The Finnish filmmaker talks about the ‘great’ years he spent in China during its pre-pandemic film boom and how using AI can benefit movies
Renny Harlin is in tears. The Finnish director behind 1990s blockbusters such as Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger presented his new thriller, Deep Water, at the fourth edition of the Mediterrane Film Festival in Malta on June 26, and two days later is pouring his heart out in an interview with the South China Morning Post in the bar of his boutique seafront hotel.
“What I think really prepared me for this movie was getting married and having kids,” he announces, suddenly overcome with emotion. His wife of five years, Johanna, who produced Deep Water with Harlin and with whom he shares three young children, is sitting close by.
“I couldn’t have made this movie any time before or understood its meaning, [which is] family and love,” he adds.
a six-year period living in China, which began after he collaborated with
[Jackie Chan](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3090430/jackie-chans-best-movies-martial-arts-superstars-top-10?module=inline&pgtype=article)on the 2016 hit buddy comedy
[.](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3219230/how-jackie-chan-vehicle-skiptrace-2016-us-china-co-production-hollywood-director-renny-harlin-put?module=inline&pgtype=article)
Skiptrace“I think I learned a lot there,” he reflects. “I learned about that culture, the people and the storytelling, and how Chinese audiences always expect something really emotional and hopefully also funny in their movies.”
Initially, Harlin had not planned to stay in China, but the Skiptrace experience was overwhelmingly positive. “I fell in love with it, and they kind of fell in love with me because I was very organised and disciplined and had a Hollywood method of doing things.”