A minute with: Wong Kar Wai on 'The Grandmaster' and kungfu

Q: The film is also a frustrated love story between Ip Man and Gong Er. What aspect of that storyline intrigued you?

A: I think it's more than just a physical or standard love story, because, in a way, they're also both great martial artists. I don't know if it's mutual attraction or mutual admiration, because when you talk to a martial artist he can be a very normal guy or old man, nothing special. But once they're doing a demonstration, they are different persons.

Q: Your films strongly emphasize place. What role does it play in the relationship of Ip Man and Gong Er, who both emigrate to Hong Kong?

A: They lose everything and the only thing that's common among these two people is the memories of their fighting and their skill and their passions toward martial arts. It's like two Russian immigrants who are chess grandmasters and they end up in New York and the only thing that's in common for them is chess, and here it's martial arts.

Q: What particularly about this period, World War Two and Mao's revolution, resonated with you?

A: This story tells you a lot about what is Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a place for all these immigrants after the war.

Q: You were born in Shanghai but moved to Hong Kong at age 5. Do you feel like an immigrant yourself?

A: We are the second generation. We can feel the sentiments of an exile from our previous generations. They're living in Hong Kong, but they're living in their own world. They're living with the same traditions, the same habit as before, and so in fact it's interesting for me to make this film. All the films I made before are about this generation. "In the Mood for Love" is about the people of the first generation, and they're stuck in Hong Kong and how to adapt to this new life.