Constructing and deconstructing the 'new Asian Cinema'

Several international co-production films among China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea have been produced since 2005, including Seven Swards, The Promise, and The Battle of Wits. These productions are the result of the integration of major East Asian film industries, filmmakers, famous popular stars and comparatively very high level of budget. These films are all about martial art or using martial art elements as the central feature which is oriented for the entire Asia and even the global film market. More importantly, these co-production films demonstrated a relatively new and concrete imagination and practice of 'Asian Cinema'. This not only refers to the industrial and economic dimension but also to film culture and aesthetics and it is related to the construction or reconstruction of the Asian Culture and Asian Identity as well. This paper focus on three films mentioned as a case study and to examine their production and marketing patterns, stories and styles, as well as the meaning of 'Asia' in the texts.