|
Asian Pacific
American Film Festival
With George Lin and Timothy
Bui
Program Director and Filmmaker
Thursday, Oct. 17, 2002; 2
p.m. ET
This year's D.C. Asian Pacific American (APA) Film Festival
takes place from October 10-19, 2002 at the Smithsonian Institution's
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, the Freer Gallery & Arthur M.
Sackler Gallery, and George Washington University. The festival features works by local and national APA media artists. The annual event encourages the artistic development of APA films in the metropolitan region that deal with issues such as cultural identity, relationships, family life, gender issues and issues of sexual orientation.
|
|
George Lin
|
Join film festival director George Lin and filmmaker Timothy Linh Bui on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. ET, to talk about festival events, the local APA community and the closing night film, "Green Dragon."
|
|
Timothy Linh Bui
|
The closing night film "Green Dragon" depicts life in a 1975
Vietnamese refugee camp on the Pendleton Marine Base in California after
the fall of Saigon. The main character is a young child, Minh Pham
(Trung Nguyen), who searches for his mother and struggles with a new life in the camp. Along the way, Minh meets Addie (Forest Whitaker), an American who volunteers as a cook
at the camp and immediately they become friends despite language
barriers. Also featured in the movie is Vietnamese actor Don Duong as Minh's uncle and actor Patrick Swayze as Sergeant Jim Lance, the camp manager. The film was premiered in the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and is being released theatrically by Silver Nitrate Releasing.
Bui co-produced and co-wrote "Three Seasons," a triple
award winner at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. It is the first film to
win both the Grand Jury and the Audience Award in festival history as
well as the Cinematography Award. Currently, he is working on "Saharan," a film about four lost souls desperately searching for love and miracles within the
underbelly of Los Angeles. Most of his projects are produced with his brother Tony and both own the company Rickshaw Filmworks.
The transcript follows.
Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control
over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for
guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Hi ! I'm George Lin...I'm here to answer all of your questions about the DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival and the organization that sponsors the festival, APA Film.
College Park, Md.:
George and Timothy: how hard is it for an Asian American filmmaker to make it these days? Are there any allies out there in the industry or community?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Tim: It is difficult and it is a very competitive. Being Asian it does make it that more difficult but being an Asian filmmaker is different from being an Asian American actor in front of the camera. Being behind the camera, the movie industry is not selling your face. I feel there is a better chance of getting through the door if you have a voice as a filmmaker.
My films have always been made through personal contacts with independent film financers and producers who like our material and what we have to say. They become our friends and help shepherd the project.
There are Asian American filmmakers out there for example M. Night, Ang Lee and John Woo. All those guys have made it in mainstream, I believe, not because they are Asian but because they have something that makes them unique as filmmakers -- their voice.
Fairfax, Va.:
Tim, I thought Three Seasons was a beautiful movie! How did you come up with the idea and are there any special filming techniques that you use?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Three Seasons was inspired by my brother and I returning to Vietnam for the very first time in 1994. When we returned to Vietnam we saw it very different from what we had heard and had seen through the eyes of American war movies. We saw a beautiful country with people struggling with dreams, hope and adapting to change just like everyone else in the world. We wanted to share to the world, the humanity of Vietnam... a Vietnam that was only seen through war and not a country.
There wasn't anything special in filming out of the ordinary. It was a very labored process because Vietnam did not have a filmmaking infrastructure. It was a complete learning process for us, especially working with half of a Vietnamese crew who don't speak English.
Arlington, Va.:
What can the D.C. metro area community do to encourage further Asian Pacific American artists?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: This is a great question ! By coming out to the film festival and just being exposed to films and videos made by APAs, we hope to encourage and inspire APAs to become media artists. I believe that images on film and TV are a powerful form of communication, thus the APA community really needs to support this form of expression in order to illuminate issues and educate the broader mainstream public. And it also really helps for our communities to advertise the festival to non-APAs because that is the audience we want to educate!
Somewhere, USA:
What was it like winning the Sundance Film award?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: The Sundance Film Festival was an unexpected and amazing experience. We weren't expecting to win anything but we were very happy because the awards showed that the audience had accepted a film that was a foreign language film shot in Vietnam. Our purpose in making the film was to share our experience in Vietnam with the world and now people were accepting something very special to us.
