Home and away they hope and pray for good news
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-06 09:31
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No doubt Li Bingbing is already planning what dress to wear for the red carpet at the upcoming 67th Venice Film Festival. She will be keen to claim column inches after namesake (sort of) Fan Bingbing wowed crowds at the recent Cannes Film Festival with her stunning "dragon robe".
Li appears in director Tsui Hark's Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame, the Chinese film carrying the hopes of the nation in the festival's main competition. Li, along with fellow cast members Andy Lau and Carina Lau are all in the running for Best Actor and Best Actress awards.
"Ten years ago, Zhang Yuan won Best Director for his movie Seventeen Years, which I acted in," Li was quoted as saying. "Now I'm presented with a chance to step on the red carpet again. I guess you can say this is my 10-year-pact with Venice."
It is Andy's first nomination at the Venice festival and he said he was excited by the prospect. The good news was spoiled only by Carina's statement that she would not be able to attend because she has "problems at home".
This refers to rumors circulating on Web sites and forums that she is having an affair with businessman Jing Baifu. The man behind Start Group is said to be worth 10 million yuan (US$1.5 million) and was spotted having hot pot with the Hong Kong actress in Beijing last month.
Tabloids in Hong Kong are saying hot pot wasn't all that went on between the two and are claiming they have "intimate" photos of the pair. Carina, as loyal readers will be aware, is married to Tony Leung.
The screen god has moved quickly to quash the rumors by saying he trusts his wife completely and it is quite normal for celebrities to socialize with rich and important men. Let's hope it's that and nothing more. For her part, Carina is saying she will miss the Venice Film Festival so as not to add further oil to the fire and dampen gossip that she has been playing away from home.
In other Venice Festival news, the opening night tribute will be to martial arts legend Bruce Lee, with the screening of The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen. In the Golden Lion For Lifetime Achievement category is John Woo's Reign of Assassins.
Nearer home, in the capital city, further details of an alleged bust-up between comedian Li Hebiao and a reporter from Beijing Television (BTV) have emerged.
At a press conference Li admitted he punched the reporter, on Tuesday. He said he was wrong but added there were mitigating circumstances as he claimed the reporter had been stalking his boss, fellow cross-talking comedian Guo Degang.
A Deyunshe group agent (representing Guo and Li) said it would pay for the reporter's medical treatment and say sorry; but Sina.com is reporting that the chief editor of BTV, Wang Hai, insists Deyunshe must make a formal apology.
China Daily
