On August 7th, Oriental Sunday reported that Joey Yung (容祖兒) and mainland actor Hu Ge (胡歌) grew closer after collaborating on the set of Diva <DIVA華麗之後>. It was alleged that the pair became good friends after sharing many intimate scenes with each other, one of them in which Hu Ge was required to massage Joey’s feet and bare back! The intimate scene involved Joey’s character, pop singer “JY,” getting a massage from the blind massage therapist “Hu Ming,” portrayed by Hu Ge. To ease Joey’s anxiety, the scene was shot in a closed set, with only the actors, the director, and the sound personnel present. While filming the massage scene, Joey was still feeling very nervous. It was not until Hu Ge began massaging her back when she felt a little more at ease. She even admitted afterwards that Hu Ge was so good at the task that she almost fell asleep! Hu Ge explained that he did a lot of preparation beforehand, including asking a real massage therapist to teach him tricks. He said, “I usually visit a massage therapist, and since I will be portraying one in this film, I asked my therapist to be my consultant.” When asked about how Joey’s back felt like, he smiled and said, “Very soft and smooth.” Diva is directed by 27-year-old award-winning director, Heiward Mak (麥曦茵) of Love in a Puff <志明與春嬌> fame. Produced by Chapman To (杜汶澤), who also stars in the film as JY’s manipulative manager “Man,” Diva is jointly distributed by Hong Kong’s Emperor Motion Pictures and mainland China’s Pearl River Film Group. Starring alongside Joey Yung, Hu Ge, and Chapman To is Mag Lam (林欣彤), who portrays “Red”, JY’s rival label mate. Fiona Sit (薛凱琪) and Kara Hui (惠英紅) also make guest appearances. Synopsis of “Diva” Unable to perform in her concert after losing her voice, JY escapes to mainland China to avoid the Hong Kong press. During this time, JY’s manager, Man, decides to promote “Red,” JY’s rival label mate, to become the company’s next big star. Her popularity came at a cost – Red was forced to break up with her longtime boyfriend Lok (Carlos Chan 陳家樂). While in mainland China, JY falls in love with the blind massage therapist Hu Ming, who teaches her to cherish the simplicities of life. The ever money-hungry Man discovers JY and Hu Ming’s relationship soon after she returns to Hong Kong, and he tries to break them apart. Emperor Motion Picture’s new romantic film, Diva, will premiere in cinemas on August 16, 2012. Creds: Sina
