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Ang Lee’s new 3D film ‘Life of PI’ to be shot in Taiwan

New York-based Oscar-winning film director Ang Lee announced in Taipei Friday that 70 percent of his new 3D movie “Life of PI” will be filmed in Taiwan.

“The filming of the fantasy adventure movie is scheduled to start at the Shuinan Airport in central Taiwan’s Taichung City in January 2011,” the Taiwan-born director said at a news conference.

Speaking at the same occasion, Government Information Office Minister Johnny Chiang said he was very pleased to see Lee return to Taiwan with a production crew to shoot a film after having worked abroad and achieved international fame for more than a decade.

“We hope Lee’s new movie will help our film industry forge new links with the international community,” Chiang said.

Lee said the idea of shooting the “Life of PI” in Taiwan came to him last year when he returned to attend the annual Golden Horse Film Festival.

“At first, I felt a bit uneasy because it will be an epic film with a grand scale and will involve three tricky elements — water, children and animals. I was not sure then whether Taiwan would be an ideal place for location shooting,” Lee said.

Much to his surprise, Lee said, 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. decided to have the film shot in Taiwan and India after an overall evaluation.

In the past few days, Lee and a 150-member production team searched Taiwan for suitable filming sites.

“All crew members have a good impression of Taiwan, which left me feeling flattered,” Lee said.

The film will be a 3D version of the novel of the same name by Indian writer Yann Martel. It tells the story of 16-year-old Indian boy PI Patel’s life story of adventure, survival and faith after a harrowing shipwreck on his way from India to Canada.

The boy drifted in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days before reaching Mexico.

As beaches in the Kenting National Park on the southern tip of Taiwan closely resemble Mexico coasts portrayed in the prize-winning novel, Lee said he will arrange for PI Patel to land at Kenting in the film.

The filming in Taiwan will take place from Jan. 3 to the end of May next year, Lee said, with the movie scheduled to be screened worldwide in December 2010.

A 17-year-old Indian youth has been selected to play the role of PI Patel. (By Amy Huang and Sofia Wu) enditem/ls

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