Nan Guo Da An 南国大案

Description:

This "Big Case in the South," into which Xu Yan-Yan poured her heart, has many distinctive qualities compared with previous film and television works on public security themes. The series is made up of ten real cases; the stories are relatively independent yet tightly interlinked and deeply gripping, so that viewers cannot help but enter the bewildering twists of the investigations alongside the police. The series specially invited Wang Zhi-Wen and You Yong to join the cast; the two of them, abandoning their images as positive characters in films such as "The True Colors of a Detective" and "Supreme Honor," instead played lawless villains who wreak havoc across a whole region. From policemen to criminals, Wang and You give truthful performances, and the viewing effect is extraordinary.
[Real Police Aim Guns at Fake Robbers]
Because the series was adapted from real cases, during filming the public security bureau director Zheng Shao-Dong once stated that the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department had previously invested in making quite a few series, with the aim of letting citizens understand the work and duties of the police through vivid storytelling, strengthening communication between police and public, and thereby better preventing and curbing crime. During the filming of "Big Case in the South," the police likewise provided the crew with much convenience, though once, while shooting a scene of a "jewelry store robbery," real guns were pointed at the actors playing the bandits, giving the director quite a fright. Looking back now, even the actor who had a gun pointed at his head at the time finds it rather amusing.
[Fake Police Encounter Real Bandits]
By coincidence, while shooting on location one day, the crew ran into a gang of real bandits. The bandits, thinking the crew consisted only of actors, were extremely arrogant and even drew their pistols in threat. What they never expected was that, since "Big Case in the South" was filmed with the assistance of China Central Television and the Ministry of Public Security, the crew was always protected by police officers, so the moment the thugs appeared, the police immediately stepped forward and fought them bravely with bare hands, finally subduing all the villains. Not only was no one in the crew hurt, but they also witnessed the police officers' agility and skill, saying it was more thrilling than any martial arts scene.
[Miss Hong Kong Takes On the Role of Criminal Investigation Chief]
In the series, the director boldly cast Miss Hong Kong Monica Chan as the mainland female police officer and criminal investigation chief Qu Yan. As the role required, Monica Chan specially learned shooting, self-defense techniques and more, and performed all the action scenes in the series herself—breathtaking, with excellent results. People in the industry say this is another leap forward in Monica Chan's acting career. According to informed sources, before filming began, the public security authorities, for safety's sake, took out a two-million-yuan insurance policy for Monica Chan.
Director Xu recently said at the "Hong Kong International Film and TV Market" that the cases in the series mostly involve crimes spanning the mainland and Hong Kong, and since the series would also air in Hong Kong, they specially invited quite a few Hong Kong stars to join, such as Monica Chan, Carol Yeung and Cheung Kwok-Keung, so as to ensure the authenticity of the work while also making Hong Kong viewers feel a sense of familiarity. Sure enough, at the market the series drew the attention of numerous viewers and media, generating a great response.