The 2026 Far East Film Festival opened with a duo of films by directors who were accompanied by their long-time cinema muses; the first was Singaporean director Anthony Chen, who arrived in Udine with Yeo Yann Yann, the lead actress of the final film of his Growing Up trilogy, a drama, We Are All Strangers. The second was the prolific Taiwanese author-director Giddens Ko, who returned to Udine with a martial arts film – a rarity for Taiwanese cinema – and his long-time collaborator, actor (and himself a director known to the audience in Udine), Kai Ko.

Their newest project, Kung Fu, is anything but one-dimensional. It is a callback – and a love letter – to wuxia masterpieces. It blends campy comic book heroes with awe-inducing martial arts sequences. It reaches deep into both sci-fi and fantasy genres with polished CGI that is far above the norm of Taiwanese cinema, and then unleashes no-holds-barred humour, tear-jerking moments, and an inordinate number of snakes to cook up a heady cinematic twister that does not let the audience rest for even a second of the viewing.

The day after the opening screening, amid screenings, talks, and side quests that are the norm for a busy festival such as FEFF, we sat down with Giddens Ko and Kai Ko for a talk about the film and their collaboration.

View of the Arts: First of all, how does it feel to be back in Udine, this time with Kung Fu? Did you enjoy the reaction of the audience?

Giddens Ko: This is my third time here.

Kai Ko: And my second time.

Giddens Ko: The reaction of the audience felt very good. I think the audience was a little bit scared at times, but they also felt very happy about the film.

Kai Ko: Last time I came to Udine, I came here as a director. So, I already experienced the passion of this festival’s audience. And this time, coming back here, I once again received a lot of excitement and energy from the audience.

VOA: As someone who was definitely a little scared during the film, I have to ask: why so many snakes?

Giddens Ko: In China, many martial arts novels talk about the relationship between poison and martial arts. Poisonous snakes are usually symbolic of that connection.

VOA: You wrote and directed the film, but the two of you have collaborated many times before. I wanted to go back to the beginning and ask how your first collaboration started, and how you keep the magic going after so many years.

Giddens Ko: We both share the same childish heart [Laughs]. Actually, maybe Kai is mentally a little more mature than I am, but emotionally, we are both still quite child-like.

VOA: How did you start working together in the first place? Do you remember?

Giddens Ko: It was maybe … thirteen years ago, for You are the Apple of My Eye.

Kai Ko: Fifteen years ago.

Giddens Ko: Wow.

VOA: And what made you decide to continue collaborating?

Giddens Ko: [Laughs] It was because of the successful box office.

Kai Ko: [Laughs] That’s the point.

Giddens Ko: But it really was not just that. We share the same office, the same friends… Our relationship goes beyond work. We spend time together, talk, and maintain our friendship. During collaborations, we have experienced both highs and lows together. We have shared the happiest moments, but also the difficult periods in our careers. Those experiences became meaningful memories for us.

Kai Ko: We have also shared experiences from work with other people. When we work with actors or crews on other productions, we always exchange experiences afterward – how different directors work, how different teams function. We learn from each other’s experiences with other productions.

VOA: This film had a healthy budget, but it also looks extremely demanding to make. What was it like to shoot such an action-heavy movie?

Giddens Ko: At first, the budget looked very big. But in reality, it is never enough. Every budget feels large in the beginning, but in the end, it’s still not enough to fully realise your vision. So, the challenge is figuring out how to execute the film as closely as possible to what you imagined, within all the limitations. It was very challenging to make everything happen within the restraints, but ultimately it became a satisfying experience.

VOA: And how was it to prepare for such a physical role?

Kai Ko: I had done action films in China, but that was more than ten years ago. This kind of production in Taiwan felt unfamiliar at first because there was so much interaction with visual effects and fantastic elements involved. There were scenes with rain, we were jumping through windows, and there were many action sequences. The three main actors trained and rehearsed for several months before shooting started because we wanted to avoid injuries. Overall, the action work felt very fresh to me.

Taiwan’s visual effects teams and stunt teams have improved a lot in recent years. They created simulations and models to show us what the final scenes would look like, step by step. This made it easier for us to trust the process and to visualize how to perform.

VOA: Did you perform most of the stunts yourselves?

Kai Ko: Yes. Except in the scenes where the characters are wearing masks.

VOA: Director Ko, since the film is based on your own work, how did it feel seeing your vision come to life? Looking back now, is there anything you would change?

Giddens Ko: I will never feel satisfied. As a director, I constantly evaluate my own work. Every time I watch it again, I think about recutting something, reshooting something, or changing something. I’m never completely satisfied.

VOA: You’ve made sequels before. Is there a possibility of Kung Fu 2?

Giddens Ko: I cannot see the future of Kung Fu 2 right now. At the moment, I’m adapting other people’s stories and scripts. I hope my adaptations will make the original writers happy. That’s the journey I’m focused on right now.

VOA: And for you, Kai Ko, would you rather come back to Udine again as an actor or as a director?

Kai Ko: I think as a director. It’s more interesting because you can interact with peers, other directors, and audiences during film festivals. I hope I’ll have the chance to return to Udine as a director next time. The conversations are deeper and more engaging than when attending only as an actor. As an actor, audiences mostly respond to your character. But as a director, people respond to every aspect of the film, and that feedback becomes very valuable.

VOA: Speaking of feedback, how was the film received in Taiwan? Since this feels like a different kind of martial arts film, could this represent a new era for Taiwanese martial arts cinema?

Giddens Ko: The feedback from the box office hurt my feelings. It broke my heart. There are many reasons for that, and some I cannot explain here.  I had so many nightmares. I couldn’t sleep. But now I’m okay, because I’m prepared to make my next movie. Every creator asks themselves why they made a movie. If the box office is successful, nobody asks why. But if the box office is bad, then everyone wants to know the reason.

Maybe God thought I could handle these struggles. But this time, maybe God gave me too many struggles. Maybe it was meant to make me a humbler man.

Maybe God wanted to test me: if the box office is bad, will you still make another movie? Do you still love cinema enough?

I see this as a challenge from God, maybe from the movie God; I’m not sure. From the bottom of my heart, I love cinema. This journey with Kung Fu has not wrapped up yet. I’m still searching for the reason why I make movies.

That’s why I came here to see the audience in Italy. Last night, hearing them laugh and react made me proud and happy. I want to keep that as my best memory of this movie.

Written and interviewed by Sanja Struna

Featured image © 2026 RICCARDO MODENA

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to film, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. As we continue to grow, we aim to deepen our coverage of Asian music while remaining committed to exploring and celebrating creativity across the global arts landscape.}