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Accidental actress continues to find film fame
By Xu Wei |
March 22, 2009, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Actress Zhao Tao, who plays leading roles in director Jia Zhangke's "Still Life" and his new "24 City," is more famous overseas than in her native China. She is celebrated for her work in Jia's films which have been praised at international film festivals in Cannes and Venice.
Zhao, 32, was a dance teacher with no acting experience in her native Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, when her life changed dramatically in 2000.
Jia was auditioning students at her college for the leading actress role in "Platform" and decided that the teacher was perfect because she could speak Shanxi dialect as well as act and dance.
"I never thought of being in film and knew little about performing," said Zhao who considered herself lucky to get the job. "Jia offered me an opportunity and unforgettable experience to act."
Her performance in "Platform" was praised at the 2000 Venice Film Festival and she has since appeared in most of Jia's films.
Zhao typically plays heroines, often those from the lower rungs of society. In "The World," she was a migrant worker trying to fit into urban life and then moved audiences to tears with her portrayal of a woman lamenting a lost husband in "Still Life."
"24 City" offers a glimpse of China's history through the stories of three generations of women workers at the state-owned factory 420 which is turned into a luxury apartment complex.
Zhao has 10 minutes of screen time, playing a rebellious girl born in the 1980s recalling a tense relationship with her parents.
Q: You have been praised for a "natural acting" style and sympathetic portrayal of people. But as a trained dancer, what do you get from acting and what does it mean to you?
A: It is a fulfilling and rewarding experience that has enabled me to develop a more in-depth view of life and people.
I try to act naturally, hoping to make director Jia Zhangke's works more true to life. Also, you have to stick to something if you want to become good at it.
Q: As a film maker, what is it about Jia that impresses you the most?
A: I have collaborated with Jia for nearly 10 years and I am inspired by his concern for human beings.
It is a tough and lonely experience to make art house films for so many years.
Jia has committed his camera to documenting the lives and emotions of groups in society that are "easy to ignore" by some other film makers.
Q: What is your favorite type of role?
A: Each role I have done since "Platform" at age 22 represents a stage of artistic development in my life.
They're integral to my younger acting days and I love them all.
However, my character Nana in "24 City" is the most challenging so far.
As an interviewee character in the movie, the only acting I do is restricted to my voice and facial expressions.
Q: What in your opinion makes a person qualified to be an actor?
A: Actually my criteria for a good actor is easy to say but hard to achieve. He should be a person full of love and caring about others. Moreover, he needs a keen perception and to be curious about different people and their lives.
Some actors never manage to escape from their most famous characters. For me anything that is challenging is great. In the early stage of filming, I usually explore in depth the roles I will portray.
Q: What do you prefer out of acting, dancing or singing?
A: Acting because it involves recreating the lives of others.
Q: How do you spend your leisure time?
A: I like a peaceful and tranquil life. I don't want it interrupted too much by the showbiz buzz. I like cooking, listening to music or just lying in the sun.
Zhao, 32, was a dance teacher with no acting experience in her native Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, when her life changed dramatically in 2000.
Jia was auditioning students at her college for the leading actress role in "Platform" and decided that the teacher was perfect because she could speak Shanxi dialect as well as act and dance.
"I never thought of being in film and knew little about performing," said Zhao who considered herself lucky to get the job. "Jia offered me an opportunity and unforgettable experience to act."
Her performance in "Platform" was praised at the 2000 Venice Film Festival and she has since appeared in most of Jia's films.
Zhao typically plays heroines, often those from the lower rungs of society. In "The World," she was a migrant worker trying to fit into urban life and then moved audiences to tears with her portrayal of a woman lamenting a lost husband in "Still Life."
"24 City" offers a glimpse of China's history through the stories of three generations of women workers at the state-owned factory 420 which is turned into a luxury apartment complex.
Zhao has 10 minutes of screen time, playing a rebellious girl born in the 1980s recalling a tense relationship with her parents.
Q: You have been praised for a "natural acting" style and sympathetic portrayal of people. But as a trained dancer, what do you get from acting and what does it mean to you?
A: It is a fulfilling and rewarding experience that has enabled me to develop a more in-depth view of life and people.
I try to act naturally, hoping to make director Jia Zhangke's works more true to life. Also, you have to stick to something if you want to become good at it.
Q: As a film maker, what is it about Jia that impresses you the most?
A: I have collaborated with Jia for nearly 10 years and I am inspired by his concern for human beings.
It is a tough and lonely experience to make art house films for so many years.
Jia has committed his camera to documenting the lives and emotions of groups in society that are "easy to ignore" by some other film makers.
Q: What is your favorite type of role?
A: Each role I have done since "Platform" at age 22 represents a stage of artistic development in my life.
They're integral to my younger acting days and I love them all.
However, my character Nana in "24 City" is the most challenging so far.
As an interviewee character in the movie, the only acting I do is restricted to my voice and facial expressions.
Q: What in your opinion makes a person qualified to be an actor?
A: Actually my criteria for a good actor is easy to say but hard to achieve. He should be a person full of love and caring about others. Moreover, he needs a keen perception and to be curious about different people and their lives.
Some actors never manage to escape from their most famous characters. For me anything that is challenging is great. In the early stage of filming, I usually explore in depth the roles I will portray.
Q: What do you prefer out of acting, dancing or singing?
A: Acting because it involves recreating the lives of others.
Q: How do you spend your leisure time?
A: I like a peaceful and tranquil life. I don't want it interrupted too much by the showbiz buzz. I like cooking, listening to music or just lying in the sun.
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