As friendly as many of his characters on screen, Jackie Chan made a rushed visit to Cambodia on Nov. 10 and 11 as part of the ongoing “Bridges” lecture series on peace. In a one-on-one with AsiaLIFE’s Nora Lindstrom, he spoke about the ongoing diplomatic row between Cambodia and Thailand, what being Chinese means to him, and who would win a fight between him and Chuck Norris.
AL: You arrived in Cambodia last night, what has the experience been like so far?
JC: I’ve been here three times. Every time it’s rushed – hotel, then location, back and forth, then leave.
AL: This time you’ve come from Thailand to Cambodia in the middle of a political crisis between the two countries. In your lecture today, how will you address this issue and talk about peace in this context?
JC: Governments are too big for me, I don’t understand what they are doing. But you can choose a friend, not choose the neighbour. [Cambodia and Thailand] have been right beside each other for millions of years – if you always argue then no one will be happy. Why can’t we help each other rather than hate each other? I think there must be a way, just to talk about the problem. I’ve travelled to so many countries, and I always ask “Why?”. I don’t understand why. I don’t understand politics. Why do they think the land belongs to them? Cambodia belongs to me, the world belongs to us – who set up the borders? Who set up the rules? I just don’t understand. I’ve just finished a movie called ‘A Little Big Soldier’. The whole movie is against war. We’ve had the script for about ten years, but I haven’t had time to shoot it. For the last couple of years however, I’ve seen the war going on in the Middle East and I just don’t understand why people set off bombs amongst ordinary people. I don’t know the inside story, but I just can’t understand why, so that’s why I went back, took my script out and decided to make the movie.
AL: Your visit to Cambodia is very short. Who have you been meeting and what have you been talking about?
JC: I can’t remember, I’ve visited so many people! I’ve been travelling for 22 days – I’ve already forgotten what I did yesterday. [Received by Deputy Prime Minister Sok An in the morning, during which the two discussed future filming possibilities in Cambodia. Night before Jackie Chan performed live on CTN together with Cambodian stars and celebrities.] The songs in Cambodia are so good. I really hope I can go online to find out the lyrics. They are really simple, about loving your country, loving your home, but so meaningful. I hope someone can find the lyrics. Right now, I’m no longer interested in making movies just to have fun and make money. Now, when I do something I do it for a reason. Otherwise I’m not going to do it. I’m famous enough, I’m rich enough. Now, people ask me why I don’t go home and have a rest after finishing a movie. I can make one million a day. But I want to do charity, because I believe I have the responsibility for my own city, for the world. I don’t know how many people I can help, I don’t know how many things I can do – maybe it’s zero – but it makes me happy. When I sleep, I sleep very tight, because I’m helping somebody. If I come to Cambodia, or Vietnam, or Thailand, and I can help one person, that’s enough.
AL: You were recently in Vietnam taking part in Operation Smile. What was that experience like?
JC: Wow! I’ve been helping Operation Smile for 20 years, but mostly I’ve just been doing charity premieres and balls to raise money to send to them. Sometimes I’ve visited the children. But this time was different because I went into the operation room and... You can’t imagine what they do – I almost fainted! Someone behind me had to prop me up. But it was really touching. After the operation I saw the mum and she cried, because she could see the future of the child. The future of the child in which he can speak perfectly, he can drink, he can eat and he can go to school without people making fun of him. There’s so many of them. When you travel, there are so many people like him, like you, helping other people. We help people build homes, we help people fix cleft lips, in Cambodia we help victims of landmines... Everything can be destroyed in a second by a bullet or a bomb, and it takes decades to rebuild. Stop doing this! I ask why not help each other? If you help people then people will help you. All over the world, wherever I go people help me.
AL: Do you have any upcoming projects in Cambodia?
JC: In my next movie, there will be one shot from Cambodia, from Angkor Wat. After the first time I came to Cambodia, I went home and immediately wrote a script. The story is based in the 70s during the Khmer Rouge, and it’s about landmines. It starts with me in Hong Kong and I am a bad person. I escape to Cambodia and meet a volunteer who helps me go into the jungle. But actually I cheat her because I want to buy drugs in the jungle. But then I see how children get blown up by landmines, and in the end I leave the opium and help the children run away. Years later I’m at a college speaking and I take off my pants, and I have no legs. How many landmines are there in the world, how many children are going to die? That’s the movie I want to make.
AL: On your blog you write about participating in the 60th anniversary celebrations in China. What does being Chinese mean to you?
