Asian American + Theater + Sex: Two Reviews

I saw two excellent plays recently. Both involved Asian Americans and sex. Well, they were actually about love and relationships, but both had sexual themes and elements that (racial stereotype alert) perhaps stood out more for me, because the characters are Asian and so am I (end racial stereotype alert).

ReAct Theatre is putting on "A Language of Their Own", a four-character gay relationship drama that premiered in 1995 - quite a different era despite being only 17 years ago. Meanwhile SIS Productions is wrapping up "Sex in Seattle", an ensemble romantic comedy centered around Asian American women, after an epic 12-year, 20-episode run. It's the end of an era in itself.

Aside from Asian American characters and themes of love/sex, the two plays appear to be very different. "A Language of Their Own" is serious and confronting, a long stretch of dialogues and monologues that kept on flowing and shifting on a sparse and elegant set. "Sex in Seattle" is bright and colorful, with fast-paced scene changes, quirky video projections, sitcom-style story arcs, and hilarious schticks interwoven with thoughtful conversations. "Language" is about gay men; "Sex" resolves around straight women. However, both plays succeed in terms of both sub-culture relevance and universal appeal; and both plays demonstrate the unique and irreplaceable power of live theater.

In "A Language of Their Own", four gay men (three Asian American, one white) navigate issues including break-ups, hook-ups, AIDS, open relationship, and IKEA. While some situations around AIDS might happen differently today, most other plot points are still very much applicable, once again showing that love is a timeless topic. Even a couple of references to Madonna ended up working just as well 17 years later, thanks to her unique staying power in the music business. Needless to say, a "gay Asian play" is doubly prone to stereotypical portrayal and cultural insensitivity. Kudos to director Victor Pappas and the well-balanced cast for treating the story with sincerity and constraint without shying away from the difficult themes. David Hsieh, ReAct Theatre's founding artistic director and frequent director, steps on stage this time as Ming - perhaps the most conflicted and challenging character in the play - and proves himself to be a fine actor just as he is a director. While this may not be a play that screams "come see me" on paper, ReAct's version is a fluent and memorable production that succeeds on multiple levels.

In "Sex in Seattle", four Asian American women and their various friends/suitors are on a seemingly never-ending quest for true love. They dream, discuss, question, panic, play relationship musical chair, and even have sex on stage (with clothes on, you dirty mind). It's like a cross between "Sex and the City" and "Friends", but on stage and with Asian American characters. For over a decade, this episodic play has entertained audience with its unique brand of humor and endearing collection of characters, and kept us guessing in the long stretches of time (half year or one year) between episodes. This being the final episode, the obvious question is: Where does each main character end up? Especially Elizabeth, Kenneth and George, the quintessential Asian woman - Asian man - white man triangle that had fans rooting for all three (but not all three together)? Curiously titled "Happily Ever After...", this episode strikes a great balance between fairy tale endings and realistic disappointments. As show creator/writer/star Kathy Ksieh stated in the program, while she had certain endings in mind from the very beginning of the show, life doesn't always end up the way one expects. Personally, I was very impressed by how the ending played out, and how it managed to make some excellent points about love and life. Granted, some characters didn't end up where *I* wanted them to. But that's inevitable - I'm sure every fan of the show had their own version of the "perfect ending". "Happily Ever After..." was funny, emotional, poignant, a wonderful yet bittersweet ending to a 12-year theatrical courtship.

Theater is hard. Asian American theater is probably even harder. But between the long-running success of "Sex in Seattle" and the revisit of "A Language of Their Own", they show us a lot of hope - as long as we have passionate artists (such as the Hsieh siblings) doing great work that comes from the heart.

"A Language of Their Own" plays its final weekend this Friday & Saturday evenings at Richard Hugo House on Capitol Hill. "Sex in Seattle Episode 20: Happily Ever After..." plays Thu/Fri/Sat evenings through May 26 at West of Lenin in Fremont.

My Film Screenings

October turned out to be a milestone month for me as a filmmaker. Two of my short films were screened at film festivals right here in Seattle! Finally my friends could come see my work in a movie theater!

