Chris Doyle Q&A

Time Out catches up with the legendary cinematographer to discuss 'Dumplings' and 'Lady in the Water'.

Jun 16 2006

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle is best known for his collaborations with Wong Kar Wai (from 1991's 'Days of Being Wild' to 2004's '2046') but has been working in Asia since shooting Edward Yang's 'That Day, on the Beach' in 1983 and based in Hong Kong for 15 years. His other films include 'Infernal Affairs', 'Hero', 'Last Life in the Universe' and, in English-language cinema, 'The White Countess', M Night Shyamalan's upcoming 'Lady in the Water' and 'Rabbit-Proof Fence', shot in Doyle's native Australia. He shot the creepy eternal youth fable 'Dumplings', out this week, for Hong Kong director Fruit Chan.

What are you working on in Shanghai?

We're making a commercial but as usual I'm also checking stuff for everything that is coming up in the future. This is the film capital of China, the whole world wants to be in Shanghai at the moment.

How does it seem to you, watching all these other filmmakers coming late to the party?

Isn't that how the Australian aboriginals regarded the white people? (Laughs) Or the Irish regarded the… No, I'm being facetious. I think in general one has great pride that finally our efforts are being acknowledged, as that means there is more access for what we do.

Also, because there is more happening it means that the quality and expectations of crews and equipment and all that paraphernalia do evolve more in a certain direction. The interaction does generate a certain energy which is productive.

Thirdly, I think what one hopes is that they get it right, which is not necessarily that easy. You know, so it's not lost in translation – the implications of that particular title are intended, by the way. But hopefully that dialogue does create a more informed audience or does open up the world. I'm very honoured by the predicament that I find myself in. I can be a bridge of some sort and I must do that because we've all spent so much energy getting this far I think that we must bridge the space, as directly and quickly and as truly as possible.

You have a parallel career in Europe and the US.

Yeah. I think what we are doing in Asia is more fun, I think partly because we are finally reaping the rewards of our labours, and secondly because we do live and work like this. When I work in the West I realise how much more valid what we are doing in the East is to me personally – there is something more gut-felt, much more intimate and intense to what we are doing in Asia. We are all friends, we do live in a certain way, we do hop on the plane to each others' screenings, and we are used to hearing a number of languages every day. So I think that the films do reflect the more cosmopolitan aspect of the way in which many of us, especially the middle class of Asia, live.

The photography in 'Dumplings' isn't as conspicuously gorgeous as some of your other work.

Well, firstly you do what you can and not what you want sometimes. Secondly, it's a Fruit Chan film first and foremost. In the case of films like this the driving force should come from the director – an American producer wouldn't say that, but that's another story. It was as much an exercise in simplicity, because usually so much takes place in one space within a specified time period, so all of those things push you in a certain direction.

Was it a very different dynamic working on 'Lady in the Water'?

There is a lot more money in Philadelphia! There are similarities because it was an exercise in tolerance or patience and trying to step back further than usual to accommodate this new experience, which happened to be Fruit Chan in one case and M Night Shyamalan in another. It is a bigger playpen and there are more expensive toys. We worked well as a team because we are opposites. I won't use the words 'nerd' and 'madman' but if you want to it's up to you…

'Dumplings' is out today. 'Lady in the Water' opens on Aug 11.

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