Sylvia Chang
Sylvia Chang | |
---|---|
![]() Chang at the 57th Golden Bell Awards in October 2022 | |
Born | |
Other names | Zhang Aijia |
Occupation(s) | Actress, writer, director, singer, producer |
Years active | 1973–present |
Spouses | |
Children | 1 |
Chinese name | |
Traditional Chinese | |
Simplified Chinese | 张艾 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Zhāng Àijiā |
Jyutping | Zoeng1 Ngaai6gaa1 |
Sylvia Chang (born 21 July 1953) is a Taiwanese actress, singer, director, screenwriter and producer. In 1992, she served as a jury member at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival.[2] In June 2018, she was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[3] In the same year, she served as a jury member at the 75th Venice International Film Festival.[4]
Early life
[edit]Chang was born in Chiayi, Taiwan. She dropped out of school when she was 16, and started her career as a radio DJ.[5] When she was 18 years old she acted in her first film.[6]
Career
[edit]Chang acted in her first film, The Tattooed Dragon (
She stated in an interview with film editor Clarence Tsui, "I still think Hong Kong's film industry is male-dominated".[9] She also believes that "There aren't many male filmmakers who would write scripts for women".[9] She helped write the script of Run Papa Run,[10] based on the novel by Benny Li Shuan Yan,[11] that follows a man who belongs to the Triad and the relationship he has with his mother, wife, and daughter.[7] Chang said in an interview that, "I thought why don't I explore the gentler side of men".
Chang first began performing in theatre productions more than 30 years ago. She returned to the stage in the production of Design For Living (
Chang is also a singer and her music has become popular in karaoke,[5] where her song "The Cost of Love" is commonly sung.[5]
In the 1980s, Chang's second film to direct, Passion, which she wrote and also starred in, won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress.[5] She has stated, "I had never went to any school as a director or a filmmaker, so all my film education actually was from the set".[14]
For a time, Chang was the head producer of New Cinema City in Taiwan, but left a few years after joining.[14] In 20 30 40, she played the 40-year-old woman protagonist, wrote and directed it.[10]
Critical reception
[edit]Chang once said of her films that, "I've always felt that animation or special effects shouldn't just be limited to science-fiction films and their ilk. Dramas can also play around with them".[7] One critic wrote of her, that "In an industry that kisses young actresses with celebrity, then swallows them and spits them out, Chang has a sequoia's longevity. She is the only Hong Kong actress of her generation—the early '70s—to keep starring in movies".[6]
Chang's films have been selected to screen at the BFI London Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival and Tokyo Filmex. She has served as a jury member at the Berlin International Film Festival,[2] as well as the Venice Film Festival.[4] She also holds the record for the most nominations for the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, with ten nominations and two wins.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Chang married Hong Kong-based journalist Bob Liu in 1979. They divorced in 1984. Chang married Taiwanese businessman Billy Wang Jing-xiong in 1991 and they have one son, Oscar. She also has two stepsons.[1]
In July 2000, Chang's nine-year-old son Oscar was kidnapped and held for a ransom of HK $15 million.[1] The police found him after a few days, safe, and arrested the kidnappers.[16] Chang stated, "With your life, you have to move on, there's no other choice; so, out of no choice, then, it's a matter of your attitude".[14]
Philanthropy
[edit]Chang is an advocate and a "life-long volunteer" for World Vision International,[17] the humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization. She created an advertisement, sponsored by World Vision, to promote the company, World Vision Advertisement on YouTube. She is a member and advocate for the World Vision-sponsored "30 Hour Famine."
