HONG KONG: The Chinese director of an upcoming film starring Meryl Streep aims to explore China-US relations on a "personal level," a newspaper reported on Sunday.

Discussing his upcoming film "Dark Matter," about a Chinese physics student who studies in the United States, director Chen Shizheng was quoted in the South China Morning Post as saying, "Friends of mine who come to the United States are either pro-American or anti-American, but they can't find the right balance."

"The film, I hope, has lots of interesting takes on what America is to the Chinese and what China is to America, but on a much more personal level," the newspaper quoted the director as saying.

In the film, Streep plays the wealthy patron of the Chinese physics student, portrayed by Chinese actor Liu Ye, and Aidan Quinn plays the student's professor.

It said Chen, who is based in the United States, also plans a musical collaboration with the British band Gorillaz based on the classic Chinese novel, "Journey to the West," and an opera version of Chinese-American writer Amy Tan's novel "The Bonesetter's Daughter."

Chen also staged "The Peony Pavilion," a classic Chinese opera, in New York in 1999.

On his collaboration with the Gorillaz, Chen was quoted as saying: "We hit if off well. We understand what it's about and we understand its fundamental dimensions."

Of their project, the director reportedly said: "It's very necessary that this is not the orthodox, authentic or official version."

"What I wanted was a young, rock, 21st century vision ... I think it's really relevant to our times," he added.

(China Daily 07/19/2006 page14)