On Oct 1, my short film "Family Time" was shown at Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings Film Festival. I had been to NWFF a few times before for various screenings, but I wasn't very familiar with it. Needless to say, I love NWFF now :-)

NWFF cinema; group Q&A after the screening;

me with Adam Sekuler, Program Director; me with fellow filmmakers

The screening turned out to be a nice collection of short films covering a wide range of genres and styles. "The Lost Van Gogh" and "Mother-in-Law" were successful comedies that kept the audience laughing. On the other end of the seriousness spectrum was "The House I Keep", a haunting reflection on the emotional trama that a woman continues to endue. "Howard from Ohio", a daring visualization of an erotic short story, was the eventual winner of the short film jury award.

"Family Time" starring Serin Ngai, Roxanne Alabastro, and Andre Alabastro

"Family Time", adapted from a short play by Seattle writer Kathy Hsieh, is a bit of an odd duck, if I do say so myself. I was attracted to its offbeat sense of humor and eccentric characters. In adapting it to screen, I also created a double narrative with the main story of the family watching TV and the "background" story of what's on TV. The contrast and contention between the two narratives defined the dynamics of the film. Not everyone will necessarily like the double-narrative structure, and that is totally fine. In fact, that may be exactly what's interesting about this film.

Many thanks to all my friends who came to the screening!

I really appreciate your support!!

The upper-left photo shows me with my young actors, Roxanne and Andre Alabastro. If they seem a lot more grown-up than in the "Family Time" publicity photo, that's because it has been over 2.5 years since they filmed their parts in the film!

On Oct 22, my short film "Morning Before" was screened at the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival as part of the "Local Produce" shorts package. This film had entered two other festivals - North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in August, and Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival in September - but for it to be part of the Seattle festival was a dream come true for me!!

"Local Produce" screening at Pacific Place!
My friends in the audience; "Morning Before" on a giant screen;
Jason Plourde, Programming Director of Three Dollar Bill Cinema;
group Q&A with the filmmakers

Seeing my film projected onto a giant screen in one of the largest cinemas in Seattle - That was a treat, to say the least! Even more importantly, the audience reacted very well to it. This being the local short film package, there was a mix of technical proficiency among the entries, but plenty of heart and refreshing ideas. It also made a lively Q&A with a lot of filmmakers present!

"Morning Before" starring Ray Frenchmore and John E Olson III

"Morning Before" was the first short film I wrote by myself since my early filmmaking days during grad school. As an intimate story about a budding relationship, it asks the question: What matters the most when we get to know a potential mate? The two men in the story had great chemistry after they met, yet when they started learning things about each other, things that have more to do with our external identity and relationships, they had to decide whether the romance was still worth pursuing. Even though this is a gay relationship that involves race-related issues, I see it first and foremost as a love story that everyone can identify with.

Once again, I had a great group of friends in the audience to support me. Thank you, everyone - You rock!! Special shout-out to Paul Hanson, who helped me produce the film, and Lawrence Lam, who composed original music. Filmmaking is a group effort!

SIFF 2011: Scoreboard

So... When it was all said and done, I managed to catch 57 shows at SIFF 2011, including 48 feature films and 9 shorts packages. It was a rewarding, inspiring, and somewhat exhausting experience. Now, a week later, I think I have finally caught up with sleep!

With hundreds of films in the festival, I missed plenty of them, including many that received high praises. In any case, here is my personal scoreboard:

My Top 5 Documentaries

1. How to Die in Oregon (USA)
2. Hot Coffee (USA) -- SIFF Best Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner
3. My So-Called Enemy (USA)
4. Revenge of the Electric Car (USA)
5. Bobby Fischer Against the World (USA)

My Top 10 Narrative Films

1. Paper Birds (Spain) -- SIFF Best Film Audience Award (Golden Space Needle) winner
2. The Whistleblower (Canada) -- SIFF Best Director Audience Award winner
3. Kung Fu Panda 2 (USA)
4. Apart Together (China)
5. Weekend (UK)
6. Sound of Noise (Sweden)
7. Tilt (Bulgaria)
8. Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes? (USA)
9. Romeos (Germany)
10. LOVE (USA)

My Bottom 5 Narrative Films (starting with my least favorite)

1. The Trip (UK)
2. The Off Hours (USA)
3. Ex (Hong Kong)
4. Bibliothèque Pascal (Hungary)
5. Late Autumn (South Korea/USA)

My Top 5 Short Films

1. North Atlantic (Portugal) (Drama)
2. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (USA) (Animation) -- SIFF Best Short Film Audience Award winner
3. Cataplexy (USA) (Comedy)
4. We Are What We Drink (UK) (Comedy)
5. Library of Dust (USA) (Documentary)

For a full list of SIFF jury and audience award winners, go here.

