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FROM THE ARCHIVES...
GONG LI: CHINA HAS A HUMAN FACE Paris Match - June 7, 1999 Interview by Patrick Amory
She is China's offensive of charm. For the first time in the history of film, an actress who speaks Mandarin has become an international star, sanctified one of the "most beautiful women in the world". People in the West are enthusiastic for her dark gaze, for the dramatic characters she creates. Introduced [to movie goers] by the director Zhang Yimou, it was necessary that the Celestial Empire agreed to open its doors to the world so that China can succumb, in turn, to this intellectual girl. Ten years after the events of Tiananmen, Gong Li has become the ideal Chinese person of the millennium. Clear and authentic. She lives in Hong Kong where she has a husband who is a business man. Patrick Amory got lucky during a stopover in Monaco to collect the secrets and ambitions of the couple. Paris Match: In the West, one talks a lot these days about the events that occurred in Tiananmen Square. What were you doing and where were you in June 1989 during the student demonstration? Gong Li: I was a student myself in the last year of film school. In June of that year, I was far from Beijing, in the Anhui province. I was making the film 'Ju Dou', under the direction of Zhang Yimou. PM: On the topic of the undeniable Chinese economic advances, many Western voices denounce the problems of human rights and encourage respect for democracy. What do you think of these critics? Are they justified? GL: It's necessary to consider the particular situation of each country. China goes its own way. But what about freedom? For me, for example, I don't find that an ideal democracy is one that makes it possible to freely buy weapons, resulting in children killing their friends. In China, this doesn't happen. Countries deal with different realities, and each one governs in the best way it can. PM: Let's talk a little about politics. You are a member of the People's Congress. What are your roles and actions? GL: In China, there is a People's Assembly, executive, and the People's Congress, which has a consultative role. I have been chosen by the Culture Minister with other artists to be consulted with by the state. Each year, we meet and make suggestions on the actions of the State in our field. PM: Pardon my question that is a little abrupt by a Westerner: Is it necessary to be a member of the Communist party in order to be part of the People's Congress? GL: Not at all. I am not a member of the Communist party. I am a democrat. I am democratic and free. PM: You live in Hong Kong, the most developed area of China. According to you, is your country on the path of good social and economic growth? GL: In ten years, China has become completely open thanks to the system of reforms of Deng Xiaoping. Our country is becoming more and more prosperous and modern. More and more people are well nourished and educated. But we are still improving. As a Chinese, I think that our modernization and our opening are of primary importance. It's as if a beautiful road has opened to a very remote countryside. It opens the way for hope. And without this road to the outside world, a declining countryside will remain ignorant. China needs this route towards the modern. PM: You are concerned by world politics. What do you think about the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade and about the conflict in Kosovo? GL: I find that episode very regrettable. It proves that war is never a good thing. Because those who suffer the most in a war are the common people. I am really against war. So, of course, this accident is a serious injury for China, but I don't want China to become excited because of it and create an even more hostile climate, generating more violence. It is therefore necessary to react calmly, with only one goal: to restore peace. PM: Your husband confided in me that you cried when you saw pictures of the destroyed embassy. Were you really distressed? GL: Yes. Seeing the bodies of the dead Chinese, I thought about the despair of their parents. You know that in China many parents have only one child. It's the rule of "one family, one child". There are therefore "only children" who are dead on account of this NATO bombing. I cried while thinking about these people who have given everything to their only child, with the only result being a corpse in front of them. And there's nothing more sad. Because of that also, I will fight for peace and against all wars. PM: You accepted becoming beauty ambassador for L'Oreal. Why? GL: I accepted this position initially because the company L'Oreal plays a great part in cultural and artistic exchanges at the international level. I think that it's important for the validation of Asian women that a woman like me becomes part of what's called the "Dream Team". But beyond the promotion of the image of Asian beauty, I am engaged as an "ambassador" like a person who is involved in a political struggle. My appearance as a standard of beauty is also a fight against all forms of racism. The political meaning of my choice is essential to understand. PM: You have underscored the sociological and political role of your position as L'Oreal ambassador, but have you thought about another kind of involvement? GL: One of my dearest wishes is to become involved in an organization like UNESCO in order to be able to participate more in the dialog between cultures and people, and to summon all willpower for peace. PM: You have a reputation for being very involved in all of your films. It is said that you have a great critical mind and that you discuss everything about your characters with the directors. Why? GL: Indeed, too often people think that the actors and actresses have to accept a role in a film as it is. I think that, on the contrary, in order to express oneself better, one needs to dissect the character. I don't want to change my role or the storyline, but to analyze it, and give my understanding of the film and my character to the director. From this exchange comes a real collaboration, and I need this dialog. PM: If you didn't have the choice of being an actress, what work would you like to try? GL: I would love to be a professor at a film school. Incidentally, I have given courses there. I love to share knowledge. My parents have certainly influenced me, they were both economics professors at university, and my three brothers, along with my sister, are intellectuals. PM: By looking at the men in your life, I have the impression that you choose men of experience, more mature [in age] than you. Is that correct? GL: Yes, it's certainly due to