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Closing Night - Permute and West 32nd

By Rita L. on November 12, 2008 3:01 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

Ahhh, so finally, we come to the closing night of the festival!

Permute

Permute is a short film inspired by film noir which features traditional media like hand-drawn 2D animation and photography. We watch as Lulu, the ink and paper heroine, frantically darts through the city only to end up having her world turned upside down (literally) by a devastating phone call. Permute was an Emily Carr grad film project by Lydia Fu, originally from Chicago.

West 32nd

West 32nd is a riveting film about the cold and complex Korean underworld nestled in Flushing, New York. John Cho plays a young, ambitious lawyer who takes on a pro-bono case to help raise his profile in the corporate world while trying to clear a 14-year-old of a cold-blooded murder charge. Lila (Grace Park), the defendant's older sister, pulls him in one direction, as Mike Juhn (Jun Sung Kim), a ballsy minion trying to climb the ranks of the Korean ganster ladder, pulls him in another. Each character makes you fall for them, but, in the end, none are who they seem. Are there any good guys?

Along with the aforementioned actors, Jane Kim (a former Miss Teen Georgia USA winner who had me convinced that she was Korean born and raised) did a phenomenal job playing Suki - particularly in the scene in which her character shares her doe-eyed account of the murder of her lover. Jun Sung Kim, who played Mike Juhn, was actually picked from Korea for both his acting talent and for his cross-cultural influences (having lived in Korea, the USA, and Hong Kong). Mike Juhn had to be played by an actor who could pull off a Bronx attitude while seamlessly flowing between Korean and English (his bad-boy good looks don't hinder him either).

It's unfortunate that we never get to meet Kevin, the boy who is at the heart of all the trouble in the story. But that could have been the point - it really isn't about him after all, is it? The story is really about how far people go to further their own needs, goals and desires - not about the innocence (or guilt) of a young boy.

West 32nd has shown in Korea as well as numerous film festivals across North America with loud fanfare. In the near future it will be screened in select cities across North America.

West 32nd was Grace Park's first leading role in a feature film. When asked what initially drew her to the film, she answered that it was ultimately the "different sense of humour" conveyed through the script. She candidly spoke about her first encounter with John Cho who was charming and funny, yet aloof, and how when she found out that he would also be acting in the film she hoped (jokingly or not?) that he wouldn't be playing opposite her as the lawyer, John Kim. Park had minimal Korean language skill prior to filming and thankfully had the help of her mother and husband in practicing lines. However, once the Korean parts were filmed, the producers requested that she dub them over (they were much better second time around!) Park also confessed that while the cast and crew did research for the film, they "hung out with some medium level, I dunno what you'd call them.... gangsters!"

Family and Funnies

By Rita L. on November 11, 2008 5:41 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

Rock Garden, A Love Story

Unfortunately, I arrived late to the screening of Families and Funnies and was only able to catch the last few minutes of this film. The story is about a farmer who cultivates a rock garden and finds a special rock that changes everything. When I came in, what I saw was confusing to say the least - two elderly gentlemen, one dressed up as a woman, dancing with each other in a grassy field. The mood was whimsical and airy and it felt like a resolution had been made. My resolution is to be on time.

Damn the Past!

Damn the Past is a humourous and entertaining musical about a girl (Gloria) whose longing to dance lands her in the psychiatric ward and, upon release, she falls in a love with a mute (Mario) who can only express himself through song. The only problem is that Gloria's mother wants her to marry Charlie, a sinister guy with a charming, church-going facade. In the end, truth wins out and Gloria and Mario are able to freely sing and dance with each other happily ever after. Annie Katsura Rollins (also starring in Passage by Angela How) shows herself to be a triple threat in this musical romance in a story of innocent love.

Touch

As a film of few words, Touch reveals the lonely and quiet life of an immigrant seamstress stuck behind a window watching the world pass her by. Her imagination takes over as she fits a mannequin keeping watch; he comes to life and they reach a steamy kiss. At that truly awkward moment of being caught making out with an inanimate object, a customer comes in and brings her back to her senses. Turns out the customer (Yuji Okumoto) and the mannequin are more alike than she can imagine.

