Monarex Hollywood

Announcing “The Barefoot Doctor”

As seen in The Business of Film:

Chris D. Nebe, President of Monarex Hollywood, creator of the internationally

acclaimed & award-winning Mysterious China series with 24 completed

documentaries , with several movie projects in various stages of development to

be filmed in China, is currently in pre-production on The Barefoot Doctor.

After the hiatus of projects needing approval during the U.S. trade embargo,

The Barefoot Doctor; written by Jack Vandagriff and Elaine Liu, an intense

human drama set during the last days of WWII in China, has now been

approved by the Film Bureau of the People‘s Republic of China, the first

international English–speaking movie to be made in China, with a Chinese and

Japanese star cast.

 

Set against the daily traditional life of a remote Chinese village during the war,

the young innocent Barefoot Doctor and his adversary, a Japanese colonel,

engage in the game of classic chess. It is a battle for survival, because if the

colonel wins, he will have all villagers killed.

 

Chris Nebe says: We have put together a sterling cast of international talent for

the project. What is exciting is that Jack Vandagriff and Elaine Liu have written

a unique drama of survival against all odds with a powerful peace message. The

production is not a war film. It’s a film about preserved ancient family traditions

in Chinese villages overcoming the confrontation of evil. A deeply emotional love

story between lovers Liliang and Ruyu, who are facing a deadly confrontation

against an adversary of evil in the persona of a Japanese colonel. This

confrontation is played out masterfully in a classic game of chess, a game of

life or death, a strategic gamesmanship representing the eternal struggle

between good and evil...

 

The Barefoot Doctor will be directed by award-winning Chinese director Li Tao,

and produced by CUBO and Chris D. Nebe. Waldemar Pokromski, the

acclaimed Polish makeup artist nominated for an Oscar for work on

Schindler‘s List, is on board together with Grammy award–winning composer

Omar Akram, who will compose original music for the film. Omar Akram is due

to have a concert tour across China in 2020.

 

Chris Nebe continued: Li Tao‘s skill and art as a director lies in his close touch

and intimate direction of his actors. Our vision for the film is the power of

humanity and Survival, against the eternal struggle of mankind to overcome evil

in the search for that elusive dream of humanity against the backdrop and

setting of isolation in a remote mountainous region of Fujian Province in the

China.

Getting The Barefoot Doctor off the ground was a huge challenge, even though

in terms of audience potential, it is estimated there are some 600 million

classic chess players in the world. It was several years ago that Chris Nebe

read the first draft of the script written by Jack Vandagriff, a story writer and

cousin of Walt Disney who worked at Disney for over forty years, and Elaine

Liu, his Chinese scriptwriting partner.

 

Chris Nebe, a recent recipient of ai Humanitarian Award, concludes : “The

actions of Imperial Japan during WWI I in China are still ai huge wound in the

heart of China. The script is a true testament to humanitarian values. When I

first read the screenplay I immediately saw this, which is the core element of a

good film. I optioned it and started to develop it further with the writers. I

struggled for years trying to work with different Chinese filmmakers to make

them see the potential ,of the screenplay and its underlying thread of humanity. I

finally succeeded with director Li Tao, who immediately visualized what I see in

this film. As an English–speaking production made in China, The Barefoot

Doctor has immediate “crossover” potential with audiences in the West. Given

all the elements in the script, I believe this film will reverberate with film critics

worldwide and make this a possible Oscar contender.

About Waldemar Pokromski:

Renowned makeup artist Waldemar Pokromski has countless achievements

and awards for films shot in Europe and America. In the early ‘70s he graduated

from the makeup department at the University of Arts in Dresden. He was

nominated for an Oscar and the BAFTA Award for working on the film

Schindler‘s List. During his career he collaborated with: Krzyszt of Zanussi,

Steven Spielberg, Michael Haneke, Janusz Majewski, Roman Polanski,

Andrzej Wajda and Tom Tykwer. Over the past 25 years he has worked on the

production of films in Europe, the USA and Asia. Major titles include: Perfume,

Pianist, Oliver Twist, Ninth Gate, Ubu King, The Witcher, Happy New York,

Night Graffiti and Ufe for Life.

 

About Elaine L. Liu:

Elaine L Lilli was born in Yunnan, China, and grew up in suburban Ohio, USA.

She developed a passion for film and directing at an early age. Growing up

under her grandparents‘ literary tutelage, Liu found herself gravitating towards

stories that offer a view into events of social and historical significance. Liu has

worked on many studio, independent, and student films in various roles. She is

currently collaborating on two feature screenplays with her writing partner &

mentor, Jack Vandagriff, both of which have been optioned and are currently in

pre–production.

 

About Omar Akram:

Omar Akram is a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, composer and

pianist. He became the first Afghan–American to win a Grammy award with

“Echoes of Love” (2013). Born in New York City, Omar grew up the son of a

United Nations diplomat living everywhere from Prague to Havana and his

ancestral home of Afghanistan.