Venice Film Festival celebrates Chinese director John Woo (Roundup)

By Peter Mayer Sep 3, 2010, 15:14 GMT

Venice, Italy - The Venice Film Festival on Friday celebrated Chinese action film master John Woo, bestowing him with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement award.

'I was shocked, then I thought he was kidding,' said Woo, describing when festival director Marco Muller called him to inform him of the award.

'I'm not usually part of film society,' said the 64-year-old Woo. It was an apparent reference to the Venice Film Festival's penchant for honouring art-house cinema rather than the sword-and-dagger or kung-fu movies for which Woo is known.

He said he wished to dedicate the award to his 'mentor,' pioneering Hong-Kong film director, Chang Cheh, who died in 2002.

'I also want to dedicate the award to my mother, the first person who brought me to a theatre,' Woo said, adding he was grateful to her for encouraging his interest in cinema.

Woo's highly stylized, carefully choreographed fight scenes - featured in martial arts films such as A Better Tomorrow and The Killer - have influenced many other directors.

One of these, Quentin Tarantino, who heads the 2010 Venice Film Festival competition jury, has often expressed his admiration for Woo.

Woo was scheduled to pick up the award at an evening ceremony at the festival's main Sala Grande hall venue, located on the lagoon city's Lido.

The world premiere screening of Woo's most recent project, Jianyu (Reign of Assassins) which he co-directed with Taiwanese filmmaker Su Chao-pin, was set to follow the ceremony.

At an earlier news conference, Woo also spoke about his decision to leave the United States, where he has made most of his movies over the last two decades.

'After working in Hollywood for 16 years, I thought it was about time to bring what I learned to Asia,' he said.

Returning to China he said he found a 'great knowledge' about foreign films and 'a great interest to learn.'

'There is so much great material and many good stories from our (Chinese) culture.

'People (abroad) don't know much about our history. They only know of kung-fu but that is only a small part,' Woo said.

He was asked, however, why his first film since returning to China, the epic blockbuster Red Cliff, as well as Reign of Assassins, are both, once again, examples of the action genre.

'I think these films have deep philosophies (in their stories). This allows the audience to reflect,' Woo said.

The Venice Film Festival, the world's oldest cinema competition, ends on September 11, when the awards, including the Golden Lion for best film, will be announced.