We were shocked for winning the three awards and we thought they called the wrong film. After the first award we were shocked and thought that was it. But they kept calling us and we were disbelief.
Washington, D.C.:
George- I know how important it is for you to try and reflect the range of diversities in our communities -- whether it be in terms of ethnicity (south asian, southeast asian, pacific islander, east asian, etc.) or sexuality (straight, gay, lesbian, queer, transgender), or any other metric. Given your resources, how do you ensure the festival is as complex and diverse and chaotic as we are?!
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Our festival really believes in outreaching to the various APA (and non APA) communities and having members of those communities play an active role in the planning of our festival. We hope that by doing this, we can ensure that we are properly representing all the communities. I really think that our community partners add to the richness of the festival!
Ashburn, Va.:
cha`o Timothy, Hi George,
I love Three Seasons. However, Green Dragon didn't turn out to be critics favorite. Do you think you and Tony will change genre in your next script. Tran Anh Hung, director of Scent of Payaya was a hit but his sophomore feature 'Cyclo' didn't go much with the audience either. Do you there is a such a thing as 'sophomore' jinx?
Bryan from www.lilquiwifilms.com
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: I would say no to the sophomore jinx to Green Dragon and it depends on which critic you ask. We had just as much people come up to ask and say that Green Dragon was better than Three Seasons and vice versa. We make the films that we believe in and we don't make the films to try to please an audience or critics taste because you are always going to have differing opinions and criticisms. We are proud of both films.
College Park, Md.:
Timothy, what has been the most satisfying about the reception "Green Dragon" has received from festivals and critics?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: We have exposed a part of American history that few knew about in Green Dragon. That was one of the reasons we got the film made -- the subject matter was an important story that needed to be told and that few knew about. Critics and people in festivals embraced the story and were able to learn something from it.
Fairfax, Va.:
Hi Tim,
How did you come to get financial for Green Dragon? And how did producer Andrew Steven and his partners come to realize this was their next project to finance?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: The project came to Franchise Pictures and Andrew Stevens when they were forming a new division in their company called Franchise Classics where they would make smaller independent films. It was a story we pitched to them on the importance of the film being told and with the cast of Patrick Swayze and Forest Whitatker together gave them confidence that the film would be profitable.
Vienna, Va.:
What types of films are being shown at the festival and what constitutes as an APA film?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: The DC APA Film Festival showcases short films, documentaries, and feature length films ranging from the irreverent to the sobering. We define an APA film as a film that either has an APA as a main character in the film and/or is written or directed by an APA. The films generally must also be of North American origin. Some of the films that we have screened have in fact, contained non-APA casts but were directed and/or written by an APA.
GL
Washington D.C.:
How did you get Forest Whitaker and Patrick Swayze interested in this film?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: I wrote the part for Forest in mind and sent him the project and he came on board immediately. For Patrick's part, I had a meeting with him and felt that he understood the humanity of the part and the story we were trying to reveal and the transformation of his persona. Our initial was that Patrick Swayze the movie star may overshadow the film. But upon meeting him, he understood what we were going for and trying to do. So, he put our concerns at ease and immediately agreed.
Washington D.C.:
Is it hard to promote and showcase in D.C.?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: We are really lucky to be hosted by the Smithsonian Institution--this gives us the added benefit of a built in audience that is non-APA. In terms of promoting, it is no harder than any other public event. It requires a lot of man power to advertise the event through conventional means...such as e-mail, flyers, advetisements, and community outreach. And of course, we must also solicit funding from sponsors every year to make this event happen. This is our third year, and as we have developed relationships with communities and sposnors it has gotten easier to promote and showcase in DC.
GL
Arlington, Va.:
Are you involved in or taking a stand in the Vietnamese government's arrest of actor Don Duong? (For the other audience members' benefit, the Vietnamese government has apprehended Don Duong, claiming his participation in "Green Dragon" contributed to an inaccurate portrayal of the Vietnamese War.) washingtonpost.com:
Vietnam: Actor Still Free, Fate Being Decided (Reuters, Oct. 17)
According to the recent Reuters story, Vietnamese actor Don Duong has been branded a "national traitor" by the Vietnamese government for starring in your movie "Green Dragon" and also in the film "We Were Soldiers" with Mel Gibson. The Ho Chi Minh City authority will possibly ban Duong from acting and has seized his passport for going abroad for five years.
