Ken Zheng

Ken Zheng (born April 5, 1995) is an Indonesian actor, screenwriter, and director. He is the younger brother of Livi Zheng.

Ken Zheng
Zheng at the 2015 Academy Awards
Born (1995-04-05) April 5, 1995
Jakarta, Indonesia
Occupation
  • Actor
  • screenwriter
Years active2015–present

Early life

Zheng was born in Jakarta on April 5, 1995.[1] At 10 years old, he moved to China to attend the Western Academy of Beijing with his older sister Livi.[2] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in radio, television, and film production from the University of Texas at Austin.[3]

Career

Zheng made his feature film debut playing the lead role of Ken Qiang in Brush with Danger which he also wrote and is directed by his sister Livi.[1] He also performed his own stunts. The film was critically panned, Film Journal International's Maitland McDonagh writing "Brush with Danger appears to mean well [...] but the movie's laudable message is undermined by some terrible acting" and Anita Gates of The New York Times calling the film "genre-confused" and Ken's screenplay "colloquial".[4][5] He then wrote the screenplay for his sister's documentary film Bali: Beats of Paradise.

Controversy

Oscar claims

Both Brush with Danger and Bali: Beats of Paradise generated highly publicized controversy in Indonesia due to public claims his sister made about both films being shortlisted for the Best Picture award at the Oscars.[6][7][8] In a TV appearance, Livi defended her claims by saying that "it is not easy to get a theatrical release in the US" when award-winning filmmaker Joko Anwar commented that her films "were simply listed as eligible" for having met the administrative criteria required by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[9]

The Santri trailer

In 2019, Zheng was announced as a co-director alongside his sister for the action drama The Santri set for an April 2020 release.[10] A trailer was released in September 2019 to outcry from some Islamic figures in Indonesia and call to boycott the film on social media.[11] However, it was later revealed that the film had not even been shot yet despite having a trailer released;[11] a practice that is uncommon in film production according to industry insiders.[12] In April 2020, Livi posted on Instagram that she "only directed the trailer" and that the production status of the film depends on Nahdlatul Ulama who funded the project.[13]

Filmography
Year Film Role Notes
2015 Brush with Danger Ken Qiang
2018 Bali: Beats of Paradise N/A writer

References
  1. Post, The Jakarta. "The Zheng siblings invade Hollywood". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  2. "Sibling Revelry – From Beijing to Hollywood, Livi and Ken Zheng stick together". Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  3. "Siblings Team Up to Present Brush with Danger". Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  4. McDonagh, Maitland. "Brush with Danger". Film Journal International. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  5. Gates, Anita (September 18, 2014). "They Know Martial and Other Arts (Published 2014)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  6. Liputan6.com (August 21, 2015). "Bagaimana Livi Zheng Menaklukkan Hollywood?". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  7. "Film Sutradara Asal Indonesia Sempat Berpeluang Masuk Nominasi Film Terbaik Oscars 2015". VOA Indonesia (in Indonesian). Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  8. Priherdityo, Endro. "Kemujuran Livi Zheng, Sineas Indonesia yang Diundang Oscar". hiburan (in Indonesian). Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  9. "FULL!!! WAWANCARA LEVI ZHENG DAN JOKO ANWAR ( Q&A - Belaga Hollywood ) TANPA IKLAN - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  10. "Sutradara Livi Zheng Garap Film The Santri Bareng Pengurus NU". suara.com (in Indonesian). September 10, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  11. "Film The Santri Disebut Belum Diproduksi, Baru Trailer". CNN Indonesia. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  12. "Syuting Film Belum Dilakukan, Trailer Film The Santri Muncul di YouTube dan Menuai Kontroversi". Warta Kota (in Indonesian). Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  13. Prahastiwi, Neressa. "Sempat Rilis Trailer, Livi Zheng Bawa Kabar Terbaru tentang Film 'The Santri'". WowKeren.com. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
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