(From L to R) Filmmaker Matthew Weiner, actress Zhang Ziyi, director Wong Kar-Wai, screen writer Zou Jingzhi and Hawk Koch, the president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, attend a salute to Wong and the advance screening of "The Grandmaster" in Beverly Hills, on July 22, 2013. The film will hit U.S. theaters on Aug. 23. (China.org.cn) |
Wong Kar-Wai is known for his unique sense of style and emotionally resonant work, according to the Academy's website. He is the first Chinese director to win the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his film "Happy Together" in 1997. His other films also include "Chungking Express," "Fallen Angels," "In the Mood for Love," "2046," and his first English-language film "My Blueberry Nights" - Norah Jones' acting debut.
"The Grandmaster" tells the story of martial arts grandmaster Ip Man (Tony Leung), who trained Bruce Lee. As he seeks to perfect his practice of the fighting style Wing Chun, Ip Man collides with another determined kung fu master, Gong Er (Zhang Ziyi), during the Japanese invasion of China in 1936 and the tumultuous years that follow. The cast also includes Wang Qingxiang, Chang Chen, Xiao Shengyang and Song Hye Kyo, as well as hundreds of Asia's top martial artists.
The film has already been released in China and will hit U.S. theaters on Aug. 23.
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