Did you know during filming that your movie would stir political controversy? Do you feel as a filmmaker you are responsible for Duong's fate? What has been the general response from the movie industry?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: I didn't think that this would happen to him because we thought we were telling an honest portrayal of the Vietnam- American war of that time. We didn't think that the movie would stir this kind of controversy to this scale where the actor would be in trouble for his career and his life. We feel that the government's misinterpretation of the film has caused the problem.
We have been putting together a campaign to explain to the government our interpretation of the film and that it is not an anti-Communist or anti-Vietnam film. It is just a film about a very specific group of people during that time. In no way does the film reflect the current status of Vietnam today.
In regards to responsibility: Yes, I am very troubled by it and I started a letter writing campaign to the U.S. ambassador in Vietnam and the Vietnam ambassador in D.C. Along with myself, Patrick Swayze, Mel Gibson, Forest Whitaker and Harvey Keitel, Randall Wallace and many others have also sent in letters expressing their concern. We have industries such as the Sundance Institute and producers have sent in their letters of concern and support for Don Doung as an artist.
Washington, DC:
Tim,
I thank you for having made the movie Green Dragon. my family and many others with whom i grew up lived the experience of Green Dragon - we were at camp pendelton.
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Thank you. While we were making the film, we came across many different people who shared with us their experience of the refugee camps. As a matter of fact, we shot in the exact location where the camps took place 27 years ago. So it was very emotional while shooting the film for many of the extras and cast members who lived through and passed through Camp Pendleton. -T
Washington DC:
Hello Tim,
Thank you to you and Tony for representing our voice and character through the film culture. Green Dragon brought back some precious memories/moments of our life and similar experience at Fort Chaffee. Can we look forward to any future film projects with Vietnamese/Asian actors or stories?
I broke down when Harvey Keitel recognized his daughter. One of many great scenes in Three Seasons.
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: There are a couple of films by other filmmakers that deal with Vietnamese characters and are shot in Vietnam. One that is coming out is called "The Quiet American" and another one with Harvey Keitel and Nick Nolte called "A Beautiful Country."
Richmond, VA:
When can we expect a next project from the Bui's brothers? Did Hiep Le or others work on minimum scale salary?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: We are working on projects right now. All the actors who came on Green Dragon came on because it was an important story that they all felt needed to be told. All the actors across the board took a paycut in order to get the film made.
Washington, D.C.:
How did the film festival begin and how did both of you get involved? How can I get involved with the organization?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: The festival began about 3.5 years ago as a result of a personal experience that I had with a few friends. At that point in my life, I had never seen an APA film but I knew they existed and was very curious. Well, we went to see this fantstic filipino-american film called "Disoriented" at the Foundry theater. When we arrived, there were only 3 or 4 people in the audience! This was a great film and the issues that were portrayed in the film had resonated with us and there were no other APAs in the audience! And so we set out to organize a film festival and bring these films to the DC metro area. Since then, our mission has expanded and we are promoting APA musicians, visual artists, dancers, and poets. We are always looking for people who share in our vision...if you want to get involved, please visit our website for more information and contact us at apafilm@yahoo.com.
GL
Washington D.C.:
Tim, has the vietnamese government contacted you in any form? I was wondering whether you have been banned from making movies in Vietnam as well for making Green Dragon
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: No the government has not contacted me. As of now, I have not heard anything of that and I don't think they will.
Arlington, Va:
Just wondered if you had ever considered using your movies to destigmatize Asians in western eyes? it seems that there is always a certain negative connotation, such as the actions of the government in the case of people considered spies due to their Asian backgrounds. Can it ever get better?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Tim: Of course. That is the reason why we made these films to not only learn about who we are but to show the world that the faces and culture and the humanity of the Vietnamese people. Up until then, Vietnam was only known as a war and it is the responsibilities of other Asian American filmmakers are put in the position to make a positive influence and change to do so.
College Park, MD:
Has Green Dragon been profitable?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: As far as I know both the financier and the distributor have been pleased with the result.
Washington, D.C.:
How long has the APA Film Festival been around and how did it get started?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: APA Film, our organization has been organizing the festival for the last three years. Before us, there was an organization called Asian American Arts and Media (now defunct) that programmed the festival from the mid 80s to the mid 90s. Please see another question that I responded to about the personal experiences that led to the revival of the festival.
