Kinta 1881

Kinta is built on action

2008-12-07T03:54:00.000-08:00

It is Malaysia’s first ever full-fledged martial arts movie. It’s been shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and headlined the recent KL Film Festival. Distributors in China, Japan and Europe have snapped it up. It’s even slated to be the first ever-Malaysian film to be screened in regular cinemas in America.

Yes, on paper, Kinta is set to be a big success. Unfortunately, it just isn’t the film that director C.L. Hor wanted it to be.

Rewind almost two years back (in January 2007, to be exact) to a press conference to announce the filming of “the first ever Malaysian Chinese martial arts movie”.

Then titled Kinta 1881 the film would star former world wushu champion Robin Ho in the lead role; along with three other national wushu champions (Michael Chin, Kuan Fei Jun and Shawn Lee), as well as world taichi exponent David Bao from China.

Back then, Hor had proudly proclaimed that the story would be about the history of the Malaysian Chinese – how they came here, how they moved on from the tin mines and continued living in this country after 1881. The martial arts and action, in his own words, were “merely there to increase the entertainment value of the movie”.
How things have changed since then. Now renamed Kinta, the production was over-budget by RM800,000 (eventually costing almost RM4mil), and its release was delayed thanks to the need for seven – yes, seven – months worth of cutting and editing.

As a result, the movie that will be opening in Malaysian cinemas tomorrow is now a far cry from Hor’s original vision for the movie. From the promised epic wuxia movie about the Malaysian Chinese’s historical past, Kinta has been reduced to an action movie with a barebones storyline that is more about a bunch of betrayed brothers seeking revenge than it is about history.
C.L. Hor: “There were originally seven story threads in the movie, but we had to cut it down to three to suit the international market.”

During an exclusive interview at his office in Damansara Jaya in Selangor, Hor sounded almost apologetic as he explained how the movie turned out this way.

“If I were making an art film like (previous film) The 3rd Generation, I would have full say on what I wanted to do (with the movie). But this was different. This is a commercial movie that we were marketing to international markets, and a lot of money was invested into this movie,” he said, adding that the turning point was when the movie was screened in Cannes and international film distributors expressed interest in buying the film.

“Initially, we never thought of selling to the Western market, because my own personal connections are based mostly in Hong Kong and China. Then, out of the blue, we were selected to screen at the Cannes world premiere, and we got a lot of interest from foreign distributors. “With such a big investment in it, the priority was to get back the money, and in this respect, we could not only depend solely on the Malaysian market.”

To date, they have managed to sell the film to 14 countries, thanks in part to the film being shown at Cannes. However, there was a catch to it all – to fulfil the criteria of these foreign buyers, the film had to be drastically changed.

“The final version is the seventh cut I’ve done. We had to fulfil a lot of criteria to sell it internationally – they wanted more entertainment value and impact. And they also wanted it to be below 90 minutes so they could sell it for cinema, DVD and TV as well,” he added.

“If you make a Hollywood movie, the executive producer represents the investors, and he has the say. I definitely have influence, but my hands are tied because I have to fulfil the investor’s wishes.”

As for the story (or what was left of it), Hor also had to throw out a lot of the plot to accommodate the 90-minute limit. In fact, by the time the final cut was done, his noble intentions to “show people outside Malaysia the roots of the Malaysian Chinese” had been whittled down to a mere action film about four brothers seeking revenge.

“There were originally seven story threads in the movie, but we had to cut it down to three to suit the international market. We had to sacrifice a lot of history and dialogue in the final cut,” he explained. “Finding a balance between a good action film that represents our Malaysian culture and also satisfying the demands of the Western market was very, very hard. Westerners only wanted good action, cinematography, art direction, and didn’t want too much historical story.”
Kinta has been sold to 14 countries but to fulfil the criteria of foreign buyers, the film had to be drastically changed.

Well, at least one good thing to come out of the movie is that the action scenes are relentless, brutal and extremely well choreographed. Hor roped in Hong Kong action choreographer Chin Ka Lok in to handle the action, and it is, without doubt, the best part of the movie.

“I’m very proud of the actors – they put everything into their fighting, to the extent that 14 of my actors were admitted to the hospital throughout the shoot. I’m proud that I got these bunch of young chaps who never gave up, and tried their best every time.

“And even Chin Ka Lok worked very hard – training them, and directing them,” he said, adding that two of the actors — Michael Chin and Shawn Lee – even caught the eye of Hollywood studio Lionsgate.

One last question remains: as a director, what does Hor himself think of the movie?