While many friends are impressed or even horrified by my film tally, it's actually much lower than the numbers achieved by many other passholders. As part of my excuse, here is a list of my top 5 distractions (things I chose over SIFF films):

1. U2 concert
2. Friends' weddings, two of them
3. Performing in a Flash Mob
4. A concert by Captain Smartypants
5. A friend's one-man show

SIFF: The People Experience

Aside from seeing films and talking with filmmakers, SIFF also provides ample opportunities to mingle with fellow festival goers and friendly festival staff. We are a loosely-connected but vibrant community in ourselves, with the festival being our annual, month-long, massive convention.

Top L: me with my great friends (and siblings) Sandy and Eric. SIFF is one of many interests we have in common.

Top R: me with Eric at ShortsFest. It's nice when our schedules overlap and we can carpool.

Bottom L: me with Joey. We have quite different tastes in movies but we share a love of short films.

Bottom R: me with Pamela. We met two years ago at SIFF Opening Night, over the cupcake stand.

Top L.: me with Dustin Kaspar, SIFF programmer and Educational Programs Coordinator.
Top R.: me with Jason Plourde, SIFF 2011 short film competition juror, Programming Director for Three Dollar Bill Cinema.
Bottom L.: Beth Barrett, SIFF Director of Programming, working away in between screenings at SIFF Cinema.
Bottom R.: Geoff Klein and Mo Fine, founders of the Tumbleweed Film Festival.

I met Geoff and Mo during the ShortsFest and talked to them about the Tumbleweed film festival. As filmmakers themselves, their main mission is to introduce non-mainstream films to the Eastern Washington audience, though they hope to expand to Seattle area as well. As you could imagine, it's not a small feat to put on a film festival. Geoff and Mo had the smart idea of partnering with the many wineries in the region to create non-conventional, low-cost film venues. Fine wine with a fine film, who could resist the combination? They are in the process of procuring films for their second annual festival, getting the word out through press and mutual promotional opportunities with SIFF. They told me that they have received many submissions, mostly from the U.S., but also entries from many European countries, Japan, Brazil and more, thanks to their listing on Withoutabox.com. They are open to all genres and styles, starting with mostly shorts though open to features as well. Sounds like an exciting venture and I wish them all the success! Tumbleweed Film Festival is a non-profit organization currently seeking 501(c)3 status.

I also met Lisa and Joshua Puddy, a devoted mother-son team, during the ShortsFest. They watched all but two shorts packages during the three-and-half-day-long short film marathon at SIFF Cinema. Joshua, a young aspiring filmmaker, had previously participated in a 911 Media project that produced the short film "The Pirate Hunter". I'm sure he got a lot of inspiration from the hundred-plus short films he watched, especially the FutureWave shorts made by other youth filmmakers. When I ran into Lisa and Joshua again at the Closing Party, they told me Joshua already picked a topic for a short documentary: Bus plunge stories. Intrigued? I know I am! I look forward to seeing his finished work, maybe even at SIFF 2012?

SIFF 2011 Closing Party: SIFF Artistic Director Carl Spence rocking the dance floor;

me with Steve the Chicken Man; the late crowd being kicked out of the venue

SIFF Day 23-25 (Jun 10-12): Happy Ending

My final weekend of SIFF turned out to be quite rewarding, with five very different films that I enjoyed watching.

Romeos (Germany) - B+

A twist-and-turn love story between a transgendered man and a playboy type. Heartfelt, honest, eye-opening about a sensitive subject without being preachy or exploitive.

Me with "Romeos" director Sabine Bernardi

Hot Coffee (USA) (Docu) - A-

The McDonalds coffee lawsuit is only a small part of this must-see documentary, which digs deep into what I think is the biggest struggle in today's America: corporation vs individual interests. The film rightfully addresses it as a civil rights issue, making a convincing case for the need for change. Director Susan Saladoff's 25-year experience as a civil justice lawyer comes through strongly and plays to great benefit: With its sound structure, brisk pacing and layered presentation, "Hot Coffee" carries the intensity and emotionality of a good courtroom drama.