Cookies for Sale

Ah, the persistence of an ambitious Girl Scout always wins. This whimsical film has no dialogue but features a series of attempts of a young scout trying to sell her remaining box of cookies to a grumpy old neighbor (Yuji Okumoto of Nemesis fame, also starring in the VAFF short film Touch). While Okumoto generally sticks to more serious roles, he is effectively comedic in this short which ends with him covered in milk and standing in the doorway of his blown up house (at which point he finally concedes and purchases the box of cookies). When asked what inspired this film, Wes Kim (writer and director) answered, "I think it was around the time Girl Scouts came around the neighbourhood". Hopefully, his house wasn't also blown up.

Smile

Prior to filming, Julia Kwan already knew who would play her 1980's immigrant family in Smile. The cast does a wonderfully accurate representation of the painful and hind-sightedly laughable, yet oft sad, nuances of being part of the first generation of a family to make their mark overseas. They are instructed not to smile as they take advantage of the free portrait coupon from Sears so to not make their family in China feel bad that they are happier in Canada. Julia Kwan succeeds in making connections for first and second generation Asian-Canadians on many levels in this film. The old Chinese classics play on the radio as mother sews hideous matching dresses for her daughters while sharing strained moments with her husband. Congratulations to Julia Kwan and Smile for winning the National Film Board Short Film Award - it's much deserved!

Souvenirs From Asia

Hanjuu is a rebellious teenager who questions the intentions of cross-cultural adoption in this short film bu Joyce Wong. The film starts off with Hanjuu pitching her idea for a play in which celebrity puppets adopting children from Asia as if they are the latest dog-in-purse trend are consequently exterminated by aliens. Hanjuu's caucasian mother is misguided in her efforts and obsessive fascination with Asian culture and treats her two adopted Korean daughters like China dolls, while Hanjuu lashes out and goes as far as vandalising her own house with racial slurs. Fortunately, love triumphs and bad feelings are relieved via a conciliatory chocolate cake topped with aliens.

Ku Klux Kornea

What, don't all Asians look the same? Ku Klux Kornea is a righteously funny short film about a white mail clerk who can't tell the minorities apart at the office. Black, Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, he confuses them all (let alone the Asian girl with large assets). Upon realizing that a problem has arisen, management sends the clerk to the doctor to get his eyes checked. This is where the plot gets muddy- it turns out that the clerk has a condition which makes him blind to people of colour; he then gets corrective surgery for it. After that happens though, he can no longer tell white people apart. A funny ending, but lacking the point that was initiated at the beginning of the film.

The Pawn of Politics

By Allan C. on November 11, 2008 4:27 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

The Pain of Thirsty

The Pain of Being Thirsty is just that - a bit of pain mixed in with a bit of thirst to make a point. Using a frustrating art house cinematic style, the documentary blends Internment camps in Arizona with a found letter written by a Muslim prisoner awaiting extradition to Guantanamo Bay. In connecting the two events, the film weaves a connection between the way Japanese-Americans were and Arab-Americans are perceived in times of disintegration.

Koryo Saram: The Unreliable People

Koryo Saram: The Unreliable People is an superb historical documentary that follows an ethnic enclave of Koreans in Kazakhstan. Josef Stalin's 1937 ethnic cleansing campaign deported everyone of Korean origin living in the coastal provinces of the Far East Russia near the border of North Korea to the unsettled steppe country of Central Asia 3,700 miles away. Designated as 'Koryo Saram' ("unreliable people" in Russian), many Koreans who had served loyally for the Russians were denounced as enemies of the State and were purged politically and culturally. As Kazakhstan became a concentration camp of exiled people from throughout the Soviet Union, the documentary reveals how a 'dumping ground' of ethnicities actually became a melting pot for a new Kazakh culture. Although very slow at times, and bogged down by historical extrapolations, the documentary is altogether engaging and memorable.

Vincent Who?

In what is now considered the turning point of Asian American history, the 1982 murder of Vincent Chin by two white autoworkers at the height of anti-Japanese industry sentiment in America is intelligently investigated in Vincent Who? The slap-on-the-wrist sentence that the judge in the case gave the killers - a mere $3,000 fine and three years probation - rallied Asian-Americans around the country to unite for the first time across ethnic and socio-economic lines to form a real pan-Asian community movement. Footage of the cries of Chin's mother, Lilly, is haunting and moving, while the memories of participants in the Asian Am movement were inspiring and memorable.