“I’m satisfied with movie, but am frustrated that it is not what I wanted to do in the first place. If I were to come up with a director’s cut, I would have more Malaysian history in it, to share the tale of Chinese immigrants coming down to Malaysia and how they survived. That was my original idea.”

Well, if the film is a success, he might just get the chance to improve on the movie, and perhaps tie up those dastardly loose ends with a prequel and a sequel in the future.

Until then though, Hor will always regard Kinta as a film where it was the journey that mattered, not the finishedproduct.

“I have to say I am proud of it. Whether I like it or not is a different matter,” he said with a laugh. “I’m proud because I’ve made a film that can be marketed all over the world. I’m proud that I can convince investors to buy the movie, even though the director is a nobody and the movie has no stars in it.

“I see it as a first step towards becoming a commercial director. We’ve managed to get our foot in the door, and hopefully we can go on from here.”

Source : TheStar

More photos

2008-12-07T03:28:00.000-08:00

Finally! The Trailer For Malaysian Martial Arts Picture KINTA 1881 Has Arrived!

2008-05-02T00:04:00.000-07:00

Well, glory be. CL Hor’s Kinta 1881 is a film that I have literally been tracking for months now, just waiting for the day that the first trailer would arrive. Billed as Malaysia’s first martial arts film - a claim I see no reason to dispute - the film stars a handful of real life martial arts champions battling it out in massive underground tin mines. The pedigree of the fighters got a lot of people’s attention, then came the behind the scenes reels that showcased the stunning natural sets and brutal action - I’m fairly certain one of the performers is knocked out cold in one of them - and the first artwork released proved that director Hor is capable of shooting some truly impressive film. Put it all together and it should be something special. The trailer certainly seems to say so ... it’s beautifully shot and the action looks stellar.

Todd Brown of Twitchfilm.net

http://twitchfilm.net/site/view/finally-the-trailer-for-malaysian-martial-arts-picture-kinta-1881-has-arriv#extended

KInta 1881 cast featured in National Wushu 2007 Championship magazine

2007-10-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

one of those crazy moments on set

2007-08-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

one of those crazy moments on set

Patrick Teoh love playing the villian

2007-08-21T06:18:00.001-07:00

“I love playing the bad guy, it’s a lot more interesting. I think heroes are boring.” “I’d like to do more drama… I’ve played many different roles, but they tend to be focused on comedy, so I think I want to try doing more serious stuff.” said Patrick Teoh in his recent interview.

Read more about Patrick at http://colour-blind.org/?p=798

kinta 1881 - behind the scene video, training in cave

2007-08-02T00:24:00.000-07:00

Watch Kuan smashing himself against a cliff and injuring himself in the process. Or shall I say, his good friends Michael, Robin and David slammed him against the rocks? Actually, Kuan like the rest of the boys impressed all of us when they wanted do the stunts themselves and without using props. In this case, we had fake cliff done up but Kuan wanted to try on the real thing. Watch the video and you will know what I mean.

In the video, you will see Michael showing off his body by hanging from the cliff and Robin jumping from 20 feet cliff.

Also interesting to see Kah Yen acting for the TMO and Ngai & team helping to prop up the cave with sand.

Kinta 1881 music director won song writing competition

2007-07-31T02:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our beloved scriptwriter, screenplay writer and music director for winning the "live to love" song writing competition in Bhutan recently.

Eight finalists were short-listed. Judges of the song-writing competition were: His Holiness the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, Their Eminences Drukpa Choegon Rinpoches, His Eminence Thuksey Rinpoche, His Eminence Khamtrul Rinpoche, His Eminence Dorzong Rinpoche, His Eminence Dugu Choegyal Rinpoche, Venerable Sey Rinpoche and His Excellency Sangay Wangchug, Secretary to the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of Bhutan.

The finalists were short-listed based on the criteria as set by His Holiness earlier. Those contestants who were unable to make it to Ladakh had their songs being played before a public of about 86,000 people, and the two contestants who performed live, Kunga (Trent Williamson) from Australia who personally performed and sang his own entry/composition, and Chow Kam Leong who played the guitar, with his song performed by Jeffrey Lim Chew Few, a member of the "Baby" pop group in Malaysia, won the Grand Prize jointly. Both Kunga and Chow will be going to Nangchen with His Holiness and his group of students and friends.
excerpt from http://ladakh.drukpa.com

To listen to his winning song go to http://ladakh.drukpa.com/programs_live2love.htm

Aiyo, so now we know where our missing wig is.
Our hairstylist was freaking out coz he can't find it.
Bengio, please get it back from JinLiang.