Me with "Hot Coffee" associate producer Erin Crumpacker, Washington native

Sound of Noise (Sweden) - A-

A group of music rebels conduct a heist of percussion. Highly innovative and entertaining! Must see to be believed!

Spud (South Africa) - B+

Despite an abundance of stereotypes and cliches, this coming-of-age story succeeds on the strength of winning performances by two young stars. John Cleese impresses in a supporting role. Now if only the theme of bullying was not presented in such simplistic light...

Revenge of the Electric Car (USA) (Docu) - B+

Presented with the flare of a Hollywood thriller, this entertaining documentary tells the fascinating stories of several key players in the electric vehicle movement. Apparently, it does take big personalities to make big moves.

Life in a Day (UK) - B

This was an ambitious project for sure: People around the world sent in video footage of their lives on July 24th, 2010; selected entries were edited into a feature-length film. I wasn't sure how it would turn out - A brilliant masterpiece, or a chaotic mess? Now that I've seen the result, it's somewhere in between. I would say, it is much more engaging and effective than I feared it might be. The montage sequences and the featured stories work together to create a cohesive experience that leaves plenty of impressions. Unfortunately, the strongest impressions are limited to bits and pieces. With only a thin thread of a theme connecting everything, the film is akin to a crowded party, where I mingle with lots of people without really getting to know anyone. At the end, it's hard not to see this as a novelty concept, an experiment - albeit a well-executed one - rather than a new avenue for filmmaking.

"Life in a Day" editor Joe Walker at SIFF Closing Party

SIFF Day 22 (Jun 9): What the...??

The Catechism Cataclysm (USA) - B

The most puzzling thing about "Cat Cat" (as someone called it) is that I actually enjoyed it! Considering that it is so NOT the kind of film I typically like. There is a clear narrative - and a few other stories within the story - yet the whole thing seems intentionally nonsensical. Meaning, it doesn't make much sense and probably doesn't want to. Usually I reject or even despise that flavor of filmmaking, but here, I enjoyed it in a weird and inexplicable way, helped by strong acting from the whole cast, steady pacing, and abundant absurd hilarity. This film apparently draws heavily from the style of religious parables, which I'm not familiar with so I can't comment on that angle. Director Todd Rohal said he wanted to make a movie that nobody can easily explain to others; I think he succeeded, so I won't even try. They filmed and edited the whole thing in three weeks, thinking it would only be seen by like ten people, and was very surprised when it got into Sundance and found theater distribution. So if you are curious about this oddball creature, you will have a chance to see it! Whatever you do, just don't ask the question: "What does it mean?"

Post-screening Q&A at the Neptune

L: me with director Todd Rohal. Red-eye intentionally kept intact in honor of the film :-)

R: me with star Steve Little, who portrays a disenchanted priest in the film, and shows up

here appropriately looking like Jesus Christ.

SIFF Day 21 (Jun 8): Change of Plan

For the second time this SIFF, I was shut out of a sold-out screening. And for the second time, I ended up watching a Hollywood blockbuster instead.

Some explanation here... As a "full series" passholder, I can get into any regular screening as long as there are stills seats. However, if there are enough passholders showing up to fill the allotted passholder seats, and all other seats are sold to ticket buyers, then any passholders showing up after that will be turned away. (Platinum passholders can always get in and be seated in specially reserved seats.) In my nine years as passholder, I have only been turned away a few times. Today, my friend Eric and I carpooled to go to the much-buzzed-about horse whisperer documentary "Buck". We arrived at SIFF Cinema about 15 minutes before showtime, and ended up in the passholder standby line. Eric's sister Sandy arrived earlier and was ahead of us in standby. At the end, Sandy was the last one let in, while Eric and I got turned away along with nine other passholders and a long line of people waiting to buy tickets.

Last group of standby passholders being let into "Buck".

Notice the SIFF staffer stopping the line right after Sandy got in;

and the long line of ticket standbys (along the wall) who waited in vain.

We decided to head to Pacific Place and catch a non-SIFF movie before our planned 9:30 pick. It all worked out really well, and we turned our disappointment into a pleasant evening!

