Woo said the words when he was granted the title of "honored academician" by Hong Kong Performing Arts Institute for his great contributions to the movie circle on June 25. When talking about production plan, he revealed he is planning to produce a movie named Man Can Conquer Nature, which is about culture shock between Chinese and Irishman.

He indicated foreigners know little about China. He hopes the movie, integrating Chinese and western culture, is able to make foreigners understand China and Chinese culture more.

A series of movies have brought billions of box-office for John Woo since he went to the US to produce his first Hollywood movie of Broken Arrow in 1995, which lays a foundation for his achievement as one of the most prestigious Chinese directors in Hollywood.

He said box-office is nothing to mention, and what he is always pursuing is a satisfying movie, adding Hollywood movies highlight regulations. It usually takes six to eight months to discuss whether a movie should be produced or not. Like his new movie, about 400 staff took part in the production work, which reflects the dedication of the US movie practitioners.

Regarding Hong Kong's movies, Woo said Hong Kong's movie market is too small and it should explore new opportunities. What attracts foreigners most is Hong Kong's action movies, energetic and with native features. He suggested Hong Kong movies to pay more attention to their scripts and encourage more young practitioners to join in. He noted South Korea's success in movies has set an example for those of Hong Kong.

( June 26, 2002)