IN OFFICIAL SELECTION ‘LOVE LETTERS FROM HONG KONG’ WRITTEN BY CHRISTIAN PIERS BETLEY - SHORTLISTED FOR THE AFA

BIO:

US Festival Premiere, Downtown Film Festival Los Angeles 2014 Nominated for Best International Feature, Raindance Film Festival 2012

Award winning screenwriter, Monaco International Film Festival 2011

Completed movies: BREAKOUT; 13 EERIE; STRANDED & DARK HEARTS

BACKGROUND:

Canadian screenwriter Christian Piers Betley originally heralds from London, UK. An international award winning writer he has developed and/or created on spec numerous feature movies such as 13 EERIE (starring Michael Shanks); STRANDED (starring Christian Slater); BREAKOUT (starring Brendan Fraser); DARK HEARTS (starring Lucas Till), as well as developing numerous projects for Oscar winning and award winning producers, studio executives and directors.

Christian’s movies have been distributed worldwide and some have received US theatrical distribution these include: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; Image Entertainment; CN Entertainment (Hong Kong); Front Row Filmed Entertainment (UAE); Vertical Entertainment (US) and E1 Entertainment (North America).

BACKGROUND:

IN PRE-PRODUCITON:

action/thriller ‘Shell Game’ and a WW2 picture for FINAS, Malaysia entitled ‘Sandakan Tears’.

IN THE WORKS:

Christian is in active development on a packaged horror franchise c/o Pure Fear and a fantasy adventure movie for Carnaby Films.

His current slate of spec screenplays have picked up interest from various producers/sales groups including: producer Warren Zide (American Pie/Final Destination franchise); producer Colin Bates (Maggie); Elizabeth Fowler (Devil’s Knot); Kevin DeWalt (The Tall Man; Forsaken); Gary Howsam (Casino Jack) and Don Carmody (Chicago).

Christian also works alongside numerous directors including Damian Harris (Gardens of the Night); Roger J. Christian (Dark Angel; Sender; American Daylight); Nick Powell (Outpost); Keoni Waxman (Force of Execution) and Rudolf Buitendach (Dark Hearts).

“LOVE LETTERS FROM HONG KONG”
WRITTEN BY CRISTIAN PIERS BETLEY

Log Line:

It’s 1960’s and two seemingly incompatible teenagers oceans apart slowly fall for one another, beginning their correspondence as pen friends and ending up as lovers.

Synopsis:

Schoolboy RICHARD is a daydreamer and desperate to learn more about girls. He consults his friends WINSTON and PHILIP and they in turn seek advice from FREDERICK a local hipster and lothario. After serious deliberation Richard decides to write via a pen friend column to an overseas girl in Malaysia called HELEN. Richard’s insecurities begin to surface when he overhears his mother AH DA discussing male and female Physiognomy (correct attributes in face proportions for a successful relationship) with his sister MAY CHI, further compounding his fear of the opposite sex.

As Shakespeare once wrote: ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’, and unbeknownst to Richard his letter to Helen has been passed onto her friend, MING YUE.

As Richard endures an agonizing wait for a response, he’s hampered by teenage anxieties and self-¬‐doubt. Days pass into weeks and his moment of triumph soon fades to abject disappointment. He decides to put aside any aspirations of attaining a female pen friend and instead while his time away building and firing rockets whilst playing truant from school with his friends.

Richard eventually receives a reply from his pen friend letter, however it’s not from Helen but from her friend: Ming Yue, and he’s crushed. After advice from Winston he embarks upon correspondence with Ming Yue in Malaysia and we soon share their intimate thoughts, insecurities and aspirations, as they embark upon a tentative letter bound friendship.

Richard decides to enhance his letters to Ming Yue with classical love poetry and has to contend with his friend’s lighthearted cajoling about ‘girly things’. As his preoccupation with Ming Yue intensifies Richard and his friends learn from Frederick about the hidden mysteries within ‘the language of love’. Richard’s world is then thrown into turmoil when his mother carries out advice made by her astrologer; MR AU, and promptly changes her son’s name Richard to DAN to further enhance auspicious opportunities in life.

Lumbered with a new name, Dan’s insecurities are exacerbated when he learns from Ming Yue about her meeting a French family who have a son around Dan’s age called NORBERT. Winston worsens Dan’s dilemma by planting the ‘seed of doubt’ as to whether Ming Yue could ever remain ‘faithful to him indefinitely’ with a hot-¬‐blooded Frenchman living nearby? Dan once again seeks ‘sage advice’ from Frederick, who manages to alleviate concerns, but when Dan receives a letter from Ming Yue discussing her real worry of ever being able to be ‘good enough as a girlfriend for him’ --- his world’s thrown into absolute confusion. Dan’s nerves are further strained when he has a vivid nightmare where Norbert seduces Ming Yue with sly European sophistication, wit and charm.

In a moment of desperation Dan and Winston hatch a plan whereby Dan fakes his own death to Ming Yue by having an unwitting accomplice Philip inform her that Dan might have been killed and eaten by a tiger. Dan hopes that when Philip writes again to Ming Yue informing her he’s now been found alive her feelings of alleviation tinged with past guilt will deepen her sentiments for him. The cunning plan of deception works and Ming Yue is thrown into deep depression, comforted by her family and Helen, while Dan and Philip wait to inform her of the ‘good news’. Midst New Year’s celebrations and Dan’s confronted by Frederick, who feels betrayed that his ‘insights’ into the ‘language of love’ have been manipulated by hoodwinking Ming Yue. As a result Dan and Philip suddenly feel guilty and Philip immediately sends a telegram to Ming Yue, informing her of the wonderful ‘news’ that Dan’s been found alive. Dan quickly follows up with a phone call to her, desperate to tell Ming Yue his true feelings, however, his money runs out and the phone call ends abruptly. Dan’s emotions for Ming Yue intensify and as he broods, he slowly falls in love with her. Once again complex testosterone fueled emotions turn his world upside down, he wants to fly over to Malaysia, but his family are rightfully concerned, as they’re still young and impressionable.

Time passes and the day of Dan’s flight to Malaysia dawns, yet he feels trapped, confused and ostracized from his friends. After an argument with Winston, Dan confesses he’s scared: he’s never met Ming Yue, yet he’s declared his undying love for her, is she really the one? Can he live up to her expectations? Dan’s friends try to console him, but it’s no use, he feels trapped.

Dan’s father, AH PA, cleverly intervenes and accompanies his son to a famous blind fortuneteller to find out whether Ming Yue really is the one by having his destiny cast and they learn she is the girl without a doubt. Buoyed up with confidence Dan flies to Malaysia, where he meets Ming Yue ‘the girl of his dreams’ and her highly protective brother, AH BAY. Dan admits and sincerely apologizes to Ming Yue about tricking her into believing he had been attacked and killed by a tiger. Later that night, they are accidentally left alone in the holiday apartment when a massive tropical storm hits Malaysia. Ming Yue’s mother, MA, is fraught with concern as her daughter is on her own with Dan, but her family are stranded, unable to return to the apartment … That evening Dan finally admits his undying love for her, which is sealed with a kiss. The following morning Ming Yue’s family arrives and after a series of stern questions they realize Dan and Ming Yue behaved ‘appropriately’. It’s then that Ming Yue’s Ma suddenly realizes that her daughter has fallen deeply in love with Dan … It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for Dan and Ming Yue, but finally at long last, they’re together, sharing a bright new future...