Our Fair City - Local Truth

By Allan C. on November 11, 2008 3:17 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

School of Secrets

Is there something wrong with the B.C. educational system? The documentary by Vancouver filmmakers Melanie Wood and Eunice Lee, School of Secrets tells a disturbing story of sex and deception over the span of thirty years. The captivating film documents the rise and fall of Vancouver Prince of Wales high school teacher Tom Ellison and the teenage girls he seduced during his tenure. A secret hidden behind shame and guilt, it's a story that, when finally exposed, stunned not only the community, but also the theatre audience. Watching the film, it was eerie to hear moans of disapproval echoing among the enraged audience.

Warrior Boyz

Warrior Boyz examines the challenges that South Asian youth are facing today, particularly gang culture. In British Columbia alone, more than a hundred Indo-Canadian youth have been killed as a result of gang violence with most of the victims coming from middle class families within a tight knit community. Warrior Boyz follows three Indo-Canadian youths in a Surrey high school (Princess Margaret Secondary), and documents their experiences with racism and violence in a seemingly calm suburban lifestyle.

At the end of both movies, the producers and director all fielded questions from the audience in what capped off two powerful movies of our city -- whether it is fair or not is another question. What about our high schools? Let's not go there.

Kissing Cousins

By Jordana Mah on November 10, 2008 4:39 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

At first glance, Kissing Cousins seems like a risque proposition, but don't be too hasty to write this one off; it's a great movie. Amyn Kaderali's first feature film took a year to write and only three weeks to shoot. The result is a gentle comedy that draws you in and makes you smile. At the heart of this story is young Amir, a "relationship termination specialist" who makes a living off delivering breakup messages for those too cowardly to face their partners. As his social circle slowly becomes filled with couples, Amir is set to be cursed as the perpetual 3rd wheel - even within his own family. When his cousin Zara makes a surprise return from the UK though, things begin to change and Amir finds himself feeling the unthinkable: he is falling for his cousin.

Kissing Cousins holds valuable insights into family, love, and growing up. Like many people, Amir tries to make himself an island, while living among millions in L.A. Zara's arrival becomes the catalyst for Amir's sudden realization that he's been missing out by acting tough. The film is populated by funny, talented actors, particulary its star Samrat Chakrabarti who delivers a smart, sarcastic performance. It also features some familiar faces like David Alan Grier, P.J. Byrne, and even Jaleel White (that's right - Urkel). As writer, director, and producer, Amyn Kaderali proves why he is the winner of such prestigious awards such as the Martin Scorsese Young Filmmaker Award. He's also a pretty nice guy too, who advises young filmmakers to "watch a lot of movies... [and to] learn storytelling" as well as the importance of taking risks in life, stating that even "I probably don't take enough risks." It's certainly a strong theme in Kissing Cousins, and an important lesson for all of us to learn.

A Moment in Time & The Masculine and Mysterious

By Sean Y. on November 9, 2008 7:15 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

VAFF's Saturday short programs run the gamut from provoking and emotional, to funny and fantastical. "A Moment In Time", as you might imagine, features films that deal with events in the context of time. "The Masculine & Mysterious" bundles films dealing with Asian masculinity featuring, oddly enough, animation. Warning, this post is spoiler central.

A Moment in Time

Yellow Sticky Notes

Drawn and captured by the director, this film chronicles his life over the course of nine years - a life full of appointments - as well as what he was doing when major events happened. The film's most touching moment reflects on the events of September 11th, 2001 in New York; a rabbit whose ears are shaped like the Twin Towers loses them to crashing airplanes. Yellow Sticky Notes is available on Jeff Chiba Stearns' YouTube channel here.

Food for the Gods

Food for the Gods was a produced at Vancouver Film School. With a budget of $10,000 (most of which was donated in professional services), it looks very polished - with good acting, good shooting, great set work - though the pacing could have been tighter.

Wianbu

Wianbu is very difficult to watch. It depicts the brutal, repeated rape of a young woman at the hands of Japanese soldiers. The cinematography and editing forces the audience to experience her violation and her hopelessness. The film begins but never really ends; rather it forces you to live in an endless moment.

