Chinese movie star graces Jerusalem
Zhang Jingchu, known for her role in 'Rush Hour 3,' shoots scenes on capital's busy Ben Yehuda Street for production expected to be blockbuster film in China. 'People here are very kind,' she says
Video courtesy of jn1.tv
The film, "The Old Cinderella," is a romantic comedy directed by Lu Chuan that will feature more than 15 minutes of shots depicting Jerusalem, Tel Aviv-Jaffa and the Dead Sea.
It stars Chinese film star, Zhang Jingchu, known for her role in "Rush Hour 3," and top actors Kenji Wu and Pan Yueming.
This was Zhang's second visit to Israel. The actress visited in January with the rest of the movie production team, which came to scout the country for suitable filming locations.
''The shooting has been going great and the people here are very kind,'' Zhang told Tazpit News Agency.
''The local Israeli production company is very professional and the scenes have been amazing thanks to everyone's support,'' said Zhang in the middle of her Friday shoot, referring to Jerusalem's De Masa café, which provided its venue and waiters for an impromptu scene shot for the film.
Aryeh, one of the café waiters, was asked to play the part of the waiter in the movie. ''I woke up this morning, came to work and did not imagine that I would be playing a role in a Chinese film,'' he recalled, smiling.
Tourism potential
This is the first Chinese film to be done in collaboration with Israel, with the Ministry of Tourism investing approximately $80,000 to promote the film.
According to former Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, the tourism potential for Israel from China is very great. ''One of the goals of the ministry for 2013 is to break through into the Chinese market," he said. "Undoubtedly, the effect of a movie, shot in Israel with leading Chinese stars, will be greater and more significant than other alternative marketing activities.''
In 2011 and 2012, more than 20,000 Chinese tourists visited Israel. A global survey released in January showed that last year eight million Chinese selected international tourist destinations according to the countries that they had seen in movies.
The United States and Russia are Israel's largest sources of tourism, with a combination of over one million tourists in 2012. Other countries with significant numbers of tourists visiting Israel include France, Germany and Britain.
Reprinted with permission from the Tazpit News Agency