the influence of my home life, where I lived with men much older than myself. I am the youngest, my brother who is the closest in age to me is eleven years older than I am. Therefore, it's due to my father and three brothers that I have maturity as a male reference, and I have the habit of feeling secure in this way. I realize that I communicate better with experienced men, whether in my private or professional life. Also, my women friends tend to be older than I am. I like this type of relationship, because I feel that I can learn from them, and that's my motivation. PM: Does your husband often accompany you on location? GL: Not often enough, I would love it if he could do so more frequently! But, because of his work, it's impossible. When I am working on a film, either in Beijing or elsewhere, he always comes to see me at least once a week. PM: You are both very busy. Isn't it difficult, because of the numerous professional trips of one or the other, to live in harmony? GL: No, not at all. Because in everyday life my husband is a very nice man with a very sweet-tempered nature. With him, we always avoid problems. PM: Your husband told me that you are not, like certain actresses, temperamental or moody. How would you describe your life as a couple? GL: My husband and I love to have a simple and pleasant life. We avoid stress and pressure as much as possible. We understand each other very well, and our harmony is very natural. PM: He revealed to me that you sleep a lot when you are not making a film. GL: It's a habit that I have because, when I am making a film, I have to be available day and night. And sometimes, like on my last film, filming can last four months! It's exhausting. Also, I benefit from time spent at home recuperating. I pay attention to my rest. Sleep is my recipe for health and beauty! PM: I learned that you have made a very original choice, to go from Paris to Monte Carlo by car. Why this choice of a ten hour trip, when there was a private plane at your disposal? GL: The other years, I always went to the Cote d'Azur by plane. So, I had this idea because I wanted to discover France, the true country, away from Paris, the capital. I wanted to compare the French countryside to that of my country. I have found your land to be very, very rich. I thought that God has been very gracious and generous with France! He has given you everything: rich land, a very beautiful coastline, and pretty mountains. China lacks this richness and this natural variety. At home, there are also beautiful landscapes, but there are many uninhabitable and uncultivable places. PM: Your trip has been very romantic. Do you remember one place in particular? GL: I can't cite any one place in particular. For us, everything is incredible! The memory of this trip that I will keep is that your country is very clean and very pretty. For me, France is a grand garden.
INTERVIEW WITH HUANG HEXIANG PM: Husbands are a rare species in the film industry. Actresses often have little time for them. How many times have you accompanied Gong Li to France? HH: This is the fourth time. I like the film atmosphere a lot, full of life and spirit. Accompanying my wife doesn't pose any problems. I am very proud of her and her work. Whenever I can, I travel in order to support her. PM: What are the qualities of Gong Li the actress? HH: She is very, very professional. She always has an idea about how to play her character. She likes to talk with the director and make suggestions. PM: Have you seen her latest film [The Emperor and The Assassin]? HH: Yes, and I love it. It's one of the rare spectaculars that China has produced. She chose this film because it tells about the history of China. PM: Tell us about the woman. HH: She is very pleasant and easy to live with. In Hong Kong we live in a penthouse apartment in a modern building. When she isn't working, she sleeps a lot in order to recuperate from an exhausting film schedule. When she is active, she plays tennis and badminton; she is a very good partner. I am also very lucky because she is an excellent cook. She loves to prepare Chinese noodles, and her recipes are remarkable. PM: You seem to share a harmonious home life. Is one jealous when one is the husband of a beautiful actress for whom seduction is also a calling card? HH: Jealous? Not at all. When I met her, she was already doing this work, so I chose her with full knowledge of the facts. On the contrary, I always encourage her in all of her enterprises. And, as I have already said, she makes me very proud. PM: Do you think her role as Ambassador for L'Oreal to be an important one for her, as a representative of the young, modern Chinese woman? HH: It is very important that she has accepted this role. In China, she provides information and education about the fact that it is necessary to maintain and protect one's skin and hair. On the level of hygiene and health, there is still much more to be done in that country. PM: Describe the social role of Gong Li. Is she concerned about politics? HH: Of course. She is Chinese and she loves her country. She reads the news and watches news about the entire world on television. So, when she saw the first images of the Chinese embassy [in Belgrade] shelled by NATO, she cried. But she is also very concerned about the fate of the people who live around her. On her last film, there was a small Chinese boy, nine-years-old, who is hearing impaired. She immediately decided to devote herself to him and the cause of the numerous Chinese children handicapped in this way. She has collected funds in order to support the aid of hearing impaired children. She is also a member of the People's Congress; she thus takes an active and effective part in the progress of her country. PM: Gong Li works for and dreams of a better future for China and the world. For yourself, what dream would you love to partake in with her? HH: To leave on holiday, just the two of us. The last holiday I recall was three years ago. We took three weeks to visit the United States and a part of Europe. PM: Can you talk about the first time you met? HH: It was in 1993 in Beijing. She presented an award at an event that my company sponsored. It should be known that in China Gong Li is a superstar, and yet I found her very approachable and friendly. She impressed me by her presence and simplicity. I told myself that day that this celebrity is not spoiled. PM: Did you immediately experience a mutual love? HH: No. Things were a bit more complicated. Neither one of us was free at that time. PM: Do you plan to have a family? HH: Yes. But it will be necessary to find the time. [laughs]
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