Servants of War

I'm not sure what the intentions were in following Wianbu with Servants of War. Should I have been thankful that I did not have to watch two films depicting rape at different times, but rather in quick succession - to hit me hard and then let me free? Servants of War tells the story of a Japanese soldier who, along with a war comrade, storms the house of a young woman and her kid sister. They force the residents to cook them a meal before one soldier demands that the other rape the two girls. At first the protagonist resists, but, after his loyalty is questioned by the other soldier, he submits and rapes the young girl. Once he finishes, he is horrified by the monster he's become and kills the other soldier. Fantastic acting heightens an already devastating watch.

The Letter Goodbye

A period piece that takes place during WWII, depicting stories of soldiers living in the trenches. Through one soldier's letters to his lover, we are shown the significance of a simple parchment when what is most important is taken away.

Grange Avenue

Grange Avenue depicts a love story between a Chinese immigrant named Raymond, and Julia, a Caucasian woman, during the 1960's civil right's movement. The overall tone is reminiscent of Cold Mountain - cold and sparse. It features great acting and good editing, but also an unfortunately abrupt ending. In one sense the couple are very much in love and talking about eloping, then the next scene informs us that Julia has aborted their child and is leaving Raymond because 'the times' won't allow it. After their relationship has been built up fighting racism, it feels jarring when that issue suddenly becomes the reason the end everything.

Light Years

Light Years is about what happens during the last eight minutes of the world - the time it takes light from the sun to reach our planet. We are shown the stories of four pairs of people all over the world. The film is beautifully acted, expertly shot, and contains great dialogue. We are shown all the emotions that might manifest within us if such a moment were to arrive.

The Masculine & Mysterious

600

600 follows a young man as he struggles to come to terms with his life. Where is he going? What will he do? The film follows him as he stumbles around drunk in the rain, with a voice-over narrating his fears. I spoke with a friend who taught English in Japan and he echoed the sentiments of the protagonist. Short and to the point.

Snapshot: Six Months of the Korean American Male

This film, through media clips, attempts to show the life of Korean men within a 6 month period in 2006. From the fangirl idolization of John Cho, to the tragic Virginia Tech shootings, filmmaker Valerie Soe attempts to show a moment, through the tinted glasses of pop culture.

Asian Task Force

Asian Task Force is a mock TV show pilot depicting an Asian A-Team. Between intricate and inspired (a food strainer is used as a weapon at one point) fight sequences, and ridiculously cheesy dialogue, it really feels like a serious rendition of an action show from the 80's. At the time, shows like Miami Vice were serious business, but looking today, they seem cliche and preposterous which makes them hilarious. Because it takes itself so seriously, ATF is hilarious.

S/He

S/He follows a young woman as she struggles with her gender identity. She fantasizes about being a soldier and cutting her hair. She sees her peers hitting puberty and prays that it doesn't happen to her. Her parents try to reach her as she slips into depression. It is only when she is allowed to cut her hair that we see her true self.

It Strikes Twice

When a young man encounters a Korean immigrant who claims to have been struck by lightning, he is skeptical. The lack of trust between the two represents the cultural disconnect between different generations of Asian Americans. Great dialogue, funny and provocative at the same time.

Delivery

When Roger accidentally delivers drugs to a beautiful stranger instead of Chinese food from his mother's restaurant, the stranger enlists his help in quitting her job from an Internet "modelling" site. Roger must act as her fiance to scare off a possessive boss. Initially reluctant to help, Roger finds strength as he realizes that her situation may be not so different from his own. This film is quite entertaining and the awkward chemistry between the leads works perfectly.

Long Distance

When a young lady who can only speak Korean and a young man who can't go back to his place, they cannot communicate at all - at first. As it turns out, she is with him because she wants to make a former lover jealous and keeps calling her ex for a play-by-play. Our protagonist doesn't understand what's going on, but they end up "communicating" in the most passionate way when both realize that they are both lost. Beautifully shot, featuring fantastic acting.

Machine with Wishbone

Machine with Wishbone highlights the kinetic sculpture of artist Arthur Ganson. Filmmaker Randall Okita features Ganson's works with stunning cinematography and editing. Little intricate machines travel by themselves and interact with each other over a fantastic score. The framing of shots is fantastic; I'm a sucker for fooling around with depth of field, and this film has that in spades.