This is how he actually looks like. Much better looking right?

kinta 1881 - behind the scene video, tin mine fights

2007-07-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

The fight scene on the stairs was where XiuBin almost lost his thumb on the fall. The other fight scene between Shawn and Kuan was spectacular too. In this fight, Kuan's arms and hands were quite badly bruised courtesy of Shawn. But according to Kuan, that was nothing compared to diving into the fire without any protective gear.

Kinta 1881 - behind the scene video, street

2007-07-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

I cannot forget that night when we were filming the back lane fight scene . That night, I was amazed with Andy's professionalism, attitude and courage.

It is not easy to lie down on the ground, push yourself up and get kicked in the face. Andy did just that. But the 1st take didn't look good on camera. So we asked Andy if he can take another kick. Another kick in his face. He just said yes.

Well, it is not that we wanted to kick him again and again but we really needed it to look good on camera. So we went from one take to another and after every take, Andy said yes to another take (meaning another kick for him) without hesitation.

On the last take, we were all happy as it looked really good. Then we realised Andy had passed out. We were all worried and rushed to him. Luckily he regained consciousness a few minutes later. Got Owen to rush him to the hospital for check up. Really glad that he is fine, alive and kicking today.

Andy, I salute you for your dedication and for showing the Kinta spirit. Thank you.

more of kinta 1881 cast

2007-07-18T21:50:00.001-07:00

is a wrap for kinta 1881

2007-07-18T21:40:00.001-07:00

andy, vicky, lex, ann, ben, jamie, adelynn

the art department

monica & philip

heng & chi wai

adelynn, vicky, joey & ann

joey, cat, daniel,michael, ann, vicky,adelynn, ben & jamie

jay, michael & ann

janice & ee oo

jamie, thomas, adelyn, anita, vicky, ann & pong

kuan & philip

bobo, michael, adelyn, robin, jamie, kuan, vicky & pia

the final wrap group photo
(click to enlarge)

kinta 1881 - behind the scene 3

2007-07-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

camera unit preparing for next shot

ka lok give kuan advice

shawn kicking someone's ass

kuan, michael, ka lok, david, robin

philip, kit, ka lok, chi wai, sze ming, chu & bin

patrick keeping the cast entertained

chairman of wushu association, dato seri kee visiting the set

war historian, chye kooi loong visiting the set

members of wushu association with dato seri kee

one of the spectacular set in the movie

michael using an ice pack on his swollen eye

our wushu team
our tin miners and ah moi's

kinta 1881 - behind the scene 2

2007-07-16T03:37:00.001-07:00

another evening at the tin mine

art dept preparing for the next scene

a scene from the movie published here without permission. (hahahaha)

2nd unit camera

another scene from the movie

lam ka tong visiting the set in kampar

the directors and producers pretending to be busy

philip waiting for set to be ready for the next fight scene

michael rewarded for doing a one take

thomas rewarded for doing a one take

just one of the many fight sequence

set on the street of kampar

mark in one of the fight scenes

eye for details?

monica and team getting kuan ready

1st unit and 2nd unit

pong after 65 takes

kinta 1881 - behind the scene 1

2007-07-16T03:18:00.001-07:00

evening in the street of kampar

skyline in the tin mine

ka lok & hor scheming another brutal fight sequence

ka lok convincing michael to do his own stunts

ka lok having fun shaving thomas

injury on kuan after a fight scene

ee oo & jeffrey waiting for the magic hour

happy hours at the tin mine

hor emphasising on what he want to see on camera

the set looks great in the evening

there goes my $$$$$$$$

ka lok hijacked the tmo camera

ka lok hijacked the 2nd unit camera

setting up a shot in the tin mine

hor, heng & kah yen trying to look pretty

the cast and still photography team fooling around

andrea setting up the camera on crane

the people behind the scene

2007-07-16T01:38:00.001-07:00

cl hor - director

chin ka lok - action choreographer

pong - director of photography

chow kam leong - script writer

andrea - camera assistant

ee oo - 2nd unit cameraman

owen - production manager, covering for tmo

philip, bin & chu - stunt team

pia & jamie

David & Dominique - wardrobe designers

janice & nicole - wardrobe team

ket - tmo team

kahyen & heng - assistant directors

hoong - key grip

azhar - key gaffer

jeffrey - 1st assistant director

kah yen trying out his new quarters

andrew - producer

jean - producer

andy - producer
michelle - line producer

jay - line producer

ann - line producer

monica - make up artist

bengio - hair stylist

cat - make up assistant

daniel - art dept

wong chiwai - asst action director. (winner of 43rd golden horse award for best action choreography)

