Lee Chong Wei's biopic seeks to inject positivity

World
Europe

02:54

Malaysian sport legend Lee Chong Wei may be synonymous to the world of badminton, but many remain obscured to the journey he undertook to become the world number one player for straight 199 weeks from 2008-2012.

"Lee Chong Wei: Rise of the Legend," a biographical film on Lee, marks Malaysia's first wholly owned film which has entered China through its import quota method. In 2016, there were a record 39 imported titles into the country.

Teng Bee, the movie director, said while the film seeks to depict an inspiring story of an overseas ethnic Chinese, the key message transcends an individual's success.

"In our society today, in schools, we are taught how to be successful. But no one tells us how to face setbacks. In fact, facing one's failures is more important than chasing success," Teng Bee said.

Director Teng Bee during an interview with CGTN /VCG Photo

"This film portrays an average kid, who in the pursuit of his dream, has gone through many challenges. But time and again he stands back on his feet to be a world class player."

Joe Lee, Chong Wei's older brother, recalls how painful it was for him and his family to watch Chong Wei undergo rigorous training on the court.

"It really isn't easy to be a sportsman. But Chong Wei was a man who knew what he wanted. Whenever he lost a tournament, he would continue to train and never give up," Lee said.

Poster of the movie "Lee Chong Wei: Rise of the Legend" /VCG Photo

Behind the scenes: The challenges

For Teng Bee, who was filming a badminton movie for the first time, the biggest challenge was equipment.

"For example, what kind of technology do we use to capture a fast speed sport. Badminton can reach the speed of 400-km per hour. If you use normal equipment, you can't even see the shuttle. So, we acquired some imported tools to capture 2,000 photos per second," he told CGTN.

The second challenge was casting the lead actor – Chong Wei.

"There are not many Chinese actors in Malaysia, forget those who can play badminton. We had to find a 13-year-old and a 20-year-old Chong Wei."

It was only after screening over 3,000 artists via an open audition nationwide, Teng Bee finally spotted a boy from south Malaysia who looked and sounded like the real person.

"It was like a gift from heaven," Teng Bee said, adding that it was easier to find a badminton player and then teach him how to act, than the other way around.

"Badminton skills can't be taught in one to two months. But what he needs is an international element, so to speak. We got many professionals to train him how to act and rehearse before the filming started."

Poster of the movie "Lee Chong Wei: Rise of the Legend" /VCG Photo

China-Malaysia film collaboration opportunities

It's a dream for any director or producer to enter the Chinese film market, Teng Bee said.

"The local Chinese market is the world's second largest. In the future it could also be the biggest film market."

He believes from a cultural and language standpoint and having shared the same bloodline, Malaysia has much to offer when it comes to assimilating with the local Chinese market.

"This is the first fully produced and owned Malaysian film to enter China. We feel proud. This is a good start, because Malaysia has a lot of ethnic Chinese stories and both countries have ingrained a lot of history."

From over 600 years back when Admiral Zheng had visited Malacca (in Malaysia) several times during the Ming Dynasty, Teng Bee cited, there's plenty of material that can be weaved into a film.

Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei playing against Kantaphon Wangcharoen of Thailand at the Blibli Indonesia Open, Jakarta, Indonesia, July 2018 /VCG Photo

There are presently a lot of co-produced films between China and Malaysia, he added.

"Since the Chinese market is huge, its movie industry will continue to flourish. I believe demand for films in various forms and themes will emerge. Local Chinese would also want to watch overseas stories," Teng Bee said.

"There are so many Chinese people in Malaysia. Plus, Malaysia is one of the countries in Southeast Asia where Chinese culture is best preserved. There will be more collaboration opportunities in the future – be it in talent, culture, or in co-investing."