Egg Ghost

Egg Ghost is a claymation short about a ghost girl that chases and ultimately seduces a young man. When he gives into her seduction, she gains a face, while he loses his. It is he who becomes the egg. I love that this film was done in claymation. While sometimes it can seem cheesy, it can also be unsettling when its characters are human.

PHEW...all films accounted for.

Finding Madison

By Jordana Mah on November 8, 2008 7:55 PM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

Review by Jordana Mah.

Finding Madison is the story of a recent art school graduate turned struggling artist - and not just struggling with art. Madison's inner confusion is reflected in her art, causing one critic to cite "a lack of focus." She lives off ramen, M&M's and coffee while working at a cafe and taking support checks from her fiance (played by a smouldering Eric Steinberg). When her fiance abruptly breaks off their engagement, Madison is left floundering and looking for a warm body to get her through the suddenly cold nights. In comes Rain (played by charismatic Roger Fan), who comes to comfort Madison, but not in the way she expects.

As both writer and star, Kelly Miyashiro both succeeds and fails as the title character. Her speaking voice is both grating and monotone, but, in her physical movements, Miyashiro succeeds at exuding a withdrawn melancholy that reflects her character's confusion. The other actors are much more natural - especially Roger Fan - and they keep the film from falling flat. Life realization stories are difficult - so much relies on the quality of the dialogue and plot to convey to the audience what the film is all about. In the end, Finding Madison is like its main character; it has potential, but lacks focus and depth. Perhaps it works better as an analysis of its writer, than as a musing about the search for meaning in life.

nine shorts and a long | Love You Short Time and Child's Play

By Rita L. on November 8, 2008 6:59 PM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

I always enjoy watching shorts - must have something to do with my limited attention span. Also, you should be warned, that enjoying movies is all I really know how to do ... review one? Ermmm... wait... what were we talking about?

*SPOILER ALERT- please be warned, there will be abundant mention of film endings.*

Popsicle Stick

The first film of the program, Popsicle Stick, is a story told from the perspectives of two people on a date. I was a bit taken aback by the voice-over technique used in this film. Was it a throwback to old dubbed Chinese kung-fu movies? Or was it simply due to lack of editing time? We follow Alex and Megan's thoughts through the film as Alex hopes with all hope that he'll "get some" tonight while Megan thinks "Gee, he's cute! But don't think I'm gonna put out on the second date!"

The super-duper surprise of the film comes when the two of them are back at Alex's place enjoying a post-pizza popsicle. Megan reaches over to take Alex's popsicle and her own and puts them on the coffee table. She then proceeds to reach over to Alex and.... HALT! The film stops! We all sit there for a minute wondering if this is some innovative artistic element in the film (is this a choose your own ending kind of story?) but then the film rewinds about 30 seconds and starts again only to stop at the same place. Le sigh. I suppose we really will have to use our imaginations on this one! Thankfully, at the end of the night during the Q&A session, there is an audience member who has seen the ending of the film and he shares with us that Alex "kind of gets some" and makes out with Megan who thinks "I'm not going all the way!" but rather says with a coy smile, "I'll see you again". Perhaps I'll have to see this one again too (hopefully with an ending).

Since You've Been Ong

Next on the list, Since You've Been Ong, is another voice over movie. I quite enjoyed this truly short (4 minute) film. Three friends hang out in Chinatown whilst leaving messages for their absentee friend recounting their own versions of the days events. The movie is a lesson about what happens when you let your boyfriend hang out with another girl without you. They fall in love and you're SOL! A rather realistic take on high-school life.

You've Got Male

The blurb in the program guide reads: "An attempt at romance goes horribly wrong as the mail-order bride is nothing as advertised. We repeat, NOTHING as advertised." This one had the audience laughing right off the bat. The main character, who reminded me of Paul Rudd, has given up on trying to find love for himself, and orders a bride from overseas much to his mother's chagrin. The bride shows up at his door and, lo and behold, it's a man from Vietnam! The male order 'bride' proves to be very kind and eager to please his new husband while Husband wants nothing of the sort and tries with all this might to get away. The film actually ends on a very touching note - with them sitting side-by-side, dejected on a sidewalk, pointing at their hearts and making an "I got shot in the heart" motion. Honestly, it was touching!