eddie - a&p dept

adrian - executive producer, shaved his head to encourage the team

ben - art director

fooi yin, chyi tsuey & cai ying - production assistants

location managers

chu, philip, du - stunt team

vicky - still photographer

siochin - still photographer

kuan - behind camera

our communicator

sam "hung tin ming" - vtr

our visual recorder

our director couldn't resist the camera

kinta 1881 - the cast

2007-07-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

michael

kuan

robin

david

shawn

patrick

albert

lex

laura

anita

kinta 1881 filming completed

2007-07-15T21:31:00.001-07:00

Midnight of 29 June 2007, after filming for almost two months, my call for the final wrap was greeted by thunderous applause and cheers from the entire crew. Most of us, including me, had tears in our eyes when we were shaking hands, giving high fives and hugging each other.

It was a feeling of a great accomplishment and at the same time we felt sad as we realised we would not seeing each other much after this. The Kinta 1881 entourage had been staying together for almost one and a half months and after all the screaming, the fighting, the sweat and blood on set, we were like a family.

So here, I will be posting photos of the Kinta 1881 family on set.

the evening before day one

the kinta 1881 crew and cast on day one

setting up crane for next scene

art department setting up for next scene

a scene on street of kampar

pong and camera crew

news report on kinta 1881

2007-07-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Packed with a punch
By MICHAEL CHEANG, the Star. Thursday March 22, 2007

A period drama, with lots of martial arts action thrown in, is Malaysian film director C.L. Hor’s latest project.

Thanks to the wonders of technology, these days a martial arts film doesn’t necessarily require an actor to know how to fight. With a little CGI (computer- generated imagery), many wires and a good action choreographer, even the most stiff-jointed actor can fight like Bruce Lee.

Nevertheless, it is a proven fact that the best kung fu flicks ever made usually star actors who know how to wield the sword, or break a villain’s neck with a single punch. Think Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China, Jackie Chan in Drunken Master, or Tony Jaa in Ong Bak. The presence of these real-life martial arts exponents in these movies played a huge part in turning otherwise ordinary action flicks into legendary kung fu classics.

Bearing that in mind, Malaysian film director C.L. Hor can count himself lucky that when he starts filming Malaysia’s first-ever martial arts flick – Kinta 1881 – he will be able to boast not just one, but seven true-blue martial arts exponents. The stars include former world wushu champion Robin Ho, in the leading role; national wushu champions Michael Chin, Kuan Fei Jun and Shawn Lee; as well as world champion tai chi exponent David Bao from China.

Set for action: C.L. Hor will soon start filming Kinta 1881, Malaysia’s first-ever martial arts flick.

Set in pre-Merdeka Perak, when gang wars were common in the tin mining colonies, the movie is slated for release in November.

To ensure that the action sequences can match the fighting ability of his actors, Hor has enlisted experienced Hong Kong stunt choreographer Chin Ka Lok. Chin is a former member of Hong Kong stunt and kung fu maestro Sammo Hung’s team. Chin used to stand in as a stunt double for international action superstar Jackie Chan, and has appeared in movies like Full Throttle, My Kung Fu Sweetheart, as well as Chan’s ThunderboltDrunken Master II. and

As an action choreographer, Chin has garnered nominations in the best action choreography categories at the 2005 Golden Horse and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his work on the triad drama, One Nite in Mongkok.

According to Hor, Chin has met all the actors and seen what they can do; and is very impressed.

“Even the film distributors in China and Hong Kong were very impressed with the ability of the actors when they saw the trailer. They were amazed that we have so many talented martial arts exponents,” Hor says. “Our wushu athletes are among the best in the world – they are recognised, and some are world champions. I feel really proud as a Malaysian to be associated with them. This inspired me to try and fit them into a movie. Who knows? We may be able to push them into becoming bigger stars, like Jet Li and Jackie Chan.”

As for that small detail of their being relative newcomers in the world of filmmaking, Hor feels it’s not an issue at all. In fact, he enjoys working with new actors, because he reckons it is easier to mould them and give them a chance to shine.

“We are really lucky to have discovered this bunch of guys who are real performers cum athletes; and if no one gives them the chance (to act), then there is nowhere they can go.

