Thursday, 29 October 2015

The Witness

Movie: The Witness
Chinese Title: 我是证人 / Wo Shi Zheng Ren

Release Date: October 30, 2015

Genre: Crime, Suspense
Language: Mandarin
Director: Ahn Sang Hoon
Screenwriter: Gu Xiaobai
Origin: China
Source: A Chinese remake of the 2011 Korean movie Blind

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Synopsis and Plot Summary

A story revolving around a murder case and two witnesses with conflicting statements who get caught in a a dangerous chase for the real murderer.

The blind Lu Xiao Xing (Yang Mi) and street kid Lin Chong (Luhan) inadvertently become witnesses to a hit and run case, but their statements with the authorities paint two different stories. As the pressure to get to the bottom of the truth builds, they become targets of the true criminal who remains in the shadows.

Fun Facts

Filming lasted two months from March 13, 2015 to May 15, 2015.
It was released in Japan a year later on April 1, 2016.
Ahn Sang Hoon who directed the Korean movie returns to direct the Chinese remake. He said that the remake is a chance to make up for any regrets from the original. The original movie was a suspense thriller that was built around the case while the new version focuses more on the characters and their intricate relationships.
Before filming began, Yang Mi made preparations to learn how it was to live as a blind person. She visited centers for the visually impaired and visited the homes of blind massage therapists to observe their daily life.
Before filming began, Luhan practiced skateboarding in order to be able to do various tricks while filming.
Luhan had a number of dangerous stunts to do that he did without a stunt double.
During a fight scene in the water one late evening, Luhan accidentally got punched in the face by Zhu Ya Wen as he was too slow to dodge it. He also pulled his leg muscle while filming a chase scene but decided to continue with filming.
Because many developments in the movie take place at night, the cast and crew often work until 7 and 8 in the morning before filming would wrap.
Three years after the movie, an issue was brought to life in March 2018 regarding a donation that Yang Mi promised to make while promoting The Witness. She had agreed to donate 100 walking sticks and 50 Braille machines to a school, but it was revealed that the school never received anything. Yang Mi Studio later clarified that they were unaware that the donation was never made as they were working with a middle man. Yang Mi issued an apology via weibo and expressed that they are rectifying the situation as soon as possible. (Source: DramaPanda)

Cast