Tentatively titled A Tale of Magic, the film is a melancholic love story involving the characters of Zhang and Hong Kong actor Aaron Kwok, set in a Chinese village.

Neither the director Gu Changwei nor the actors would say anything about the plot at a press conference in Beijing on May 18.

It was Zhang's first public appearance after what has been dubbed the "donation fraud".

She was first accused of donating only part of the claimed 1 million yuan to victims of the earthquake in Sichuan in 2008. It was later revealed that she had not raised anywhere close to this amount at a party she held in Cannes for the purpose.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily she admitted she had collected only US$1,300 in cash at Cannes, saying many had committed big amounts but had not kept their word. She attributed the controversy to her lack of experience in organizing charity donations.

The May 18 press conference lasted only 40 minutes, during which Zhang kept a solemn face for most of the time. She hardly talked or smiled, but when a child actor spoke, she led an applause to encourage the shy boy.

"I have been working all the time, it is tiring," she said. "But my fans never left me. Many people worry about me, which upsets me. What I can do now is to do my job and make more good films."

Also starring in the film are veteran thespians Jiang Wenli and Pu Cunxin. Both have been ambassadors of AIDS awareness campaigns.

Gu expects the film to be released on December. An accomplished cinematographer who works frequently with Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige, Gu made a name for himself with such award-winning flicks as Peacock and And the Spring Comes.

Gu said he will also shoot a documentary on AIDS and plans to complete it at the same time as the feature. It was his wife Jiang who inspired him to make the documentary after seeing how one such film in Thailand had helped raise awareness of the disease.

China Daily

(China Daily 05/21/2010 page20)