Filmography
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Sylvia_Chang_2011.jpg/220px-Sylvia_Chang_2011.jpg)
As actress
[edit]- Kong zhong wu shi (1973)
- The Tattooed Dragon (1973) as Ai-Chia
- Xiao ying xiong da nao Tang Ren jie (1974) as Lin Hsiu-yin
- Slaughter in San Francisco (1974)
- Shi qi shi qi shi ba (1974)
- Bruce: Hong Kong Master (1975)
- The Story of Four Girls (1975)
- A Mao zheng chuan (1976)
- Bi yun tian (1976)
- Victory (1976)
- Wen nuan zai qiu tian (1976) as Hsu Hsiao-hui
- Eight Hundred Heroes (1976)
- Warmth in Autumn (1976)
- Qiu chan (1976)
- Lang hua (1976)
- Xing yu (1976)
- Luo ye piao piao (1976)
- The Lady Killer (1976)
- Mitra (1977) as Mitra
- The Longest Bridge (1977)
- The Golden Age (1977)
- A Pirate of Love (1977)
- Zuo ri chong chong (1977)
- Qing se shan mai (1977)
- Shan liang de ri zi (1977)
- Tai bei qi qi (1977)
- Taibei liu shi liu (1977)
- Jin yu liang yuan hong lou meng (1977) as Lin Daiyu
- Feng yu zhao yang (1977)
- Dan dan san yue qing meng long (1977)
- Ai qing wo zhao dao le (1977)
- Shuo huang shi jie (1978)
- M*A*S*H (1979, TV Series) as Sooni
- The Secret (1979) - Lin Jeng-ming.[18]
- Legend of the Mountain (1979) as Cloud
- Crazy Disaster (1979) as Lin Jeng-ming
- Ma feng nu (1979)
- Tian xia yi da xiao (1980)
- The Imperious Princess (1980) as Princess Sheng Ping
- White Jasmine (1980)
- Da xiao jiang jun (1980)
- Xue jian leng ying bao (1980)
- Yuan (1980)
- Attack Force Z (1981) as Chien Hua
- Zhong shen da shi (1981) as Chu Wei
- The Funniest Movie (1981)
- My Grandfather (1982)
- Aces Go Places (1982) as Supt. Nancy Ho
- Nan xiong nan di (1982)
- Xue jian gui xiang lu (1982)
- He Lives by Night (1982) as Sissy
- In Our Time (1982)
- Aces Go Places 2 (1983) as Supt. Nancy Ho
- 1938 Da jing qi (1983) as Su San
- Cabaret of the Streets (1983)
- That Day, on the Beach (1983) as Jiali
- Cabaret Tears (1983)
- Aces Go Places 3 (1984) as Supt. Nancy Ho
- Funny Face (1984)
- Shanghai Blues (1984) as Shu-Shu
- Double Trouble (1984)
- The Story in Sorghum Field (1984)
- My Favorite Season (1985) as Liu Xiang‑mei
- Crazy Romance (1985) as Cheung Ka-ka
- Ba Fan keng kou de xin niang (1985)
- Aces Go Places IV (1986) as Supt. Nancy Ho
- Lucky Stars Go Places (1986) as Quito
- Passion (1986) as Wendy Pai
- Immortal Story (1986) as Chang Mei Ling
- Sister Cupid (1987)
- Kidnapped (1987)
- Seven Years Itch (1987) as Sylvia
- Soursweet (1988) as Lily
- Yellow Story (1988) as Mrs. Hui
- Chicken and Duck Talk (1988) as Mrs. Hui
- All About Ah-Long (1989) as Sylvia Poon / 'Por-Por'
- Full Moon in New York (1989) as Wang Hsiung-Ping
- Eight Taels of Gold (1989) as Odds and Ends
- Two Painters (1989)
- The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon (1990) as Hung Leung-yuk
- Queen of Temple Street (1990) as Big Sis Wah
- My Mother's Tea House (1990)
- A Rascal's Tale (1991)
- Sisters of the World Unite (1991) as Sylvia Lau
- The Banquet (1991) as Herself
- The Twin Dragons (1992) as Mrs. Ma (Twins' Mother)
- Lucky Encounter (1992) as Pregnant Woman
- C'est la vie, mon chéri (1993) as Deputy Director of Hospital
- Huan ying (1993)
- In Between (1994) as Anna Lau (segment "Yuan fu julebu")
- Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) as Jin-Rong
- Killer Lady (1995) as Show Show
- I Want to Go on Living (1995) as Pui Yan
- The Fragile Heart (1996, TV Series) as Dr. Zhao Quing
- A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation (1997) as Shine (Mandarin version, voice)
- The Red Violin (1998) as Xiang Pei (Shanghai)
- King of Stanley Market (1998)
- Tempting Heart (1999) as Cheryl
- Forever and Ever (2001) as Mrs. Tam Li Min-Chun
- 20 30 40 (2004) as Lily
- Rice Rhapsody (2004) as Jen
- American Fusion (2005) as Yvonne
- The Go Master (2006) as Shu Wen - Wu's mother
- Buddha Mountain (2010) as Chang Yueqin
- Mountains May Depart (2015) as Mia
- Office (2015) as Winnie Chang
- Shuttle Life (2017) as Li Jun
- Love Education (2017) as Qiu Huiying
- Long Day's Journey into Night (2018)
- Jìyuántái qihào (2019) as Mrs. Mei
- The Garden of Evening Mists (2019) as Older Teoh Yun Ling
- Are You Lonesome Tonight? (2021) as Liang's mother
- A Light Never Goes Out (2021) as Mei-heung
As filmmaker
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1981 | Once Upon a Time | Co-director, co-writer | |