Kung Fu Panda 2 (USA) - A-

This is actually one of three Hollywood animations included in the "Films4Families" section of this year's SIFF. Eric and I didn't go to its festival screenings, so it's somewhat appropriate to see it now. We both liked it a lot. I enjoyed it more than the first "Kung Fu Panda"; Eric thought it wasn't as good. For me the moral lesson in the film, though cliched and a little forced, resonates well and adds an extra layer to the well-developed story. Eric, however, took issue with some of the character motivations and behaviors. We both loved the bits and pieces of hilarity and cleverness scattered throughout the movie.

Princess (Finland) - B+

The story started in 1945, when a woman in a psychiatric hospital claimed she was a real Princess. While there are comedic elements, this film is an engaging drama that feels as sad as it is hopeful. I thought it worked remarkably well as fiction, and when I discovered that it is closely based on a true story, I felt even more impressed and impacted by the film and the story of the Princess.

SIFF: My Tentative Schedule

Jun 8-12 (Subject to Change)

Go to http://www.siff.net/festival/index.aspx for full details or to buy tickets.

PAC: Pacific Place; EGY: Egyptian; HAR: Harvard Exit; NEP: Neptune; SIF: SIFF Cinema

(*) : Filmmaker guests in attendance

Wed Jun 8

7:00pm, SIF, "Buck" (USA) (Docu) (*)

9:30pm, PAC, "Princess" (Finland)

Thu Jun 9

4:30pm, NEP, "The Catechism Cataclysm" (USA) (*)

Fri Jun 10

4:30pm, HAR, "Sushi: The Global Catch" (USA) (Docu) (*)

Sat Jun 11

11:00am, HAR, "Hot Coffee" (USA) (Docu) (*)

1:30pm, PAC, "The Most Important Thing in Life Is Not Being Dead" (Switzerland) (*)

Sun Jun 12

TBD - interested in quite a few choices so will have to decide later!

SIFF Day 19-20 (Jun 6-7): Unpredictable / Predictable

As much as I have gotten better with speculating whether I would enjoy seeing a particular film, it can still be an unpredictable experience. On Monday I watched three films and, based on descriptions and trailers, I had thought I would enjoy them in decreasing order. It ended up being the reverse. On Tuesday however, the outcome was pretty much what I had predicted.

"Circumstance" (Iran) - B-

A lesbian love story intertwines with political and social issues in this well-intended drama. Despite hitting mostly the right notes in the process, I find the overall result to be less than inspiring, with the exploration of all the complex issues mostly staying on the surface. The villain character is caricatural to the degree of detracting from the power of the story. It's still worth seeing overall, just not up to its potential.

"Every Song Is About Me" (Spain) - B

Ramiro, an aspiring poet who works at his uncle's bookstore, reflects on his just-ended relationship, explores an old friendship, and contemplates future romantic opportunities. The back-and-forth and loosely episodic structure comes dangerously close to becoming disengaging, yet eventually succeeds in constructing a relaxed narrative. Ramiro's romantic plights and struggles come off as being realistic to the degree of causing a little irritation. I was all ready to give the film a B+ until the very end, when the story wrapped up in a direction that I found unsatisfying.

"Tilt" (Bulgaria) - B+

SIFF may have done this film a disservice by putting it under the "to the extreme" pathway. Yes, the main characters are four teenagers who seek thrills and cause troubles. But ultimately this is a story of growing up, with a heartfelt, innocent, almost old-school-Hollywood kind of romance at its core. A successful merge of a gangster thriller and a love story, with the country of Bulgaria playing a background role as a metaphoric teenager as well.

Me with "Tilt" producer Borislav Chouchkov

"The Off Hours" (USA) - C

Full review coming soon.

"Bobby Fischer Against the World" (USA) (Docu) - B+

Full review coming soon.

SIFF Day 17-18 (Jun 4-5): Rewarding Picks

My schedule only allowed me to catch three films this weekend. Luckily, two of them were highly rewarding.

Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes? (USA) - B+

After young poet Jonathan passes away, his boyfriend Christian (fiance actually) and his twin brother Michael meet up and go on a road trip to spread his ashes. In different yet similar ways, they mourn their loss of Jonathan, and seek some kind of remedy from each other. Their tender heartache and yearning for connection permeate this hauntingly beautiful film, starting from the very first scene which launches right into the timeline-jumping narrative. Sage Price absolutely shines in an incredible dual-role as twin brothers, especially considering they filmed everything in only seven and half days. I did find Christian's refusal of moving on from Jonathan to be a bit overwhelming and tedious; however that is a minor flaw in a highly memorable film.