JC: It means a lot. When I was young, I was born in Hong Kong. I didn’t know what nationality I was. We were under the British, but we were Chinese. We couldn’t go to China, but we could not go to England either. Even if we had passports, when we went to England we still had to request visas. But I was British! That made me unhappy. It made me wonder who I was. So when Hong Kong was returned to China I could finally tell people I’m Chinese. Wherever I went before people asked “Are you Chinese?”, “No, I’m from Hong Kong”, “Are you British?” Sigh. I couldn’t even speak English! But now I can tell people, I am Chinese. I’m very lucky, and China, for the last ten years it’s just boomed and become very strong.
AL: How do you perceive China’s role in the world?
JC: I’m happy now. China suffered so many decades, you can see it. We are a new country, only 60 years old. We’re not talking about 5,000 years. We’re only 60 and for the last 50 years we’ve suffered a lot. I was not in China, I was in Hong Kong, but I saw the news. But boom, suddenly, we’ve got peace. No more problems with neighbours. Now we have peace, although there are still some things going on. I think every country should have peace. War, it only destroys people – you destroy your own country.
AL: Final question, who would win a fight between you and Chuck Norris?
JC: He would win. Because I’m the one who talks about peace. That’s the problem, everyone thinks they’re strong. If you beat me, or even if you kill me, I might knock your teeth out - we both get hurt. Before, I wanted to be a bouncer and that’s why I learnt so many martial arts. Later on, I found out I had hurt somebody and run away. Two days later I found out his tooth was still in my hand. I thought there was a problem with my bone. I didn’t know if I’d killed the guy or just knocked him down – I was scared for a whole month. Every day I watched the newspaper to find out if I maybe I’d killed someone... If you hurt somebody, you hurt yourself. In fighting, you both get hurt. That’s why when the International Peace Foundation contacted me I said yes. I’ll come right away.
For more information about the “Bridges” lecture series, organised by the International Peace Foundation, please visit www.peace-foundation.net.
Sing Tao Global Network News: Jackie Chan the day before yesterday in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh to participate in "peaceful dialogue and cultural bridge program" activities, stay three days met with King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen of local, as well as lectured at universities in Cambodia, and students talked about trend peace, education, employment and other topics, Jackie Chan and receive an honorary doctorate awarded to anthropology.
Jackie Chan in Cambodia this trip with the local artistes, singing Chinese songs, "We are one people", "plainly My Heart", but also with a public artist singing an English song "We are the world". Jackie Chan has visited Cambodia three times, each time a warm welcome by local people.
The second speaker on the Bridges programme, Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and producer Jackie Chan, has worked tirelessly for humanitarian causes for years and is a Unicef and UNAids goodwill ambassador.
In 1988, he founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, which provides scholarships and medical aid to Hong Kong’s young people, and in 2005 he began the Dragon’s Heart Foundation, which provides assistance to children and the elderly in China’s more remote areas. Among other campaigns, he has promoted disaster relief efforts for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
A much-loved character among Cambodians, who know him as Chin Long, he is still remembered for his 2004 visit when he campaigned for Unicef against HIV-related stigma and for the banning of landmines.
Why do you think there is so much conflict around the world?
I think a lot of the conflict in the world starts with two people who disagree and then they convince others to take sides and things get all blown out of proportion. Really, conflict comes from intolerance and wanting everyone to see things the way we see them.
Do your extensive commitments to humanitarian causes ever impinge on your professional or personal life?
For many years I have had to balance the amount of time I spend on charity work with my film commitments. I think it has worked well, although I always wish that I had more time to do charity. However, I am a filmmaker and I think that if I hadn’t committed time to making films, no one would know me and then I wouldn’t be able to raise so much money for charity! I think it’s a good balance and I have never minded using my personal time (when I’m not making films) to do charity work.
What initially prompted you to set up the Jackie Chan Foundation in 1988?
A few things led up to my setting up the JCCF. During the filming of Armor of God in Yugoslavia, I suffered a fractured skull while performing a stunt. I was very lucky to be alive. It really changed my outlook on a lot of things. One result from the brush with death was that I began a charity foundation to try and give back to society and all those who had supported me for so long.
Another thing that comes to my mind happened many years ago. When I was a young and rising star, my manager arranged for me to visit to a children’s hospital at Christmas time. I remember that I showed up at the hospital and suddenly all these presents for the children appeared (my manager had bought and wrapped them).
