Sometimes we need to see things through a screen.

June 27, 2011 6:27 PM

There's Only One Sun is a gorgeous sci-fi ad/short film by acclaimed director Kar Wai Wong.
posted by Lovecraft In Brooklyn (13 comments total)

Glad to see the oddest thing in the universe is still around.
posted by quoquo at 6:37 PM on June 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

weird, when did IMDB western-normalize names? I know the guy as Wong Kar Wai, unless I am most mistook. Which I freely admit is likely.
posted by mwhybark at 6:40 PM on June 27, 2011

Loved it. Thanks for posting. The colors, the setting, the girl. Everything was beautiful.
posted by quadog at 6:58 PM on June 27, 2011

mwhybark, the film backs you up. It's called "A Wong Kar Wai Film", at about the eight second mark.
posted by -jf- at 7:13 PM on June 27, 2011

I liked the look quite a bit, story left me flat.
posted by edgeways at 7:14 PM on June 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

I always see roughly the same amount of time his name written as "Kar Wai Wong" and "Wong Kar Wai". Which would be the right way?

The man has impeccable vision when it comes to mood in his shots. Thanks for this post!
posted by fantodstic at 7:27 PM on June 27, 2011

Wong is the surname. Kar Wai is the first/given/Christian name. In Mandarin, family/sur name is the prefix.

Chow Yun Fat also has the name issue in databases, too. I don't see a pattern in surname placement in his English language films, but I haven't actually run the numbers.

I'm agnostic about this issue; following the name's naming convention is "a good thing." Having family/sur name first, comma, given name as a matter of consistency is also "a good thing." I can't decide.
posted by porpoise at 7:35 PM on June 27, 2011

Anyone else expect a huge bottle of Chanel to pop up at the end?
posted by Kandarp Von Bontee at 8:17 PM on June 27, 2011 [2 favorites]

I'm agnostic about this issue; following the name's naming convention is "a good thing." Having family/sur name first, comma, given name as a matter of consistency is also "a good thing." I can't decide.

Fine, be agnostic about that, whatever, but how do you feel about this choice:
Kar Wai -- Karwai -- Kar-wai

:)
posted by Chuckles at 8:30 PM on June 27, 2011

Here in Hong Kong it is always Wong Kar-wai.

Family name first.

Kar Wai, maybe, traditionally Kar-wai. Never Karwai.
posted by bwg at 1:09 AM on June 28, 2011

Very nice; reminded me of La jetée, with a dash of Alphaville. FYI, the man is speaking Russian and the woman French; the poem at the end is by Marina Tsvetaeva (from 1919), and here's a translation I found online:

The sun is only one,
but he's walking by all cities.
The sun is mine.
I won't give him to anybody.
Not an hour, not a beam, not a look -
To nobody - Never.
If all cities'd die in everlasting night,
Never mind.
I'll take him into my hands, so that
He dares not to go around,
Even though I'd burn my hands
And my heart!
If he'd perish to eternal night
I'll pursue him ...
Oh, my sun! I won't give you to anybody!

For what it's worth, I always say (and I think have only heard) Wong Kar-wai; to me, "Kar Wai Wong" sounds as weird as "Tse-tung Mao."
posted by languagehat at 8:21 AM on June 28, 2011 [2 favorites]

Nice, love his stuff; thanks for posting.

reminded me of La jetée, with a dash of Alphaville ... and shot on location in the Seattle Public Library, maybe?
posted by carter at 9:29 AM on June 28, 2011

Gorgeous! I'll be following this creator.
posted by Reaveg at 5:51 AM on June 29, 2011