“These guys have been training and training since they were kids, just to represent the country. But after they retire, what can they do? They can’t just rely on coaching alone. This is an area I would like to develop, to show them that besides being just a wushu coach, you can also apply your skills in other industries like filmmaking.”

As for their acting skills, he reckons that can be trained.

“We’ve taken into consideration their acting skills, and I believe that after they are trained by professionals, they can really go somewhere.”

Hor is also looking to add a bit of local martial arts flavour by having some scenes with silat exponents as well. “I am planning a scene where the main cast have to live in a kampung and are inspired by some silat exponent, and eventually apply silat into their own way of fighting.”

Even without the added logistical headache of setting up the action scenes, making Kinta 1881The 3rd Generation. And they haven’t even started filming yet! is turning out to be five times harder than his previous movie,

“This is a very ambitious film, because we chose to set it in the 1880s. We had to do a lot of research and make creative set designs to recreate the era. But I’m glad to say that the movie will be quite believable in terms of historical facts, as well as designs of the costumes and sets.” Hor adds that while it would have been far simpler to make a modern action flick, the point of Kinta 1881 was extraordinary.

“The scope of this movie reflects the Chinese society in Malaysia, just like The 3rd Generation in which I talked about how the local Chinese have evolved from generation to generation,” he says.

With the new movie, Hor wants to go further. “I want to show people outside Malaysia the roots of the Malaysian-Chinese.

“The main story is about how the Chinese came here, how they moved on and continued living in this country after 1881. This is also one important part of Malaysian history. The martial arts and action is merely there to increase the entertainment value of the movie.”

As the title suggests, the movie will be set in the Kinta Valley in the 1880s, when tin ore was discovered in the area, and Chinese immigrants flooded the valley in hopes of making their fortune.

Several locations, including Kampar and Gua Tempurung, have been earmarked for shooting.

“The main location is at the original and first-ever tin mine in Kampar, which is still operational,” says Hor.

“During 1883 and 1884, Malaysia was the largest producer of tin in the world, and most of it came from the Kinta Valley.

“The beauty of the Kampar and Taiping areas is these areas still have operational tin dredges. For those of us who had never seen one, it was fantastic to see how they actually mine the tin at these dredges,” he says, adding that not many people actually know what tin mining is like, and people outside Malaysia don’t even know what tin ore is.

“Some of my friends in Hong Kong thought that the movie is about a type of rice! (The term for tin is sek mai in Cantonese, which literally means tin rice.) Even the stunt director was planning fights set in rice mills!

“That’s another thing we want to introduce to the world – that Malaysia produces tin ore, and it is a very important part of our history.”

Filming of Kinta 1881 is set to begin in April, and its tentative release date is November this year. It is the first film to be made under the newly-formed film production company absolutelyblack – a collaboration between Hor’s Blackbox Pictures and event management company CMG Absolute Entertainment.

A first for kungfu flick
By MICHAEL CHEANG, the Star. Thursday March 8, 2007

Chin: He will finalise the location and the set-up, as well as plan the movie’s action sequences.

PETALING JAYA: Seasoned Hong Kong action choreographer Chin Ka Lok, who has worked with some of Asia’s greatest action stars like Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, will be working with Malaysian martial arts experts soon as the action director for the country's first ever martial arts movie – Kinta 1881.

Set in pre-Merdeka Perak, when gang wars were common among rival tin mining colonies, the film is directed by C.L. Hor (The Third Generation) and stars former world wushu champion Ho Robin with three other national wushu exponents including Michael Chin, Kuan Fei and Shawn Lee; and world champion taichi exponent David Bao from China.

Chin, who began working as a stuntman at the age of 16, is a former member of Hong Kong stunt and kungfu maestro Sammo Hung's team, and used to stand-in as a stunt double for international action superstar Jackie Chan.

He has previously acted in movies like Full Throttle, My Kung Fu Sweetheart as well as Chan’s Thunderbolt and Drunken Master II.

As an action choreographer, Chin has garnered nominations in the best action
choreography categories at the 2005 Golden Horse and the Hong Kong Film Awards for his work on the triad drama One Nite in Mongkok.

According to Hor, Chin has already met all the actors and will soon be in Malaysia to finalise the location and the set-up, as well as plan the action sequences.

“We spent half a year researching and scouting for the right choreographer, and we are happy to get Chin on board,” he said.

Filming of Kinta 1881 is set to begin next month, with November as the tentative release date.

It is the first film to be made under the newly-formed film production company absolutelyblack, a collaboration between Hor’s Blackbox Pictures and event management company CMG Absolute Entertainment.