GL
Kingstowne, Va.:
What do you think of Chow Yun Fat? Hindrance to you or a help?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: T: I don't think he's a hindrance at all. When Crouching Tiger won the Oscar, it was a huge step forward for Asian and Asian American actors and filmmakers because it showed a wide acceptance of Asian American talent in Cinema. His exposure can only can be a positive role model for Asians and Asian Americans.
Harrisburg, Pa.:
I have a friend from Indonesia studying film in an American college. Are there more prospects in the film industry for Asians in America or for Asians in Asian countries?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: T: That I'm not sure. It depends on what you are trying to do. I have many friends who went to film school with me who are from other countries. Upon graduating, many had returned to their country and have found work immediately. I don't know what that says or shows but I guess other countries respect some of the education in America.
Annandale, Va.:
Hi George, Kudos on this year's film selection. Question for Tim - do you and Tony see yourself moving away to a new genre i.e, romantic comedy, action, something in today' Generation X. Or, you'd rather stay with sentimental genre.
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: We do move away and we are. Our next two films are an action film and the other is a dark film. We don't make films to reach a specific audience. We just find a story that we want to make at a specific time in our lives. Our next two are very different from Green Dragon because we don't want to be typecasted as making only Vietnamese themed films.
Some of our projects are Powder Blue -- about lost souls searching for love and miracles; Tony and I wrote Leaving Earth -- which is about female pilots in the 1930's.
Reston, Va.:
Tim,
Which agency represented you/Tony? WMA, UTA, Gersh, and how does one come to contact you if let's say I want to pitch you an idea.
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Tony and I are at Creative Artists Agency. You can call CAA and ask for our agent. You can send us projects that way.
College Park, Md.:
Where did you go to film school? What else has been helpful in your training as a filmmaker?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: I went to film school at Columbia College in Los Angeles. What has been helpful, which may be a cliche, is watching a lot of movies and studying to understand them. And also working on the production of movies to understand how a set is run and is made ... not necessarily as a director.
Silver Spring, Md.:
George and Tim,
I want to commend you on the good work that you do to showcase the art and talent of APA here in US and abroad. I hope that this will open up more doors for APA to succeed in the art. What advise woulld you give to aspiring API film makers and enthusiasts to succeed in getting their work showcased to the wider audience?
TL
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: G: The best way to get your stuff screened to a public audience and might get recognized is to submit them to as many film festivals as you can.
T: Enter as many festivals as you can from the most obscure to the bigger ones. Bring your film onto the festival circuit!
Bethesda, Md.:
Tim,
In your opinion, if you are an aspiring filmmaker, what is the best way to break into the industry?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: It depends on what you want to do.
If you want to be a director, the fastest way in is to write your own material like Tarantino. They all write their own material because if the industry likes your script, then you have a pull/leverage to attach yourself to the project. And since you wrote the project they are more willing to take a risk with you if it is material that you like.
Silver Spring, Md.:
George,
DC APA Film Festival's viewing of queer APA film selections seems to have provided a "connection link" between the queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered & questionning) community with the larger APA community. It appears that venues such as film festivals allow the larger APA community to be more open-minded. What is your view of the APA community moving more towards being more open minded and more accepting of the queer APA's within their community?
Kevin
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: The film festival itself is a wonderful medium for community organizations to come together, illuminate many shared issues, mobilize and educate the broader APA community and mainstream public. The images on the big screen or television are powerful forms of communication and we program with the philosphy that we can expose audiences to something they wouldn't normally choose to see. Hopefully, the film festival will educate, break down prejudices, and open up the minds of the mainstream!
Harrisburg, Pa.:
What response have you received from the State Department regarding Don Duong? Have you attempted to educate members of Congress regarding his situation?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: I know that the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam has been on top of the situation.
Herndon, Va.:
There is a very large asian american population in the area that continues to increase. Has the festival been able to showcase some local aa directors/actors? Have you had a good turnout to your events so far?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: The DC metro area does not have a large APA arts community but there is a small number of APA filmmakers, actors, writer, etc and we try to promote their works. In fact, Friday night's film "Charlotte Sometimes" (which has been getting a lot of good press) was directed and written by a native of Northern Virginia. We have been getting a great turnout this year despite the rain and the loose sniper. I think our great turnout is due to the fact that APA are starving to see films that they can relate to!
