Comedy hasn't come of age in big Chinese cinema, but Crazy Stone is an exception, as a priceless piece of jade jewelry is discovered in the washroom of an arts factory - and the fun unfolds. 　　

 

No one can deny how important imagination, funny lines and impressive characters are to a comedy. But for most Chinese directors, comedy is definitely not their genre. 　　

 

Today, while Feng Xiaogang is undoubtedly one of the major names associated with comedies, Ning Hao, an unknown 29-year-old, is rapidly rising with his latest black-humor flick, Crazy Stone. 　

 

"I had never expected that the film could receive such positive reviews from the audience," says director Ning, a native of Shanxi Province. "You know, it is not a big production with dazzling stunts and acclaimed cast." 　　

 

Ever since the national release on June 30, Ning and distributors have already traveled to Beijing, Chongqing and Shenzhen, and other cities, to promote this eccentric small-budget work. 　　

 

"Director Ning has injected his humor, passion and talent into this picture," says Ellen Eliasoph, managing director of Warner Bros Pictures China, the movie's distributor. "We are confident of its future."

 

 　　

 Director Ning Hao

 

The film, starring Guo Tao, Liu Hua and Xu Zheng, begins with the discovery of a priceless jade jewelry piece in an arts and crafts factory. The jade unexpectedly stirs the craziness of people around it, both the bumbling thieves and the guards. 　　

 

People can guess out the certain ending just from the first part of many pictures," says director Ning. "However, life is full of coincidences and grotesquery. It is unpredictable. Those are the things I'd like to express in this film." 　　

 

But the philosophy is conveyed with the help of modern commercial elements, from the movie's multi-flavored music (Peking Opera, Western symphony music and modern rock) to the hot Chongqing dialect delivered with subtitles. 　　

 

With so many popular locations at hand for filmmaking, like Shanghai and Beijing, many people feel confused why Ning selected Chongqing as the setting. 　　

 

"First it should be a hot city," Ning explains. "The characters of the story are ready to do something. And the humid-hot climate can draw them to the edge of insanity." 　

 

After his trip to Chongqing early this year, Ning was so amazed at the transformation there. The age-old wooden architectures coexist with the glass-coated skyscrapers, and its people are wandering between the traditional culture and luxurious modern lifestyles. 　　

 

"It seems that I can see through the 300-year evolution of the city in one view," director Ning laughs. "Here, anything is possible. No place else is better than Chongqing to run a story like that." 　

 

Throughout the movie's screenings, the entire hall was usually overwhelmed with laughter for the comedic performances of the actors and the funny lines. 　　

 

"We need comedies," says audience member Wendy Chen. "Many domestic movies feature heavy themes, pale storylines and boring dialogues. But we got so much pleasure from this film - sometimes we just need simple fun." 　　

 

And taking joy and inspiration to the audience is also the simplest thing director Ning needs. A graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, he made two art-house films before Crazy Stone - Incense (2003) and Mongolian Ping Pong (2005), but neither has been shown in cinemas. 　　

 

His feature debut Incense, which tells about a young monk's journey raising money to repair a damaged Buddha statue, won him the Grand Prize at the Tokyo Filmex and the Gold Prize at the 28th Hong Kong International Film Festival's Asia DV Competition in 2004. 　　

 

Though Ning built his name on making art movies, he doesn't conceal his passion for commercial works. 　　

 

"Most young Chinese directors rarely have opportunities to make big commercial productions," he says. "The investors usually prefer to choose veteran filmmakers for such projects. Starting their career with art films seems an unwritten rule for us."

 

With an estimated budget of 6 million yuan (US$750,000), Crazy Stone is co-produced by Warner China Film HG Corp, Beijing-based Concord Creation International and Hong Kong star Andy Lau's production firm, Focus Films. 　　

 

Remarkably, it is also part of "Focus: First Cuts" project invested by Lau with about 25 million yuan. The project aims to support promising young Asian directors to promote their films to a wider audience. 　

 

Director Ning is the only one of the project's six new talents who comes from the Chinese mainland. 　　

 

The other five are My Mother is a Belly Dancer by Hong Kong's Lee Kung-lok; Rain Dogs by Malaysia's Ho Yu-hang; Love Story by Singapore's Kelvin Tong; The Shoe Fairy by Taiwanese director Robin Lee; and I'll Call You by Hong Kong director Lam Tze-chung. Many have been acclaimed on the Asian film scene. 　　

 

"Actually I am the last one who joined in Lau's project." Ning adds. "He gave me both adequate working space and freedom."

 

A veteran actor himself, Lau spoke highly of Ning's endeavors on this comedy. "He has a unique sense of humor that I have not seen from many Hong Kong directors," he says. "The movie is much better than what have expected. Ning is so talented."

 

Breaking the ice of anonymity, director Ning, now with a big crowd of movies fans, will have many more opportunities than his peers to shoot his next commercial film, likely the sequel to the Crazy Stone, he says. 　　

 

Crazy Stone is now being screened at 12 cinemas in Shanghai, such as Paradise Warner Cinema City, Shanghai Film Art Center, UME International Cineplex, Studio City Cinema, Kodak Cinema World, among others. Please call to check the specific screening schedule.

 

(Shanghai Daily July 10, 2006)