Ipoh cave temple perfect for filming movie
By CHRISTINA KOH, the Star. Tuesday May 15, 2007

IPOH: The famous Kek Look Tong cave temple here, a serene site, is now a hive of activity. Its scenic limestone caverns and unique formations is perfect for the shooting of Malaysia’s first martial arts flick – Kinta 1881.

After a week of filming in Kampar and Papan, the crew got busy on the first day of shooting here yesterday.

The film's director, C.L. Hor, a Malaysian, said filming was on schedule.

“We thought “This is the perfect place because of its beauty,” Hor told reporters at the site.

Set in the Kinta Valley, the movie depicts the clash between Chinese immigrants struggling to earn a living in tin mines and gangsters aligned to the mine owners.

The film will have spectacular fight scenes, under the direction of celebrated Hong Kong stunt choreographer Chin Ka Lok and director of photography Jacky Tang.

The crew, producers and most of the cast are Malaysians. The cast includes former world wushu champion Robin Ho, national wushu champions Shawn Lee, Michael Chin and Kuan Fei Jun, and world champion tai chi exponent David Bao from China.

Filming is expected to go on until June, with the film's release slated for November.

Kinta 1881 off to a good start
the Star. Friday May 4, 2007

The cast and film crew of Kinta 1881 posing for photographers after the prayer ceremony in Kampar on Thursday.

KAMPAR: Malaysia’s first martial arts flick – Kinta 1881 – got off to a good start with the shooting of its first scene at the history-rich road of Jalan Tokong here.

With over a hundred curious residents watching from the sidelines, filmmakers shot the scene at the closed-off street decorated as a 19th century market.

Dressed in lace gowns and flanked by “bodyguards”, Hong Kong television actress Anita Kuan Yi Tung, 23, and Australian actress Laura New, 21, stood out as they strolled among the extras.

The movie, directed by Malaysian film director C.L. Hor, is set in the Kinta Valley during a time when Chinese immigrants were struggling to earn a living in its rich tin mines.

Kinta 1881 promises to have spectacular fights under the direction of celebrated Hong Kong stunt choreographer Chin Ka Lok and director of photography Jacky Tang Hon Pong.

“It’s essentially a story about justice set during the boom of the tin mining industry in the 1880s.

“It will be Malaysian’s first martial arts film with the kind of production values, budget and stunt coordination you would expect from Hong Kong,” said Hor after a prayer ceremony just before shooting here yesterday.

The film crew, producers and most of the cast, however, were all from Malaysia, he added.

Gangster fights in Kinta Valley
by Sharifah Arfah, New Straits Times 22 Jan 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Perak’s kongsi communities in 19th-century Malaysia seem to have all the ingredients for Malaysia’s first kung-fu movie, says a local film director. SHARIFAH ARFAH speaks to C.L. Hor about his newest venture.

SPURRED by the interest in Asian films overseas, film director C.L. Hor is coming up with his second feature film, Kinta 1881.

The film, set in 1881, will be the first Malaysian kung-fu flick.

It chronicles the life in kongsis amid the pre-Merdeka tin-mining era in Kinta Valley. The film will be produced by Blackbox Pictures Sdn Bhd at an initial cost of RM3.8 million.

The cast includes Malaysian wushu exponents, as well as international ones. Among them are national wushu champions Robin Ho, Michael Chin, Shawn Lee and Kuan Fei Jun, as well as world tai-chi expert David Bao from China.

Hor, who ventured into filmmaking after nearly six years of creative videomaking in Hong Kong, feels that the motion picture is the best way to drive a vision.

His first film, The 3rd Generation, was praised for its ornate settings and costumes.

It won the most promising actress award (Carmen Soo) and best costume designer award (Eric Choong) at the 19th Malaysian Film Festival last year. It was also screened at film festivals in Shanghai and Hawaii.

Hor said Kinta 1881 intends to tap the diversity and richness of Malaysia’s historical values, and hopefully, will be screened at film festivals overseas.

“I have met film practitioners from Hong Kong, who feel that Malaysia’s richness is yet to be fully portrayed. This is something we can take advantage of,” he said.

Hor said making movies with commercial storylines, like ghost stories, has its merits in terms of satisfying a mass audience and maximising box-office pickings.

“But I’d rather not go down that way. Although Kinta 1881 is a martial arts movie, it won’t have comic-driven kung-fu movements. Instead, it will feature serious gangster fights,” he said.

The martial arts choreography will be conducted by a Hong Kong martial arts expert who has done a lot of work for various Hong Kong films.