Film director Ronny Yu has made a name for
himself in Hollywood, where he’s done the full
spectrum of genres from action-comedy with
Samuel L. Jackson in “Formula 51” to horror
with “Bride of Chucky” and “Freddy vs. Jason.”
Locally, he’s best known for directing Brandon
Lee in “Legacy of Rage” and Leslie Cheung in
“The Phantom Lover.” After almost a decade away
from Chinese film, he teamed up with Jet Li on
“Fearless.” He talks to Yvonne Young.

I had polio when I was nine months old. Polio restricts
your physical movement, it restricts you from the world.

I didn’t have many friends because of my handicap.
My best friend was my father, and he introduced me to
cinemas on the weekends.

I got to watch three or four movies a day. I watched
everything, from westerns to Shaw Brothers movies.
The cinema became a haven for me. As soon as the
lights went out, I didn’t have to look at myself as
handicapped. There were heroes on the screen and I
was in another world.

When I was young, I told my father I should become
a film director. That way, I could help people escape
their problems in a fantasy world. But my father,
being protective like all parents, told me being a
director requires a lot of physical abilities. So I studied
business and got an MBA.

The day my father retired, the whole family moved to
Australia. But I stayed in Hong Kong and met people:
Josephine Siao Fong-fong, Michael Hui Koon – I just
liked hanging out with them. And slowly I got less
involved with my dad’s business. Finally one day my
father said to me, “Stay out of my business. I don’t
want you to ruin it.”

I have so much fear when I’m making a film – even
after making so many. I feel I’m inadequate, because I don’t have a solid film-school background. I feel my
movies don’t bring out any messages. Everything goes
against my confidence.

I have made movies about many things for many
genres. I’m not rooted in any one thing. I like to try
everything. I reckon it’s the fear that keeps me moving
to different types of projects.

I watch a lot of films and read a lot of film theory.
But I still don’t understand that much. It’s my lack of
knowledge that keeps me motivated. I don’t think you
could ever learn all there is about film. The moment
you think you know everything about filmmaking,
you’re not excited anymore. It’s time to retire.

I hate going to premieres of my films. I’m too critical
of myself. "Why didn’t you shoot it from another
angle?" "Why didn’t you cut that scene?" These
questions haunt me and drive me crazy. It’s at these
moments I want to turn to animation.

I watched "Batman" and "Spider-Man" while
preparing for "Fearless." There are many common
threads in these films – but Jet Li never knew I was
looking for them.

I feel lucky to have made "Fearless." It made me
re-question my cultural identity. I had always liked
belonging with foreigners. You know, it’s a source of
pride to speak English with westerners. But while
making this film about a traditional Chinese art, I
learned to be proud of who I am.

I found it sad to grow up in the 70s here, in the middle
of the colonial rule. You’re not Chinese, but you’re
definitely not white.

I hate to say it, but I’m a world director. I make
movies for people around the world to watch, not only
in China and not only in Hollywood. But in order to be
a world director, you need to go to Hollywood.

I spend three months in Hong Kong, three
months in Australia, three months in the States.
I don’t know when I will stop. I can’t find the
perfect arrangement for my life.

Luckily I don’t have kids. But in fact, I’m
desperate to settle down and root myself
somewhere.