Janet Yang, one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood” and producer of such films as Joy Luck Club & The People vs. Larry Flint, stopped by WildChina’s Beijing office to discuss her new movie, SHANGHAI CALLING. It will come as no surprise that when Janet entered our office, she definitely drew looks of awe and admiration.
Janet was in town to talk about SHANGHAI CALLING and we were lucky to get a few sneak peeks of the film. A romantic comedy about an ambitious New York attorney sent to Shanghai on assignment who immediately stumbles into a legal mess that could spell the end of his career. But with help from a beautiful relocation specialist, a well-connected foreign businessman, a clever but unassuming journalist, and a street-smart assistant, Sam might just save his job, discover romance, and learn to appreciate the many wonders Shanghai has to offer.
WildChina guests, hailing from Paris to Buenos Aires, often prepare for their journey by watching films, such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Raise the Red Lantern. While we love these films, the images that they project are of a China that existed generations ago. It can be confusing for first time visitors to China to arrive in Shanghai expecting Mao suits, and be confronted with new airports, high-speed trains and swank international clientele sipping martinis in hopping bars. SHANGHAI CALLING is the first film we have seen that excels at portraying a realistic Shanghai, a complex mixture of sexy modernism and ancient streets filled with jiaozi (dumplings) vendors.
This film is a total treat and we can’t wait to see the full length production in movie theaters in fall 2012.
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Photos by: First Independent Pictures, SHANGHAI CALLING