A Fistful of Doll Hairs

I hadn't read the notes in the program about A Fistful of Doll Hairs before watching it... so I was very surprised at the quick and gory beginning! Jennifer speedily hacks up her annoying roommate Lucy in a psychotic rage after having a tiff about boardgames and The Beatles vs. The Monkeys. Jennifer disposes of Lucy's belongings but is haunted that night by Lucy's doll (very Chucky-like! I knew there was a reason I didn't like dolls...) In the end, Lucy's doll triumphs in avenging her owner and Jennifer's dead body ends up on the coffee table in a real life version of the game "Operation".

This short was impressive - not just in its maniacal story line but in the fact that the entire film was produced as part of a 48 hour film-making contest (they won!). In Hollywood director and contest judge Joe Dante's words, A Fistful of Doll Hairs is "a triumph of wit over budget!"

Passage

A beautiful film to watch - with top-notch cinematography. I honestly do not know much about film, but it is a definite eye-pleaser! Not only that, but the acting, the musical score, and the story are done very well with great attention to detail. It's no amateur film.

There are two stories within this film - one is about a young player who has a penchant for Asian ladies, and the other is about a young woman who finds herself pregnant and distancing herself from her family to have the child in secret. So, what do they have to do with each other? In the end, a chance meeting on a train between the two characters leads to them both reconciling with their own choices.

The Last Samurai's Geisha

I'd previously seen this film at the Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon and adored it! Suzi Nitta Petersen (lead actor and co-producer with Michelle Nitta) stole my heart with her first bite into a chip. Generally in these kinds of indie films, the actors are young and fledgling but here we see a cast with a range of characters and personalities (that is in no way meant to insult young fledgling actors, nor to imply that the actors in this film are not young). This was a light movie that pokes fun at the obsession and ignorance of some with "Orientals". Two eager thumbs up!

Sides

An all together lovely film. I'm a closet romantic (oh, I guess not any more? hah) and this film tugged at my heart strings. A bit silly, a bit intense, a bit romantic, and with plenty of longing. As two friends practice lines, a script mimics reality and the camera captures the tension perfectly. Kudos for taking 2nd place in MAMM!

The Jade Falcon

Ahhhh, the mighty Jade Falcon! Here we have the last film of the shorts program and winner of the 2008 Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon. When we watched this during MAMM, the entire audience pretty much knew that this was the big winner of the night. The film was actually in the works for 2 years before debuting at the 2008 MAMMs. Based on The Maltese Falcon, The Jade Falcon follows the first act of the film noir classic, except instead of Brigid O'Shaugnessy, we have "Chun Li" as the mysterious and beautiful leading lady seeking help (and something else? wink, wink, nudge, nudge) from the dashing and cocky Detective "Spade Sam". A movie that oft is on the verge of crossing the line but a true winner for the sheer awesomeness of its production. Yes, awesomeness is a word.

______________________________________________________________

In Control

Today was a double shot for me. First the shorts program and then "Child's Play", a program which features the film Santa Mesa and the short film In Control, a narrative about a young boy who is able to control his parent's actions with his toy remote control.

When asked about the inspiration for this film, Ana De Lara responded with "I try to tell stories that touch people on an emotional level.... to inspire people to care about the issues I care about (women and children/domestic violence)". I would have to say that Ana De Lara succeeded with this film. I wondered where the boy would take his father when he controlled his father's car. I thought that maybe he would bring his dad back home... but instead, he took him to a field of flowers- a field of repentance, forgiveness, and peace. A very touching story.

Santa Mesa

"Sometimes it's OK to be scared. I've learned to look at the world in a different way."

Santa Mesa is an amazing film. I cried. Damnit. A beautiful, warm, and sad story about a boy who, after losing his mother at the age of 12, is relocated to live with his grandmother in the Philippines. Hector not only overcomes the language barrier between him and his seemingly insensitive grandmother, but also endures the rite of entering a youth gang, falls in love, and reconnects a man with his estranged daughter. His character is the link to something much needed for those he cares about. It's easy to sympathize with the different characters' plights - their efforts to release past hardships and guilt, and forgive themselves in order to move forward. During this film I wanted to reach out to Hector, yell at him for being a fool, also hold him when he had no one to connect with. His innocence is deeply moving.

