Johnnie slams production studio for Chan's death

22 Dec – Hong Kong director Johnnie To recently expressed his sadness over the death of cinematographer Chan Kwok Hung during the filming of Jackie Chan's film, "Skiptrace", and criticised the production for its lack of safety measure.

According to Oriental Daily News, speaking to the media at the Fresh Wave 2014 International Short Film Exhibition in Chai Wan's Youth Square a few days ago, Johnnie, who has never worked with Chan before, stated, "How can eight people be on a boat? I would never even imagine such an accident would happen."

"Everybody should pay attention to safety. Yes, sometimes we would make a mistake, but production studios should not gamble with lives," said Johnnie.

He added that since filming process is not as dangerous as it was before with the advent of modern technology, such an accident should not happen at all.

"In my previous films, the most one might experience is a broken leg or arm. Nothing fatal ever happened," he continued.

Meanwhile, Chan's good friend and fellow cinematographer, Anthony Pun, has recently worked with other behind-the-scene crew to create a memorial booklet for the deceased film worker.

The cinematographer's memorial service will be held on 1 January, and the funeral will take place the next day.

(Photo source: blogs.wsj.com)