HK action film star Nicholas Tse also has a knack for storytelling

Beyond his exploits as an actor, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and TV chef, Nicholas Tse is a storyteller.

"I've always had a lot of input in my previous action films, like choreography, the camera angles or the editing, so basically for me, I'm still doing the same thing," Tse told China Daily in New York. "For me, the most important part is the storytelling."

Tse, who made his debut as an action choreographer to international audiences in New York, was honored with this year's Screen International Star Asia Award at the New York Asian Film Festival (July 12-28).

The festival also featured the North American premiere of his latest film, Customs Frontline, an action-packed movie that follows Hong Kong customs officers as they uncover illegal weapons on a cargo ship, leading them on a thrilling international adventure.

"I'm not trying to do the action because it looks cool, that's called do the action for the action. I'm doing the action for the storytelling. So, I think, you know, that blends in very significantly to not lose the vision in terms of — 'Oh, I'm gonna throw that kick because it looks cool.' You can't really do that because you should only do a movement if it really portrays the emotions of that character at the moment."

Tse said that body language is crucial in acting, as it helps audiences better understand the plot conveyed through Mandarin or Cantonese dialogue.

"Body language actually transcends more, and it breaks all barriers," Tse said. "It's also the true identity of action movies."

Hong Kong action movies are popular overseas. They have gained a large audience base since the days of Bruce Lee in the 1970s, due to their unique style.

Tse, 43, believes that one of the strengths of the films is the choreography, and insists on performing his own stunts, despite physical strain.

"I've done my own stunts ever since I was 19," Tse recalled. "All the explosions are real, all the gunfights, all the hits are real, and all the falls are real. When the actors themselves are pushing themselves to the edge and feeling, feeling the pressure, feeling the danger, that's really how to make the audience be on edge as well."

Tse said he also believes it is his responsibility to take care of other actors in different scenes, such as the stunts in traditional Hong Kong action movies.

Tse, who has studied martial arts for the screen with Jackie Chan and is a practitioner of Wing Chun, a form of kung fu, said that kung fu attracts international audiences, and that's what Hong Kong action movies should take advantage of.

"It's very important that we keep the advantage, especially Hong Kong action movies; we've really reached so much of the Western world," he said, having witnessed his Western classmates' passion for kung fu during his years at boarding school in Vancouver.

"That [kung fu] gives us the advantage. If we lose the tradition now and give in to AI or CG (computer generation), we won't practice this art anymore. I think it's a very, very big loss for action movies."

With the popularity of new emerging entertainment, Hong Kong action movies aren't so popular as they were in the past. As of now, Tse doesn't plan to introduce Customs Frontline to Hollywood. While he is open to more collaborations, he really wants to get more young people involved in Hong Kong's filmmaking industry. 

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York hosted a welcome reception for Tse before the premiere of his new film on July 17.

The director of the office, Maisie Ho, and Film Festival Director Samuel Jamier delivered speeches at the premiere, congratulating Tse on the award and praising his contributions to Hong Kong cinema.

In March, Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group released the "Hong Kong Arts Revitalization Plan", in which it said it will invest no less than HK$5 billion in the next five years in four major fields of Hong Kong's entertainment industry: TV series, movies, performances and training young talent to further promote the region's industry with China and the world. 

"Nothing will stay popular forever," Tse said. "But if we don't spend time to rejuvenate or reintroduce action movies, or how we do action movies to the younger audience, no one's going to participate. No one's going to train that way. No one's going to do it."