From left to right: Wenyong, Ke Yulun, Director, Deyung Zhou, Yin Chao-te and Xiang Yun pose for a photo.

February 21, 2001

Veteran actor and comedian Huang Wenyong stars in a Taiwanese movie, Be My Valentine, with long time co-artiste, Xiang Yun.

By Yap Geok Hui

(Click on pictures for larger image)

They first met more than a decade ago. She was better known as Ah Mei then, and he, Ah Shui. That was during the days of The Awakening in the early 80s.

They were the first golden couple, before Zoe Tay and Li Nanxing; Fann Wong and Christopher Lee. Throughout the years, Wenyong and Xiang Yun have played husband and wife on more than 10 occasions.

"The last time I acted as her husband was in Golden Pillow in 1995," recalls Wenyong.

Viewers who miss seeing them together will soon get another chance to, but on the big screen this time. They were handpicked by Taiwanese director Deyung Zhou to play a couple in his latest movie, Be Your Valentine (Er Yue Shi Si), which has already started filming.

How does the veteran actor of 20 years feel to be working with his long-time screen lover again?

"I'm very happy and full of anticipation, of course. We are friends who have known each other from a long time ago," he says.

Produced by renowned Taiwanese moviemaker Central Motion (whose productions include the award-winning The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman), the film about kinship and the struggles of 2 young men will be filmed entirely in Singapore.

Director Deyung says Wenyong and Xiang Yun were chosen because "I understand that they have played husband and wife many times on screen and they are household names to the Singapore viewers. Moreover, they look compatible".

They play the parents of Yin Chao-te (Lin Chong of Fleeing By Night) and Ke Yulun.

""We are a happy family at first. Everything changes when the mother (Xiang Yun) dies in a car accident while on the way to the elder son's primary school graduation ceremony," explains the still-dashing 48-year-old actor.

"The family falls apart. There is a total reversal of characters of the 2 boys. The elder son who used to be cheerful and energetic turns introverted. He even has to rely on voice recorders to express his feelings.

"The younger son was a quiet boy, but he becomes an extrovert after his Mum's death and starts stealing ladies' footwear.

"On the surface, the father, whom I am playing, seems fine but actually he blames himself for his wife's death. Finally, the tormented man can bear it no more and jumps into the sea."

Sounds like a rather angst-filled movie, but why the romantic title, Be My Valentine?

Director Deyung explains, "There are 2 reasons. The first is that the lead, Yin Chao-te, is born on Valentine's Day and his Mandarin name, Fan Luntai, is inspired by the pronunciation of Valentine. His mother hopes that he will be a person who knows love."

"The other reason is to have the title as a gimmick to attract moviegoers. We hope to use love as a selling point."

The movie is set to finish filming by March this year. It will be screened in Taiwan and perhaps Singapore - when else, but next Valentine's Day.

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