When the kids opened the presents their eyes lit up and they kept thanking me and telling me how much they loved me. I felt so awful! I felt like such a fake because I didn’t know anything about the presents and the kids thought I’d given them personally. From that day on I vowed never to repeat that kind of behaviour. After that I always pick out the presents myself and make sure that I take care of those less fortunate, especially children.
When you were young did you ever think you would achieve such recognition in the film world, as a humanitarian ambassador and now as an advocate for world peace?
When I was a young boy in the China Drama Academy (Peking Opera School), I didn’t think much about fame and fortune. It was a struggle just to get through each day; to find enough to eat, to avoid being beaten by my masters, just to survive. That sounds dramatic, but it’s all true!
As I got older and began working in films as a stunt man, my dreams began to focus on being famous and making lots of money. When I started to become famous, I was quite arrogant and thought only about myself and buying lots of watches and cars. I didn’t think much about charity. Later, after the accident in Yugoslavia, I changed my thinking and realised that I should be thinking of others, not just about me. It was a natural progression to become a humanitarian and I’m very proud of the work I’ve done for charity. I am happy that my fame allows me to bring attention to the problems in the world.
How do you find the energy to fulfil your multiple roles in life?
I am naturally a very energetic person, so I don’t have a problem finding the energy to do all the things I do. I rest whenever there is an opportunity and then when I’m needed, I wake up and am ready to go.
Do you think that the martial arts tradition exemplifies the idea that if you want peace you must be prepared for war?
Martial arts teaches discipline and self-control. It’s also a very good form of exercise, and exercise is good for the body and for the mind. I don’t think about martial arts in terms of preparing for war. For me it’s just a way of life.
During your last visit to Cambodia, what made the biggest impression on you?
Of course I was shocked by the numbers of men, women and children who had been maimed by the landmines buried in the fields near their homes. But I was most impressed by how warm and friendly the people were, and that they could have such a positive attitude despite their terrible injuries.
Is there any chance of you making a full-length feature film in Cambodia?
When I visited Cambodia five years ago with Unicef, I thought that there must be a thousand stories there that would make a good movie. Right now my schedule is filled for the next few years, but someday I’d like to make a movie in Cambodia.
What advice would you have for the youth of Cambodia as they face the world?
I know that young people don’t like to have old people give them advice, but if I had to tell them something, I’d tell them to respect their parents, avoid trouble with the law and try to think about others. It’s not important to have all the latest gadgets and expensive clothes; it’s important to be a good person and take care of each other. I would tell them to exercise and eat right and that if they do this they will feel content. And when you feel good, it’s easy to deal with all the problems in your life.
RAKSMEI KAMPUCHEA NEWSPAPERSOURCE
August 23-24, 2009
CHINLONG WILL COME TO CAMBODIA
IN NOVEMBER
PHNOM PENH: A well-known Hong Kong film star, Jackie Chan, who was identified as ChinlongbyCambodian people, will come to Cambodia on November 10, 2009. Chinlong, a comic film star, will launch his first lecture in Cambodia at the University of Cambodia (UC).
The three day visits of Jackie Chan in Cambodia will be sponsored by The International Peace Foundation (IPF) based in Liechtenstein in Europe. This Foundation is the counterpart of The University of Cambodia. On Saturday, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, President of the University of Cambodia, told RAKSMEI KAMPUCHEA that Jackie Chan will deliver a lecture for 400 participants on November 11, 2009, at The University of Cambodia, and The University will confer Jackie Chan an Honorary Doctorate in Hamanity. Following Dr. Kao’s statement, Jackie Chan will plan to see the king, Preah Boramaneath Norodom Sihamony and will pay an audience to Samdech Techo Prime Minister, before leaving Cambodia on the 12th of November 2009.
Indeed, Chinlong’s visit to Cambodia this time is in the framework of “Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace” of the International Peace Foundation. A National Committee was established for this project in which the King was Honorary Chairman, and Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen was Chairman.
Dr. Kao Kim Hourn emphasized that Chinlong was a distinguished guest among 09 well-known honorable guests to visit Cambodia. Those nine international intellectuals were Nobel Laureates for Economics, Chemistry, Physics, Film Directors and Medicines.
Chinlong was the second elite among the nine.
