The double nominee for Best Actor really hates the GDP. By Edmund Lee

In Echoes of the Rainbow, the Crystal Bear winner at February’s Berlin Film Festival, Simon Yam plays an impoverished shoemaker in 1960s Hong Kong. While not the most cheerful of roles (the character has two sons – one naughty, one sick – and a large hole in his T-shirt), it must have been something of a relief for the 55-year-old actor and fashion icon, who, in the space of a few years, was called upon to bash the skull of Tony Leung Ka-fai (in Election), murder his character’s family (in Night and Fog), and be knifed by Angelina Jolie (never mind). Yam’s performances in Echoes and last year’s Night and Fog have deservedly earned him two Best Actor nominations at the upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards.

When we caught up with him by phone, Yam was deep in the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang City, Yunnan, preparing for a new Chinese movie based on the Dongba legends. It quickly became apparent, however, that the exotic locale wasn’t enough to take his mind off the worldly concerns.

Congratulations on the Crystal Bear award. How do you feel about it?
Of course I’m happy. It’s the first time a [local] film of the kind has been recognised overseas. You know what the happiest part is? When the [movie] world is using bullets – and action, and 3D – to facilitate cultural exchange, this movie is simply depicting the relationships within a family. To be able to touch the whole world with the movie’s 1960s values, that’s the most treasurable part.

I reckon Echoes must be something of a change of pace for you.
In a way, it is. I haven’t done a movie like this for years. Many movies today are only following trends, like [that of] ancient costume dramas. You sit there watching for two hours without even exercising your brain. This movie, on the other hand, gives you food for thought. What have you earned in your life? And what has been stolen from you along the way? This movie inspires you to think about those things.

Echoes tells the autobiographical story of director Alex Law. Did it feel funny to be playing his father?
Not really. I’ve also lived through similar things in the 60s, so there’re bits of my own childhood in there. We all hope that movies can be primarily concerned with the people and their feelings, and let the audience think. It’s 2010 now – so what has been stolen from Hong Kong? Hmm, many of our traditional values have been stolen… Our government is shortsighted… The American notion of gross domestic product [GDP] has fundamentally changed the entire world’s understanding of economics, and it turns out to be a scam. The Americans are cheating the entire world with their national debt. Why do we still need that when we’ve just endured another financial crisis? After another 20 years, we’ll see that everyone has been tricked by the American national debt, and by [the notion of] GDP. Nothing authentic will be left. If we’d revived the values of the 60s, I think our world could be a much more harmonious place.

Speaking of the 60s, we’re reminded in the film that it was quite a difficult time. There was poverty, corruption, typhoons…
And a huge gap between rich and poor. These problems are still here! [Laughs]

So why are people especially fond of that era?
It wasn’t as materialistic as today. We were all struggling with poverty, but it was a harmonious society where you could share your dinner with all your neighbours. It doesn’t happen like that nowadays. To be frank, you won’t even know who your neighbours are. After ten years, you don’t even know your neighbour’s age or name. It’s now a computer world, a virtual world, a world chasing after GDP.

The film does really well in immersing its audience in a nostalgic atmosphere. Did you find yourself talking in the 60s way after finishing a day’s shoot?
No, not really. A fine attribute of mine is that I’m a combination of 60s values and the contemporary people’s state of mind. That’s why I can dress ever so nice, while maintaining the EQ level of the 60s [Laughs].

Echoes of the Rainbow is your fifth movie to hit our screens since December – after The Storm Warriors, Bodyguards and Assassins, Black Ransom and Bad Blood. Would you say that you’re a prolific…
[Interrupts] No. I’m a versatile actor, a real actor. I fit into whatever roles I’m playing.

Are there any characters you’d die to play?
A monk – but we seldom have [the chance to play] this in Hong Kong. Also, [Chinese philosopher] Zhuangzi, because he’s a very humorous figure – unlike [fellow thinkers] Confucius and Mozi.

I think your deadpan demeanor may actually fit the role quite well.
[Laughs] That’s perfect. I’ve never had the chance to do comedies, and I really want to do one.

You started out as a model and have always held the image of a hunky, stylish man. But in some of your recent films, like Eye in the Sky, Night and Fog and now this, your characters are distinctly time-worn and disheveled. Has your mindset changed over the years?
I am actually overjoyed to have the opportunities to play so many different roles. I’m enjoying the process of filming, enjoying the variety of ideas that comes from working with different directors. In other words, I’m enjoying something authentic, and not chasing after something as virtual as GDP… 15 per cent… and the like.

Echoes of the Rainbow is in cinemas.