Kar-Wai
Writer:
Wong Kar-Wai
English and Chinese Subtitles
Cast:
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Chang Chen

Review
by Kozo:

The latest from HK auteur Wong Kar-Wai is an elliptical, quicksilver experiment and the film that cemented his international reputation as one of the leading filmmakers of our time. Happy Together is an exercise in emotional estrangement—from one’s lover, one’s homeland, and oneself. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Leslie Cheung are the lovers whose tumultuous relationship is a process of breaking up and making up.
The two decide to start over in Buenos Aires, but true to form their bickering dissolves their relationship. Never reaching the waterfall they intended to visit in the first place, they go their separate ways. Somehow they find themselves back together, and the slow burn of their disintegrating love provides more exploration into the lives of lost, lonely souls that is Wong Kar-Wai’s never-ending obsession.
As is usual, there are no real answers provided by Wong's existential musings. Happy Together is simply a journey, and an affecting one. Eventually, what we find is reflection of where we belong, where we find our home, and what happened along the way. Christopher Doyle shoots the film in lovely shades of rich, lurid color. Arty and existential to an almost maddening end, this film is pure Wong Kar-Wai, which is equal parts longing, regret, and pathetic beauty. (Kozo 1997)
Awards:
17th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards
• Winner - Best Actor (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai)
• Nomination - Best Picture
• Nomination - Best Director (Wong Kar-Wai)
• Nomination - Best Actor (Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing)
• Nomination - Best Supporting Actor (Chang Chen)
• Nomination - Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)
• Nomination - Best Editing (William Cheung Suk-Ping, Wong Ming-Lam)
• Nomination - Best Art Direction (William Cheung Suk-Ping)
• Nomination - Best Costume Design (William Cheung Suk-Ping)
Golden Horse Awards
• Winner - Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle)
Cannes Film Festival
• Winner - Best Director (Wong Kar-Wai)

"As the film starts, things are good for Ho Po-wing (Leslie Cheung) and Lai Yiu-fai (Tony Leung). They've started a new life together in Argentina, where they would presumably not be as ostracized for their homosexuality as they were in Hong Kong. Every day is exciting and new, the country is beautiful, and they love being with each other. But fairly soon, when their car breaks down on the way to see what they've been told is a beautiful waterfall, everything they don't like about each other comes into sharp relief. Ho is reckless and irresponsible, Lai is cranky and bitter, and damn it, they've had enough. They break up, and Lai takes a menial job as a tango-club doorman to try and save enough money to go back home. He'd be happy if he never saw Ho again. Not going to be the case, though, as Ho is beaten and the only contact number he has is Lai's, and what's Lai going to do, throw this broken-limbed guy who speaks very little Spanish out into the street? No, that wouldn't be right.

Even though Lai is effectively caught in three traps - he can't afford the airfare to go home; he's got a demanding former lover sharing his apartment, eating his food, and rather unwelcomely trying to climb back into his bed; and the circumstances under which he left Hong Kong make asking his family for help not an option - the audience is only able to sympathize with him reluctantly. He's short-tempered, snotty, and unpleasantly resentful of the burden Ho represents. And yet, his nature is basically decent, even if his life is filled with enough aggravation to smother it. It takes meeting a young man from Taiwan (Chang Chen), also working his way across Argentina, for his more gregarious side to come out.

There doesn't seem to be much of a nice side to Ho. He's not the bully that Lai can be, at least not overtly. Leslie Cheung plays him as being a natural hustler; a guy who has always been able to charm his way into men's beds so that they would look out for him. That doesn't work out for him so well here; Lai has seen his game before. He comes off as something of a brat, really, and when Lai gives him a taste of what it feels like to be trapped, he doesn't get much of the audience's sympathy - Lai's a jerk for what he does, but it's about time Ho heard the word no. Even after he's been attacked for little more than being gay, any good will from the audience is short lived, as he starts trying to manipulate Lai soon after.

Writer/director Wong Kar-Wai's story is relatively simple and straightforward. The title, obviously, is ironic, as Lai spends most of the movie miserable; even after he meets Chang, he doesn't really cheer up or actually gain happiness; it just reassures him that there are states other than misery. Wong doesn't shy away from making Lai, his narrator and protagonist, unpleasant, but doesn't go so far as to make the audience enjoy his bad fortune. The audience might not actually enjoy his pettiness toward the end, but they'll certainly understand it.

Longtime Wong Kar-Wai collaborator Christopher Doyle again handles the cinematography, and, as usual, it's beautiful. The movie is primarily shot in black-and-white, with a few cut-aways in color to the waterfall that Ho and Lai never reach. The look highlights Lai's state of mind, as all the joy and color has been sucked from it. Indeed, within most shots, there isn't even very much contrast between light and dark: Everything in the frame comes out the same muddy grey, which makes the composition technically quite impressive, to prevent objects from seeming to run together. It's a bleak look, but manages that while still being clear......"

Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

Biography: Tony Leung Chiu Wai (b. June 27, 1962. Hong Kong) is regarded as one of the biggest actors in Hong Kong and one of the few who may be recognized internationally. An intense and emotional actor, Leung has gone on to receive huge popular and critical success both in Hong Kong and abroad.
Like many other famous Hong Kong actors, Leung made his name in television. Following the advice of his friend Stephen Chow, Leung trained at TVB. He took a number of comedy roles, his big success being Police Cadet in 1984, where he worked alongside Lau Ching-Wan, Carina Lau and Maggie Cheung. Leung also starred as the popular character Wai Siu-Bo in a TVB version of The Duke of Mt. Deer, which also featured Andy Lau. Still, Leung’s movie career had a slower start than some of his contemporaries and he often played supporting roles. His work was eventually recognized; he received best supporting actor Hong Kong Film awards for People's Hero (1987) and My Heart is That Eternal Rose (1989).
It was around this time that Leung began a relationship with Carina Lau, and he began to pursue lead roles to further his film career. In 1992, Leung made a big impact in John Woo’s Hard Boiled opposite Chow Yun Fat. In many ways, this was a career-defining performance, and Leung was nominated for yet another supporting actor award at the HK Film Awards. Leung played the supporting role as if it were a lead, and the resulting performance was powerful enough to match Chow Yun Fat’s charismatic turn.
Through the rest of the nineties his career continued to ascend, and he began to be seen as a serious art film actor. Leung took roles in independent films from director Wong Kar Wai, notably Chungking Express (1994) and Happy Together (1997), both of which landed him best actor awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards. In addition, his work in Chungking Express earned him the best actor award from the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. Leung also starred in a number of slick UFO productions: He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father (1993), Dr. Mack (1995) and Heaven Can't Wait (1995). The pinnacle of Leung's success came with Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love (2000), a film which earned him another HKFA Best Actor award as well as international recognition with the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival.
To account for Leung’s success we only have to look at his acting style: he is quiet and intense, with a powerful screen presence that draws the audience in, so that every nuance, every movement has emotional power. It seems Leung’s career has only gotten better. Recently, he has had huge commercial and critical success with his roles in Infernal Affairs (2002) and Hero (2002), two of the biggest Hong Kong movies ever. He received another Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards for Infernal Affairs, a record fourth win in that category and his sixth statuette overall. (James Percy 2003)

Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing

Born

September 12, 1956 Kowloon, Hong Kong

Died

April 1, 2003 Central, Hong Kong

Leslie has been the hardest working Diva in Hong Kong for the past twenty-years. During this time he has become both one of Hong Kong's finest actors as well as one of it's most popular male singers. Even his oft-hinted at homosexuality and flamboyant concerts that make Madonna's look tame have not negatively impacted his popularity as a leading romantic man in Hong Kong films. He is simply a Hong Kong institution and he knows it.

Leslie came in second place at an Asian Singing Contest in the late 70's and he released his first album in 1978. Soon after, he made his film debut in 1980 (Leslie himself described his first venture into film, Erotic Dream of the Red Chamber, as "a disaster, a low-budget movie, very indecent" in an interview with the author of Hong Kong Babylon (1997), Fredric Dannen). Over the next two decades he has worked simultaneously at both careers, appearing in many great films and consistently producing well-received albums.

His big film break came in 1986 when John Woo and Tsui Hark cast him as the idealistic cop in A Better Tomorrow. Though Chow Yun Fat and Ti Lung were the stars of the film, Leslie's idol looks made him a popular star as well. From this point on Leslie was to become one of the premier actors in Hong Kong. His reputation as a romantic leading man was cemented the following year in 1987 when he appeared as a shy scholar in A Chinese Ghost Story opposite Joey Wong. The two of them were a smash hit in the sequel as well.

Though Leslie could easily have continued doing romantic idol roles, he has never been one to shy away from a challenging part and he has taken on difficult roles in a series of films such as Days of Being Wild, Ashes of Time, Farewell My Concubine and Double Tap. When he wasn't involved in serious dramas, Leslie showed that he was still the perfect romantic lead in such classics as He's a Woman, She's a Man and The Chinese Feast (both of which he strikes up lovely sparks with Anita Yuen) and The Bride with White Hair (in a rapturous pairing with Brigitte Lin).


Chang Chen
Debut en el cine a los 14 anos bajo la direccion de Edward Yang en "A BRlGHTER SUMMER DAY", Y desde ese momento ha intervenido en "MAHJONG" de Edward Yang, "HAPPY TOGETHER" de Wong Kar-Wai, "BETELNUT BEAUTY" de Lin Cheng Sheng y "TIGRE Y DRAGON" de Ang Lee.

Ha sido compaero de reparto de Faye Wong en "CHINESE ODYSSEY 2002" de Jeff Lau, y le volveremos a ver al lado de Gong Li en "2046" y en el episodio del film "EROS", dirigido por Wong Kar-Wai.