Chinlong is 55 years old and had been in Cambodia twice. His first visit to Phnom Penh was on 26 May 2004 within the mission of Ambassadors of Good Will of UNICEF and UNAIDS for the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Chinlong came to Cambodia once again in 2005 to accomplish the same mission of Good Will Ambassador to visit the people and children affected by mines. Within the framework of these two missions, Jackie Chan reached a number of Cambodian municipalities and provinces namely Pailin, Battambang and Siemreap. For the third time in Cambodia, the drunken acting skilled Chinlong will make Phnom Penh people, especially the students of the University of Cambodia to surprise once again by looking forward to hearing his lecture on the experiences of humanity works. Jackie Chan who has been appointed last May as Ambassador of Loving of Kindness donated nearly 300,000 USD to Taiwanese people affected by Tsunami last month. Jackie Chan created a Foundation for Generosity in 1988 to help youth and natural disaster victims. Prahasbt.
Jackie ChanSOURCE: PEACE FOUNDATION
Keynote Speaker
Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, filmmaker, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer who has appeared in over 100 films. He has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons and video games. Having released 20 albums, he is also a Cantopop and Mandopop star who sang many of the theme songs for his films. In 2008 he performed at the Summer Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing.
Jackie Chan began his adult career in 1971 in the Kung Fu film A Touch of Zen. He worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon and received his first starring role in Little Tiger of Canton in 1973. Jackie Chan's first major breakthrough was the 1978 film Snake in the Eagle's Shadow, the film which established the comedic kung fu genre. He then directed The Fearless Hyena and starred in Drunken Master, which propelled him to mainstream success.
In the 1980s Jackie Chan's films began to reach a larger audience in East Asia, with early successes in the Japanese market including The Young Master (1980) and Dragon Lord (1982). In 1985 Jackie Chan made the first Police Story film, a US-influenced action comedy in which he, as in most of his films, performed his own stunts. It was named the ”Best Movie“ at the 1986 Hong Kong Film Awards. In 1987 Jakkie Chan played ”Asian Hawk“, an Indiana Jones-esque character, in the film Armor of God. The film was his biggest domestic box office success to date.
Jackie Chan established a foothold in the North American market in 1995 with a worldwide release of Rumble in the Bronx, attaining a cult following in the United States that was rare for Hong Kong movie stars. The success of Rumble in the Bronx led to a 1996 release of Police Story 3 in the United States under the title Supercop. He then starred in Jackie Chan’s First Strike (1997), Mr. Nice Guy (1998) and the buddy cop action comedy trilogy Rush Hour (1998, 2001, 2007) as well as in Shanghai Noon (2000), The Tuxedo (2002), The Medallion (2003), Shanghai Knights (2003) and Around the World in 80 Days (2004). In 2003 he started his own film production company with films including New Police Story (2004), The Myth (2005) and Rob-B-Hood (2006). 2008 and 2009 saw the films The Forbidden Kingdom, Jakkie Chan's first onscreen collaboration with fellow Chinese actor Jet Li, and Shinjuku Incident.
Jackie Chan is a cultural icon, having been referenced in various songs and television shows. He has created his own comic book character in Jackie Chan’s Spartan X and has been the inspiration for manga such as Dragon Ball, Tekken and Pokémon and the television cartoon for children Jackie Chan Adventures. A number of video games have featured him, and a series of Japanese Jackie Chan games were released based on several of his films.
Jackie Chan has always wanted to be a role model to children, remaining popular with them due to his good-natured acting style. His greatest regret in life is not having received proper education, inspiring him to fund educational institutions around the world such as the construction of the Jackie Chan Science Centre at the Australian National University and the establishment of schools in poor regions of China. A Jackie Chan museum in Shanghai is due to open in October 2009.
In 2004 Jackie Chan launched his own line of clothing, and he also has a number of other branded businesses including chains of the sushi restaurant Jackie's Kitchen, Jackie Chan's Cafe and Jackie Chan Signature Club gyms. With each of his businesses, a percentage of the profits goes to various charities, including the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation, which, founded in 1988, offers scholarships and active help to Hong Kong's young people and provides medical services and aid to victims of natural disasters or illness. The Dragon's Heart Foundation was founded by Jackie Chan in 2005 to fulfill the desperate needs of children and the elderly in remote areas of China. The foundation has built over a dozen schools, provided books, fees and uniforms, and has raised millions of dollars to give much needed educational opportunities to the poor.
Jackie Chan is a keen philanthropist and a UNICEF/ UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, having worked tirelessly to champion charitable works and causes. He has campaigned for conservation, against animal abuse and has promoted disaster relief efforts during floods in mainland China and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. Following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, he donated RMB ¥10 million to help those in need.
