Integrity, the highly anticipated Chinese New Year film of emperor entertainment, is known as the golden film of this Spring Festival. It was directed by Alan Mak, produced by Felix Chong and Ronald Wong, starring Sean Lau, Nick Cheung, Karena Lam, Anita Yuen, Alex Fong, Carlos Chan, and Kathy Yuen.
Alan Mak in Taiwan
Recently, director Alan Mak flew to Taiwan to have a two-day promotion campaign, during which he attended several interviews and a workshop for screenwriters. He also shared why he filmed Integrity and the behind-the-scenes stories of the shooting. “Sean might have released the feelings that he wasn’t able to let out at home in the film!”
The film has already created a buzz before its release. Local media paid great attention to him when director Alan Mak went to Taiwan to promote the film. “It has been a long time since the last time I came to Taiwan. I was with my wife to watch Coldplay’s concert then.” Regarding the fierce competition that Integrity is facing during Chinese New Year, Alan said he is fully confident about Integrity: “I’m not stressed at all. I think the audience deserve a good movie during such a festive time.”
Seau Lau and Karena Lam: fun moment
A Screenplay that Took 15 Years to Write
Integrity is going to be distributed by Tangren Cultural Film Group in the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand during 2019 Chinese Spring Festival season.
Alan disclosed that the most difficult part of Integrity was screenwriting. It took him 9 months to start writing and 15 years to actually write. “Two years ago, I got a call from ICAC, inviting me over for a cup of coffee. Each year, they make dramas based on solved cases. I said I might not have time to direct it, but I still went to their headquarters to have a look. There was no button at all in the elevator. You’ll have to scan an employee’s card to go to a place where his/her security level is allowed. Only those with higher security clearance are allowed to access more levels. People who work there don’t have friends for confidentiality reasons. Same-department marriage is quite common, so is divorce. I guess this is because they’re all very smart and independent. They’re also hard to get along with, and therefore have a higher divorce rate.”
Seau Lau and Karena Lam as a Couple in Integrity
Director Mak invited Seau Lau and Karena Lam to play the ICAC couple who always fights against each other. “This relationship is very interesting. Sean told me:’ I’d love to play this part, because I think he is annoying.’ In fact, King played by Sean is very smart and has a quick response, yet he really is a bit hard to be around with. For example, as the husband of Karena in the film, he is really annoying. I joked and said Sean might have released the feelings that he wasn’t able to let out at home in the film.”
Relevant pages:
https://www.vcg.com/group/506136023
https://www.vcg.com/group/506225961