1986 | Passion | Director, writer | |
1987 | Yellow Story | Director | |
1989 | All About Ah-Long | Co-writer (story) | |
1991 | Sisters of the World Unite | Director, co-writer, producer | |
1992 | Mary from Beijing | Director, writer | |
1992 | Three Summers | Co-writer, producer | |
1994 | In Between | Director, writer, producer |
|
1995 | Siao Yu | Director, co-writer | |
1995 | I Want to Go on Living | Co-writer | |
1996 | Tonight Nobody Goes Home | Director, co-writer | |
1998 | Bishonen | Executive producer | |
1999 | Tempting Heart | Director, co-writer | |
2002 | Princess D | Director, co-writer, producer | |
2004 | 20 30 40 | Director, co-writer | |
2008 | Run Papa Run | Director, co-writer | |
2007 | Happy Birthday | Co-writer | |
2011 | 10+10 | Writer | segment "The Dusk of the Gods" |
2012 | My Way | Executive producer | Documentary |
2015 | Murmur of the Hearts | Director, co-writer | |
2015 | Office | Writer | |
2017 | Love Education | Director, co-writer | |
2021 | Hero | Director | segment "Hong Kong" |
Discography
[edit]- Kolin Records (
歌 林 )
- 1973 Never Say Goodbye
別 說 再 見 - 1974 Tearfully Say to You 含淚
向 你說 - 1977 Farewell (
惜別 ) - 1980 Maybe / We Were Young (也许 /
我 們曾經年 輕 )
- 1981 Childhood (
童 年 ) - 1985 Busy and Blind (
忙 與 盲 ) - 1986 Do You Love Me? (你愛
我 嗎) - 1987 Xi shuo (
細說 ), lit. "clarify" or "elaborate" - 1992 The Price of Love (
愛 的 代價 )
Awards and nominations
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Fraser, Niall (13 July 2000). "Star's kidnapped son locked in suitcase". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Juries". Berlinale. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "ACADEMY INVITES 928 TO MEMBERSHIP". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Biennale Cinema 2018 | The five Juries of the 75th Venice Film Festival". La Biennale di Venezia. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Sylvia Chang". English.cri.cn. Archived from the original on 6 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Sylvia Rising". TIME. 18 October 1999. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011.
- ^ a b c "The Collaborator : An interview with Sylvia Chang". Far East Film Festival. 3 May 2014.
- ^ "Q&A: Sylvia Chang". TIME. 18 October 1999. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011.
- ^ a b "Filmmaker Sylvia Chang defies gender rules". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
- ^ a b Sylvia Chang in the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Run Papa Run, IMDB
- ^ a b "Starnews: Edward Lam is using Joe Cheng to 'lure' Sylvia Chang to appear on the stage play again". AsianFanaticFans. 20 October 2008.
- ^ "Sylvia Chang: from Actress to Director". China Daily. 21 April 2004.
- ^ a b c "Chinese actress/director Sylvia Chang interview Transcript". CNN. 27 October 2004. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013.
- ^ "
全 才 影 后 張 艾 嘉 的 八 件 事 ,出身 名門 ,華 語 影 壇 的 芭芭拉 史 翠 珊,金 馬 獎提名 紀 錄 保持 人 ". Marie Claire美麗 佳人 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 17 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2024. - ^ The Straits Times. "Sylvia Chang's son "beaten by abductors' - Worldnews.com". Article.wn.com.
- ^ "Joy of Sponsorship". Worldvision.org.hk.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick (20 July 2020). "Venice Film Festival to Honor Tilda Swinton, Ann Hui With Golden Lions for Career Achievement". variety.com. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ "Asian Film Awards: 'Youth' Wins Top Prize From 'Demon Cat'". Variety. 17 March 2018.
- ^ "导演协会
年度 表彰 《嘉 年 华》《芳 华》周 冬 雨 影 后 ". Sina (in Chinese). 22 April 2018.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- 1953 births
- Living people
- Taiwanese film directors
- Taiwanese women film directors
- Best Actress Asian Film Award winners
- Hong Kong film actresses
- Hong Kong film directors
- Hong Kong film producers
- Hong Kong people of Taiwanese descent
- Hong Kong screenwriters
- Hong Kong women writers
- Hong Kong writers
- 20th-century Hong Kong actresses
- 21st-century Hong Kong actresses
- Taiwanese film actresses
- Taiwanese film producers
- Taiwanese women singers
- Taiwanese screenwriters
- Taiwanese stage actresses
- People from Chiayi County
- Taiwanese women writers
- Taiwanese women film producers