Interviews From The Short Century

People have said you’re half Brigitte Bardot and half Romy Schneider. Do you think that's fair?

Yes, although not so much physically. It’s more that I think I share certain aspects of their character and lifestyle... I find Bardot an extraordinary woman as well as incredibly beautiful. What a character! I also kind of worship Romy Schneider. I've seen all her films and it was just horrible when she died. Such a tragic life...

Apart from the tragic events, would you like to be the new Romy Schneider?

Wow, what a compliment! Being compared to all these beautiful women. It’s really flattering, but above all I just want to do everything I can to be me.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I certainly didn't think I would become a model. I guess I wanted to be a lawyer.

Like your father?

Yeah, I was all set to go and work for his firm. And then all my plans changed. I realised this was too good an opportunity to turn down, so I grabbed it with both hands.

Your story is a bit of a fairytale for the modern ages. There must have been some tough times?

Oh, sure. But I’m always confident in my own ability.

What’s your secret?

Plenty of discipline. And also being able to be around others. I’m a people person. I like being able to think on my feet when I’m facing a barrage of questions from reporters at a press conference. I see it as a challenge; it doesn't scare me.

Is it just about discipline?

You also need to stay level-headed. And that’s where the way I was brought up comes in. My family have helped me a lot. They made me who I am: confident, pragmatic and well-balanced. I can stay in control even when I’m out of my comfort zone. For example, it’s thanks to my parents that I’m now able to speak in public without feeling shy.

If the media is anything to go by, you move pretty quickly from one relationship to another: one day it’s Prince Albert of Monaco, the next Julio Bocca. Who is the real Claudia?

The real Claudia is a girl who has lots of friends. Prince Albert is one of those, Julio Bocca is another. But there’s also Plácido Domingo, Peter Gabriel and a load of other famous people. As soon as I’m photographed with them, I have the entire world’s press immediately claiming they're my boyfriend! It’s not like that.

But do you eventually see yourself settling down, getting married, having kids?

I’m absolutely ready to fall in love, the sooner the better. But I don't have a partner right now simply because I’ve not fallen in love with anyone.

What do you look for in a man?

I don't have an ideal type in terms of looks. The first thing I look for is personality, and sense of humour above everything. I need a man to charm me, to win me over with intelligence, with his mind. Someone who can teach me the true value of humour. I mean, you have to be able to laugh, don't you?

Sounds like a pretty demanding job being your boyfriend …

Anyone who is with a celebrity needs to be a strong character in their own right. I love men who have character but are also sensitive. If you want to be with me, you have to tolerate noise, intrusion, gossip, reporters...

Do you feel guilty at all?

What do you mean?

I mean, it seems like you have it all: beauty, fame, money...

I do feel lucky. I thank God and my parents for giving me the life I have. That’s why, when I can, I try to do something useful or helpful.

But it's not all sunshine and roses in the fashion world, is it? There’s drugs, alcohol, fierce rivalries...

I’m not affected by drugs or alcohol. Jealousy, sure, but I don’t really understand it. Models come in all shapes, sizes, personalities and mentalities, so I think there's room enough for everyone. And you don’t have to be insanely beautiful. There's something beautiful about every woman. You just have to nurture it.

What do you need to make it big?

The main thing is character, because it’s not like there is a shortage of beautiful women in the world. After that, you need education, personality and discipline.

By that, do you also mean discipline when it comes to your diet?

Not really. I don’t smoke and I don't drink, but that’s only because neither thing appeals to me. I don’t eat a lot of meat because I don't think it’s good for you, and I’m careful about fats. But I love chocolate... Oh, and Fanta of course! (laughs ).

How are you with money?

It’s not the be all and end all, but it will allow me to do what I want in the future. Money gives you freedom.

What does the word sex mean to you?

To me? (seems genuinely taken aback ).

Yes, to you.

Well, something that happens naturally between two people who are in love with each other. That's it.

Do you feel like you're a particularly sexual, or rather sensual, person?

Absolutely.

? yes!

4

Gong Li

Moonstruck

In early 1996, I had just started to work as a Far East correspondent. I and other journalist friends of mine would meet up with John Colmey, who was working for Time in Hong Kong. John put me in touch with the manager of the glamorous Chinese actress Gong Li, and I managed to get an exclusive interview with her for Panorama on the set of the movie she was filming near Shanghai.

*****

We are in Suzhou, a city on the shores of Lake Tai about fifty-five miles west of Shanghai, where Chen Kaige is preparing to shoot one of the final scenes of Temptress Moon , a film that is keenly anticipated following the global success of Farewell My Concubine three years ago. Crew members are scurrying between what must be more than two hundred extras dressed in 1920s clothing and crowded onto the jetty. The women are wearing typical silk cheongsams, some of the men are sat in sedan chairs reading and, in the background, dockers are loading cargo onto a steamer. They are filming a big farewell scene: Gong Li plays Ruyi, a beautiful and pampered heiress of an extremely wealthy Shanghai family beset by incest, opium abuse and double-crossing. She is about to set sail for Peking with her fiancé Zhongliang, played by Leslie Cheung, the Hong Kong actor whom she also starred alongside in Farewell My Concubine .

Stood on the jetty is Ruyi's childhood friend Duanwu (played by up-and-coming Taiwanese star Kevin Lin), who has secretly been in love Ruyi all along: “You have to imagine this is the last time you will see her, the very last time! We need to see that in your face; that’s what I want to see!” urges the forty-six-year-old Chen, who is wearing a leather jacket and black jeans. “Right... Yu-bei ... [Ready...] Action !” As Kevin Lin looks over at the departing ship, his pain is clear to see. “ Okay! ” yells a satisfied Chen. That’s a wrap for the day.

Having spent more than two years writing the script, Chen is working his backside off to get his film ready for the Cannes Festival in May. The son of Chen Huai’ai, himself a giant of post-war cinema, Chen is currently the leading figure in the Chinese film industry and has a reputation for getting the most out of his actors, sometimes stretching their patience to the limit. Just as he has done with the Chinese government, who banned, cut and censored his films for years before eventually acknowledging his status as a maestro of contemporary cinema.

At a cost so far of six million dollars, Temptress Moon to a certain extent represents the current status of the Chinese film industry: no longer totally repressed but not yet fully liberalised, shown across the globe but with its feet firmly planted in China, and simultaneously cosmopolitan yet parochial. And the film set appears to be a microcosm of modern-day China.