‘Indians like to watch their own films’

The world is a village, yet each culture is unique. And as a proof stands Phillip Lee, the hugely successful executive producer of Hollywood blockbusters like The Revenant, Crouching Tiger and The Dark Knight. Hailing from Hong-Kong, if you think all his money comes from China he sets you right with the assertion that he explores many more markets for finance. Eight years ago when he visited India and was suitably impressed by Priyanka Chopra, he was thinking of an Indo-Japanese production. 

More recently, as he was in India for a master class at NFDC’s Film Bazar he had no hesitation in admitting that he knew very little, rather nothing, at all about Indian films. “All I know is that Indians like to watch their own films.” 

Competitive era

However, he is aware that Hollywood films are giving Bollywood a run for it money? He nods, “Yes but then there is competition everywhere and content rules.” Hollywood too is a very competitive industry. And though racists abound in all places, he thinks, “Ultimately, Hollywood does recognise talent. And it’s as tough for Americans to make it in Hollywood as people of other nationalities.” On the diversity debate that is now heating up enormously, he says, “We must respect other cultures. Take the film Aloha. It became controversial as it was accused of whitewashing the cast; and many felt Emma Stone was not right for the character meant to be of one-quarter Chinese and one-quarter Hawaiian descent. No wonder the film bombed.” Though personally he believes in self-censorship rather than dictates cast in stone he would rather not have white men play certain characters rooted in cultural specifics.

Universal language

Beyond cultural uniqueness, however, he deems that there is a universal language that could appeal to all. So even when he turns around the Chinese film Farewell My Concubine into a Broadway musical, it’s this chord he is trying to touch, he laughs, “Imagine it took me seven years to get the rights.” 

Persistence pays? Sure but he can smell a project too and himself offered to raise money for Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer The Revenant. But of course when the film made it to Academy Awards he doesn’t take the nominations or awards too seriously! As a young lad he learnt the lesson from none other than Alfred Hitchcock who had famously said “My best film is the next one.” So he is already looking ahead at mega-budget Inversion and Chinatown with director of Fearless, Ronny Yu. 

India calling

As for India, with renowned director Bala as a personal friend, he would be back soon. Better prepared and well-versed in Indian cinema. Till then, Hollywood it is where the role of a producer is not just limited to pumping in money.  Vision propels cinema and a producer is not just someone with money bags, but one who wears a thinking cap too. 

One day he might don the directorial hat as well and drama it would be. “Horror is not my forte for I get scared easily and comedy it can’t be, for I am not funny enough.” But quick on the wits, this man with the Midas touch sure is! And just by the way, his latest production and finance company formed along with Markus Barmettler is called Facing East. East is east and west is… well he is determined to not only make the twain meet, but enjoyable too.

Simple take

Audiences at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, seem to like it simple and straight; at least, so proved the two gala screenings on Friday. The film from France, Two Birds One Stone, hit the mark as viewers were glad to view the hidden love story of 75-year-old mother of 11 children. 

However, Juileta Ledesma’s The Son of War, a film from Argentina and Uruguay, could not hold viewers, who were seen walking out every five minutes. Indeed, the surreal tale replete with metaphors and phantasmagorical elements that drew a parallel between the beastly quality of animals and savageness of human beings was not an easy watch! But then Ledesma, who doesn’t believe in making films any other way, wanted to show how external situations transform our value system. Thus the very act of eating itself became an analogy for deeper refection in a film that essentially deals with drought- like conditions and humans’ rather inhuman response to it. Viewers here may not have had a stomach for such magical realism, but the film that took her 10 years to make will remain a blueprint for her future line of work.

nonikasingh@tribunemail.com