CHAN HOPES TO MAKE MORE FILMS IN DUBAI
WE’VE BEEN GEARING up for Vanguard’s release for some weeks now. Actually we’ve been on the edge of our seats for months, but have had to be patient as a result of its original premiere date being pushed because of you know what. Finally D-day: October 8 is almost upon us. Having followed stories of Vanguard’s lead, the indomitable Jackie Chan, and a host of his compatriot collaborators including the everpopular Yang Yang, Ai Lun and brilliant Miya Muqi filming extravagant stunts across the globe and putting Dubai in a starring role with some of the picture’s most prominent scenes shot at The Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa, our curiosity is at fever pitch.
“I wish that I’d had more time to explore Dubai,” Chan told City Times this week about filming in the Emirates. “The shooting schedule was usually strict so we didn’t get many opportunities to look around. It would be great to have another chance to get to know more about this wonderful city.”
The 66-year-old actor, largely known outside his native Hong Kong for such works as Rush Hour (1998) and Shanghai Noon (2000), is no stranger to our shores having made his inaugural Dubai Studio City project Kung Fu Yoga in 2015. Directed by Stanley Tong, Vanguard looks to take in more of the city’s finer locations. Playing the founder and boss of a high-tech security agency, Chan’s character’s team of special operatives must use any means necessary to keep their clients safe and ultimately team up with Dubai Police in order to thwart an international tragedy. Exotic supercars, shoot-em-up scenes and some fine espionage tactics along Jumeirah Beach are just a few of the highlights to expect.
“We shot a car chase scene not only on the city streets but also inside a shopping mall!” Chan enthusiastically added. “The people who live and work inside the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, were very supportive of the film too... I really hope I can make more movies here.”
If you’ve recently visited Downtown you’ll notice there are no remnants of any highspeed or explosive exploits, dictating the film’s special effects work must have been pretty meticulous. On visual effects matters, though, Chan prefers to leave it to the professionals.
“I don’t really have deep knowledge of VFX/CGI. As an actor, my job is to act well and do my stunts.”
In fact, computers in general are a bit of a turn-off for the star.
“I’m a people person. I don’t want a screen between me and my fans,” said Chan. “I do not have the time for social media. I prefer to interact with people in the real world, face-toface. I find such directness more humane. But I appreciate that they follow me.”
Revealing to us an ideal night in involves watching a documentary on National Geographic or Discovery, our overall impression of Chan was he is a performer happy in his life and craft. A sociable character, the pandemic he said affected his plans for 2020, but now it is full steam ahead putting the finishing touches on his next movie: Project Xtraction. But does he still feel the pressure to produce the quantity of work he did at the start of his career in the ‘70s?
“There are pressures, but pressure is also a kind of encouragement to force me to improve and come up with new ideas. I don’t like to repeat myself. So I try my best to always bring something new to each film. It’s normal for audiences to expect something different in each film. After all, who wants to watch the same thing again and again?” politicians and friends of Kenzo Takada paid tribute to the designer on Monday after he died in Paris aged 81 having contracted coronavirus.
Bunka Gakuen college, the fashion school Takada graduated from in the 1960s, said in a statement he had helped nurture and inspire younger talent. Takada’s death came at the tail end of Paris Fashion Week. It was only days ago that the Kenzo fashion house unveiled its bee-themed collection. Though Takada had been retired from his house since 1999 to pursue a career in art, Kenzo remains one of the most respected fixtures of high Paris fashion. Since 1993, the Kenzo brand has been owned by the French luxury goods company LVMH.
“His amazing energy, kindness, talent and smile were contagious,” said Kenzo artistic director Felipe Oliveira Baptista. “His kindred spirit will live forever.” Kenzo’s styles used bold colour, clashing prints and were inspired by travels all over the world. “Kenzo Takada has, from the 1970s, infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him,” said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of LVMH. Takada was born on February 27, 1939, in Himeji, in the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan to hoteliers, but after reading his sisters’ fashion magazines his love of fashion began. Studying at the Bunka College of Fashion in Tokyo, Kenzo Takada had a brief stint working in Japan, before relocating to Paris in 1965, to work as a freelance designer. Takada’s first collection was made entirely out of cotton because he had little money. But the clothes spoke for themselves and a model of his was put on the cover of Elle magazine. A short time after, pioneering shoulder forms, large armholes, dungarees, smock tent dresses, innovative shoulder shapes, and his store was featured in US Vogue.
Yves Saint Laurent was an important inspiration, in his work, Takada has said. His contribution to style was significant. He championed a youthful aesthetic and unstructured form, and did away with zippers to liberate silhouettes. His signatures were of wider sleeves and arm holes, that harked to historic styles in his home continent of Asia. AP, AFP
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On: Every day
The Best Of Dubai: A
Dining Experience, a literary celebration of
Dubai’s homegrown chefs is being released as an online ebook for free today. Written by locally-based author Flavel Monteiro, the author charts the evolution of the city’s culinary landscape and features top chefs’ recipes. On: The 306 page work is free to download on wgmagazines.com/books
Feliz cumplanos to Dubai’s home-grown Mexican restaurant! Today Maiz Tacos will be celebrating three years of providing its Latin treats with Dh3 offers. From 12pm, the eatery will be serving up an array of discount dishes that will change throughout the day. From 2pm to 4pm it’s Dh3 Guac for all! Arriba! On: From 12pm