Report: RP lures F4’s Ken Zhu for indie film shoot

[honeybums]

Experience winter in the Philippines

Manila Standard
December 13, 2007
Source: KCIFC Philippines

A white Christmas in the Philippines? Not really—but in Batanes, it’s close enough, where temperatures dip as low as 7 degrees. And there’s no place on the face of the globe where the possibility of winter is more enthusiastically welcomed than in the tropics.

Located at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, Ivatans, as the Batanes locals are known, experience a seasonal phenomenon foreign to Filipinos: winter. Straddled by Taiwan and Mainland China, November ushers in the cold, winter breeze from both countries to Batanes, prompting a rare winter experience for locals and tourists right here in the Philippines.

A Batanes winter typically lasts from November to January, and during this time the island is transformed into a frosty frontier that lets tourists explore a new facet of the Philippines. In fact, Ivatan houses are made of at least 1-meter think walls made from stones held together by lime and a foot-thick thatched cogon roofs to protect them during winter, with temperatures that dip into the single digits.

Reaching Sabtang or Itbayat, two islands that make up the province, one notices the distinctly rustic feel inherent to Batanes, with panoramic views often compared to the Scottish Highlands or the Emerald Isle of Ireland. Composed of lush hills, wave-cut cliffs and surrounded by cobalt waters where the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet, the island is truly breathtaking. The fact that it is one of the few places in the Philippines that can give even the most intrepid travelers new and unique experiences defines Batanes as a one-of-a-kind destination.

Asian stars fall for Batanes

With its captivating beauty, visitors fall in love with the place almost instantly. It has even captured the heart of Asian heartthrob Ken Chu of Taiwanese boy band F4, who incidentally is starring with Iza Calzado in the newest movie Batanes.

Batanes is produced by Ignite Media Inc. It is a love story co-directed by Dave Hukom and internationally acclaimed young indie-director Adolf Alix Jr.

Both Chu and Calzado play the lead in the love story written by Arah Badayos, who was commissioned to do some research by Alix and Ignite Media after falling in love with the island upon finishing his other Ivatan-inspired short film Kadin.

Last Dec. 3, Ken and Iza became the newest members of the Ivatan community after being adopted in a ceremony held at The Podium in Ortigas.

The two actors, joined by Asian Spirit executive vice president Jack Po, were adopted by Basco town Mayor Demy Narag as children of Batanes.

There’s more to Batanes

What Batanes has to offer is beyond anything culturally and geographically familiar to the Filipino. To indulge in this tropical winter phenomenon, one only has to hop on a plane (Asian Spirit regularly flies tourists five times week) and discover why Batanes is defined by experiences that go beyond anything expected.

[honeybums]

Addicted to Ken
Article posted December 18, 2007


When Ken Chu was here in Manila to promote his movie, Batanes, iGMA witnessed all his activities and events. From his arrival to the film’s premiere, we were there. Some people call it stalking. We call it “covering all the bases.” Now, here is more of Ken Chu, behind the scenes. Text by KC M. Abalos. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio.

At one point in our lives, we were all fans of Meteor Garden, whether we admit it or not. It is a guilty pleasure that we all secretly share. You probably knew him as Ximen, the ultimate “chickboy” among the F4, but when he came here to film Batanes, we got to know him as Ken Chu, ultimate cool guy who happens to also be super handsome.

We are not making this up. Iza Calzado and [URL=http://www.igma.tv/story/2643/Glaiza-in-Batanes-(Part-1)]Glaiza de Castro,[/URL] his co-stars in the movie, swear to the truth of this statement. He is a cool guy. No star complex. In all their interviews, they have said as much. Still not convinced?

Let us allow Glaiza to attest to our claim, “He is into, rock and roll. Then we made him listen to OPM (Original Pilipino Music) bands. He listened to Up Dharma Down! He really liked it cause he is so fond of music.”

Not enough? His partner Iza probably knows more about Ken than San Chai. She says “he would always say that not everyone from Taiwan is like him. So I don’t really know if I understood what the Taiwanese culture is through him. What I know is I got to know Ken Chu and he seems like very much a Pinoy to me.”

Wo De Ai

iGMA got a chance to chat with the Taiwanese hunk in between his very busy schedule while he was here in Manila. We were starstruck but we managed to get down to business.

iGMA: What can you say about Iza Calzado?

"Iza is a very open mined person. I enjoy working with her. She can accept any idea. She is very easy to get along with."



iGMA: What made you accept the role of Kao in Batanes, the movie?

"I like the script because I think the conflict in it is real. There are true incidents that actually occur in Batanes because it is so near Taiwan."

iGMA: Your fans (As if we’re not fans!) have noticed that you usually accept projects outside of Taiwan. Your last movie was made in Japan. Your last television series was filmed in mainland China. Zaizai’s (Vic Zhou) projects are all in Taiwan. Vanness Wu makes movies in Hong Kong while Jerry Yan is often seen in Japan and Korea. Did you and your F4 buddies divide Asia amongst yourselves?

"No, we don’t divide anything amongst ourselves. It just depends on who approaches. And, what kind of projects and what kind of things we’re interested in."

Ok, maybe we really are addicts or stalkers but then again, you’re reading this too!

Reposted from KCIFC Philippines

Source: http://www.igma.tv/story/2978/Addicted-to-Ken