A bolt from the blue
Because of his developing skills and hard-working attitude, Chu's talent began to be recognized by a number of well-known directors in film and television. So gradually he progressed from being known as "Little Chu" to "Brother Chu", and then later to "Grandpa Chu." Always full of energy where film was concerned, he quit his job at the media company and established his own venture. By that stage, his skills were in great demand by a number of entertainers including veteran singer Wu Ching-hsien, whose series of karaoke videos (actually made by a Japanese company) were shot by Chu. He was also responsible for a range of music videos by well- known singers, such as Pai Ping-ping, Kerris Tsai, Chang Hsiu-ching, Tsai Hsiao-hu, Malas Kao, and Shen Wen-cheng.
After gaining both fame and fortune, Chu's work tended to diversify, from TV programs, advertisements, and music videos, to product launches. As long as he could squeeze it in, he would take all the work that was offered. This almost superhuman effort lasted until 2002, when there occurred a dramatic turning point in his life and career.
Chu was at the peak of his career, when one day flying from Shanghai to Taipei, he suddenly found himself suffering very severe tinnitus. Initially, he thought the problem was caused by air pressure in the cabin, so he wasn't terribly concerned. But a few days later, when he was putting on his shoes at home, he fell without warning and simultaneously lost hearing in his left ear. He went immediately to Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital for treatment, but no apparent cause was found. Then later he attended Chang Gung Memorial in Taipei and Linkou. Eventually, it was discovered that a fist-sized tumor was growing in his cerebellum, and had surrounded six pairs of nerves that control the left-side functions of swallowing, vision, hearing and facial feeling.
"Medical staff at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital told me that if I did not have an operation immediately, I would probably have only six months to live, and if I was spared death, there was a 50% chance of going into a persistent vegetative state. I was only 35 at the time, and my wife was still young. In fact, the eldest of my three daughters was still in kindergarten. This terrible news was really a bolt from the blue for our family!"
Chu knew that he probably wouldn't live long, so he wrote a posthumous letter to his wife. He even invited a good photographer friend to take photos of himself and the whole family. At that most desperate moment, Buddhist Master Hsing Yun, who had once asked Chu to shoot a video promoting the spread of the dharma, fortunately introduced Chu to neurosurgeon Dr. Chen Min-Hsiung, director of the Neurosurgical Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital.
"Unexpectedly, Dr. Chen disagreed with the diagnosis I had received from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. He thought the tumor was benign, which meant that the chance of surgical failure could be reduced to only about three percent. Although I was half in belief and half in doubt, I grasped at this new hope as I would have grabbed a piece of driftwood in the dark ocean at night. I decided to give myself a chance: to have the operation," recalls Chu.
Chu's training as a cinematographer provided him with a solid foundation in movie-making. Pictures left to right show Chu with Hong Kong actor Alex Man in 1991 when they were shooting Golden Charts; with famous local singer Stella Chang about 15 years ago producing her music video in France; when shooting Tsui Tai-ching's MV at Beijing's Great Wall in 1989; with Shu Qi (second from left) while shooting her nude photo album at the start of her career more than 10 years ago; and while shooting Buddhist Master Hsing Yun's album of prayers in 2002.