More to martial arts than violence, says Wong Kar-wai

(AFP) – 

Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar Wai holds a press conference on "The Grandmaster" on January 23, 2013 in Singapore (AFP, Roslan Rahman)

SINGAPORE — Award-winning Chinese filmmaker Wong Kar-wai said Wednesday he wanted his latest film to show audiences that there is more to martial arts than violence, and hoped to open a new chapter in the genre.

"We hope this movie can turn a new page on martial arts movies," Wong told reporters in Singapore before the local premiere of "The Grandmaster".

Billed as an epic drama inspired by the life of Yip Man, the mentor of kung fu film hero Bruce Lee, it stars Hong Kong heart-throb Tony Leung and Chinese star Zhang Ziyi.

Although it is an action film, it also explores the patience and discipline of kung fu masters.

"The stories of martial arts films consist only of fighting, but actually all the martial arts styles showcased are well-founded," said Wong, wearing his signature sunglasses.

Wong, known for taking his time to shoot highly stylised films, is best known for his 1994 romance "Chungking Express", intense period drama "In the Mood for Love", from 2000, and his 2004 sci-fi flick "2046".

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