Harvey Weinstein Scandal Inspires ‘Nina Wu’ by Taiwan’s Midi Z
Celebrated indie director Midi Z has begun post-production on “Nina Wu,” a fictional film inspired by the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement. Adopting the tone of a psychological thriller, the film examines the difficulties faced by women working in the film industry.
Z, whose real name is Chao Te-yin, was born in Myanmar of Chinese parents, but renounced his Burmese citizenship in 2011 and took Taiwanese nationality instead. After previous films that include “Return to Burma,” “Road to Mandalay,” and Myanmar-set documentary “14 Apples,” “Nina Wu” is Z’s first feature made in Taiwan.
The film was written by actress Wu Ke-Xi, and stars Wu, Vivian Sung and Kimi Hsia. The story involves an aspiring actress who is humiliated by a director, abandoned by her agent and hampered by an assistant. Having fled to the country, she is confronted with a series of mysterious incidents which seem to be connected to another actress whom she beat to the film role.
Principal photography wrapped up earlier this week after a two-week shoot. The completed film is aimed at a theatrical release in the autumn of next year.
The picture is presented by Seashore Image Productions. Budgeted at $2 million, it is structured as a co-production between Taiwan, Malaysia, Myanmar and Germany.
An international crew included renowned production designer Kuo Chih-da (“Secret,” “Didi’s Dreams”) and German cinematographer Florian Zinke (“De Lan,” “Baby”).
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