GL
Washington:
A friend of mine wants to see "Lolo's Child" after I told him about it. Are there other venues that will show this really good film?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Unfortunately, "Lolo's Child" and most other independent films never make it past the film festival circuit. This is the sad result of an "unmarketable" film. "Lolo's Child" will be screening next in Toronto. Sometimes, independent APA films do get picked up by distribution companies...then you might be able to rent it from the video store. Another way to see thses films is to contact the filmmaker directly and he may be able to send you a video screener of the film.
College Park, Md.:
George, each year the festival seems to reach a greater audience. What has been the most effective way for you all to reach out to the greater DC Asian American community?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Community outreach through local community organizations has been the most effective way to reach out to our audience. The next goal is to reach out beyond APA communities to the general mainstream public (non-APAs).
GL
Washington D.C.:
Hi George,
I know that this year you featured some musical performances by Romeo Candido and some local artists. Are you planning on making this a part of the festival in the future as well? I'm a local AA musician and I'd like to get involved in what you guys do.
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Yes, we are planning to expand our mission to promote all areas of APAs in the arts. We hope to be programming throughout the year and not just at the festival. Our long term goal is develop an arts collective for the DC APA community.
GL
Washington D.C.:
I went to watch a few films last weekend and really enjoyed it. Are there other events/activities that APAFilm sponsors throughout the year?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Yes, we are planning to promote music events throughout the year and individual screenings of films, as well. Next year, we are doing a film series for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. If you want to get on the mailing list, please send an e-mail to apafilm@yahoo.com or just visit the website periodically. www.apafilm.org
GL
Washington, D.C.:
What other directors/actors/musicians have made appearances at this year (or previous) festivals?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Every year, we have at least 10 filmmakers/actors coming to the festival to conduct audience Q&As and panel discussions. Having filmmakers come to the festival is a real treat for the audience and it shows filmmakers that there really is a lot if support from the community.
Bethesda, Md.:
No question, just a comment - I was there last Friday night and really enjoyed watching the movies -- especially the short films. Thank you for giving APA audiences a chance to see ourselves on the big screen.
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Thank your for supporting the festival!
Baltimore, Md.:
What is the future of the Asian Pacific American film festival in Washington DC? Is the organization just a festival or does it plan to grow into something else?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: Our organization has expanded very quickly...and I think this demonstrates that there is a need in our community for APA arts. We have expanded our mission to promote APAs in other areas of the arts including music, dance, spoken word, writing, and theater. We are in the planning stages for developing an arts collective and digital video education program for high school aged students.
Washington, D.C.:
Hello George and Tim!
How difficult is it in a community such as ours to showcase these films and filmmakers?
Even though we are in a culturally diverse region, do you find challenges showcasing here?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: We have been very surprised with the turn-out of people to our festival and it just shows that there is need for arts in our community. I have been told by guest filmmakers that the DC audience has been the most culturally diverse audience they have seen!
GL
Washington, D.C.:
Do APA featured films do well as exports to Southeast Asia, or do consumers in those markets prefer the Hollywood special effects films?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: I'm sorry but I don't know enough about foreign film markets to answer your question.... but Romeo Candido did tell me his film "Lolo's Child" did very well in the Phillipines because it received recognition and awards from US film festivals.
Honolulu, Hawaii:
What can we expect to be in store for next year's Festival? Will there be other events held throughout the year?
George Lin and Timothy Linh Bui: In addition to the films we are screening for next year's festival, we hope to add more music events, panel discussions, and filmmaker/writing workshops. Also, we would like to promote more "cross-over" films with other film festivals.
washingtonpost.com :
That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
I had a pleasure speaking to you all and answering your questions. Looking forward to seeing you this weekend at closing night for the Green Dragon screening. -Tim
George Lin : Thank you all for your questions and I hope to see all you at the festival tonight, tomorrow and Saturday! Also, don't miss our special screening of "Bungee Jumping of Their Own" at the Reel Affirmations Film Festival on Sunday! - George
Automatically Update Page
| Get New Responses | Submit Question
© Copyright 2002 The Washington Post Company | 