SCHEDULE
Monday, November 9, 2009:
10:00 Dialogue with high school students at the New International School of Thailand in Bangkok (Thailand) (not a public event)
20:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok (Thailand)
Information and seat reservation:
phone (02) 652-0580-1, fax (02) 652-0582, email info@fccthai.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009:
10:30 Dialogue with high school students at the International School of Phnom Penh in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) (not a public event)
14:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at the University of Cambodia in Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
Information and free seat reservation:
phone (023) 993-274, (023) 993-275, (012) 483-508, fax (023) 993-284, email malis.por@uc.edu.kh, info@uc.edu.kh
Program Bridges Intellectuals, Stars to Cambodia
www.voanews.com, 21 July 2009
http://www.voanews.com/Khmer/archive/2009-07/2009-07-25-voa2.cfm?CFID=290267192&CFTOKEN=63822194&jsessionid=8830b8da2f0f77813d712ff71145d6f236a6
By Im Sothearith, VOA, Khmer
Original report from Washington
21 July 2009
Nobel laureates and some of the world's best-known icons are going to give lectures and perform in Cambodia as part of third ASEAN Bridges, organized by International Peace Foundation.
Uwe Morawetz, chairman of the foundation and an organizer of the event, will travel to Cambodia later this month to discuss the arrangements of the trips of a number of world famous figures.
These include Aaron Ciechanover, 2004 Nobel laureate for Chemistry; Jackie Chan, actor; Oliver Stone, film director; David Gross, 2004 Nobel laureate for physics; Eric Maskin, 2007 Nobel Laureate for economics; Torsten Wiesel, 1981 Nobel laureate for medicine; Vladimir Ashkenazy, classical pianist; Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, 2008 Nobel laureate for medicine; and Jose Ramos-Horta, 1996 Nobel laureate for Peace and president of East Timor.
Since this is the first time for most of the world famous icons to visit Cambodia, Morawetz said he believes it is a good opportunity for both Cambodia and the guests to learn from each other for the cause of peace.
The guests will be visiting Cambodia one by one from November 2009 through April 2010. They are scheduled to meet with country's highest-ranking figures, include King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as academics and students.
"It's a forward looking program on education because we believe the young generation is the future," Morawetzs told VOA Khmer. "I think this program can be an inspiration for the young people in Cambodia and also an inspiration for Nobel laureates, because they've never been to Cambodia. I think as they are very famous people, they will carry the voice of Cambodia into the world, so that hopefully the world get a clearer picture and more holistic picture about Cambodia than only being associated with the Khmer Rouge or with Angkor Wat."
Koem Oeun, deputy director-general of Higher Education Department of Cambodian Ministry of Education, told VOA Khmer by phone that the visit would benefit Cambodia in a number of ways
"First, we will get good experience and special expertise brought in by those icons to share with us, including our king, prime minister, leaders in various higher education institutions, professors, and especially students," he said. "Second, they can be our effective ambassadors, who can take with them facts of Cambodian society to the world. And third, I hope there will be better cooperation between Cambodia and the rest of the world, to create projects for future development in Cambodia."
Om Romny, director of Institute of Technology of Cambodia, told VOA Khmer by the phone that his institute will be honored to have a dialogue with Ciechanover.
"When he is here, Cambodian professors, intellectuals, and students will have a chance to hear his achievements and findings of his research," Om Romny said. "They can relate what they have learned to the Nobel laureate's research findings and expertise. Our institute is honored to receive such an outstanding Nobel laureate."
Bridges program is initiated by International Peace Foundation based in Vienna of Austria. In Southeast Asia, the International Peace Foundation has organized programs in Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia.
http://www.thaipr.net/nc/readnews.aspx?newsid=A59EE21E630499AF6511CB2717CAFCFA
November 9, 2009
20.00 Hr
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand, Maneeya Building
Tel. (053) 943-322
Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, filmmaker, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer, stunt performer, and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, will speak on “Arts and culture as a pathway towards peace” as part of the “Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace” hosted by the International Peace Foundation.
For free seat reservations, call 0 2652 0580-1, or email: info@fccthai.com.
For further information : Supaporn M. Bertrand
Tel: 0 2267 3177
Email: office@peace-foundation.net
Kanokchan Patanapichai
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide Ltd.
Tel. 0 2205 6649
Email: kanokchan.patanapichai@ogilvy.com