I wish I could write more about this movie, but frankly, I am all written out by now! I'll be off to see the "Family and Funnies" program and will report back soon. I'm out!

Yellow Fellas

By Sean Y. on November 8, 2008 8:02 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

Review by Sean Yee.

Yellow Fellas is a comedic film that follows Howie Hiroshima, an angry young man, as he attempts to put together an Asian militia to fight back at what he sees as the Caucasian community's racism towards Asians. As his movement grows, he starts to lose control, until finally it is wrested from his hands by his formerly meek lieutenant Shelby. While poking fun at racial stereotypes, director Tetsuro Shigematsu (who also plays Howie) at first makes us laugh but, as the film progresses, we become aghast at the blatant ignorance on display.

Yellow Fellas was a labour of love for Shigematsu. He spent 7 years developing the project and six months filming on a budget of $5,000, which was spent on a camera and a computer to edit footage. The film professionals and actors all volunteered for the project; he only spent his own money to buy hot meals for those on set.

After the film screened, Shigematsu stayed for an informal Q&A session. There were many professionals and film students in attendance who wanted to know the logistics of filming a full length feature, on such a small budget. There was also discussion on such topics as how to secure funding, pitching movies in Hollywood (where the director now resides), and writing compelling screenplays.

Many people, if not everyone, have an idea for a film and wonder if they would be right for the industry. Tetsuro Shigematsu's answers to the audience questions certainly provided insight into the processes involved, and what it takes personally to "make it". Here are some quotable gems from his Q&A session:

"As a writer you have to assume that the director is a fool even if you are also covering that role. The screenplay must be so good that the director can't screw it up."

"Wayne Wang once told me that if you aren't willing to rob a bank for your film, you aren't ready. I don't think he was talking metaphorically either."

"If it takes you more than 90 seconds to explain a film to your friends, it's D.O.A."

"When your film is ready to screen, you're only 66% through the process."

"If I could do this film again, I would storyboard everything so that filming could be done in 10 days instead of 6 months."

Wise words.

Ping Pong Playa

By Jordana Mah on November 7, 2008 6:41 AM 0 0 Vote 0 Votes

Review by Jordana Mah

Filmmaker Jessica Yu is more well known for her heavy documentaries about tortured artists (In the Realms of the Unreal) than for comedic flair. Yet, as the expression goes, don't judge a book by its cover. In Ping Pong Playa, Yu brings to life the tale of Christopher Wang, a.k.a "C-Dub", a slacker/wannabe-gangsta with failed dreams of basketball stardom and an "Angry Asian Man" complex. Having lost his job hawking cell phones at the mall, C-Dub is roped into coaching at his family's ping pong school after his mother and ping pong champion older brother are laid up with broken wrists after a car accident. Familial obligation quickly turns into defending family honour at a local ping pong competition, when a Caucasian rival seeks to steal the school's students.

Yu's direction is snappy and smooth, demonstrating the Oscar winner's expertise. The film itself is light and fun, with first-time lead actor Jimmy Tsai standing out as a fresh comedic talent. He is also a triple threat, having starred, co-written, and handled the finances for the film using his skills as an accountant! While there are the obvious cultural jokes - such as the piles of shoes at the door, and the Chinese opera-singing father - Ping Pong Playa manages to rise above being simply an "ethnic comedy", to being a film with universally appealling themes of family relationships and underdogs making good. A pleasant surprise of a movie that, while a little hokey and predictable at times, is a great example of Asian talent in a mainstream story. Not to be missed.

The Vancouver Asian Film Festival will be screening Ping Pong Playa on Saturday November 8 at 9:30pm at the Tinseltown (88 W Pender, Vancouver, BC).

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Recently in Film Reviews Category

Closing Night - Permute and West 32nd

Family and Funnies

The Pawn of Politics

Our Fair City - Local Truth

Kissing Cousins

A Moment in Time & The Masculine and Mysterious

Finding Madison

nine shorts and a long | Love You Short Time and Child's Play

Yellow Fellas

Ping Pong Playa

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