Q&A; me with writer Joshua Young, star Sean Frazier, and director Caleb Young

Writer Joshua Young said he intentionally left all the directing to his brother Caleb, because all their previous filmmaking collaborations led to constant bickering. Yet brotherly connections might have been mysteriously at work after all: Joshua wrote the script with a broken-up timeline but gave it to Caleb in a chronological form. On his own, Caleb came up with his narrative structure that was essentially identical with Joshua's original script. Spooky?

Amador (Spain) - B-

A woman, newly pregnant and in need of money, finds a great job looking after an old man. Unfortunately, he dies. What's a maid to do?? This film has a good ending and a few great moments leading up to it, but the bulk of it really tested my patience. I think it would've made a great short film.

My So-Called Enemy (USA) (Docu) - A-

One of the thorniest topics in the world - the Israel-Palestine conflict - gets put into some very humanistic perspectives through the eyes and hearts of teenage girls from both sides of the wall, who came to the U.S. in 2002 to attend a leadership program together. Director Lisa Gossels spent the next seven years following up with the girls (who became young women by the end of the process), and another one and half years editing the film together, a process that included many test screenings to make sure the presentation is as balanced as possible. For that reason, as well as the safety of the young women involved, some powerful or controversial interviews were unfortunately left out of the final product. Even so, this is an eye-opening and thought-provoking documentary that could have a great impact by getting people involved in a push for solution. The clear focus on the girls' personal journeys and friendships works wonderfully, producing many memorable scenes that are deeply touching and poignant.

Sunday's screening was followed by a thoughtful and lively Q&A with Lisa, who was great with the audience. The fact that most of the audience stayed for the Q&A - which seldom happens at SIFF - was a testimony to the film's impact.

SIFF Day 16 (Jun 3): Hollywood vs. Independent

My plan was to catch the French RomCom "The Names of Love" at Pacific Place, 1:30pm, and then take a break for the next timeslot. To my surprise, the show was sold out! I took advantage of this unexpected break from SIFF to catch up on two recent Hollywood hits. Then it was back to SIFF with two foreign (English-language) independent films. It was quite fascinating to experience the contrast of Hollywood vs. independent in one day. Score-wise, things evened out pretty well. I will expand on that comparison later; for now just the quick reviews, since I desperately need to catch some sleep before heading to movies again!

(Non-SIFF) Thor - B+

Kenneth Branagh instills a sense of gravity and regality to this decidedly Hollywood story, which is actually refreshing in this day and age when most superhero movies seem obligated to include irreverent comic reliefs. Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman nicely embody the charisma of their characters - In this case it's more about being a movie star than being a fine actor.

(Non-SIFF) Bridesmaids - B+

After a barrage of crazy antics and gross humor - which is not really my thing - the second half of the film settles into a new focus on emotions and introspection, bringing the story out of pure cliches and into a surprising place of heartfelt connection.

Weekend (UK) - A-

I don't know if director Andrew Haigh set out to make a gay version of "Before Sunrise," but either way he definitely succeeded in that regard (which is high compliment in my book!). Following two newly acquainted men through a weekend, with one of them set to leave the country on Sunday, "Weekend" is a rare gem that is a great gay film as well as a great romance film. Once the characters and plot progression settle into place, the film rolls on with remarkable authenticity and intelligence. The dialogues and conflicts feel incredibly real, which is of course enhanced by the palpable chemistry between the two leads (Haigh auditioned over 60 actors before making the pick). Sealing the deal is a wonderful ending, again reminiscent of "Before Sunrise," and again very authentic. I didn't care for the gratuitous and liberal inclusion of alcohol and drug use; I felt that they were mostly irrelevant to the story. But by the same token, since they were mostly irrelevant, they didn't cause much harm either.

Me with director Andrew Haigh

Small Town Murder Songs (Canada) - B-

The true stars here are the songs, gospel-rock concoctions by the band Bruce Peninsula that punctuate key scenes throughout the film. Another device, religious quotes in huge fonts serving as "chapter markers," seems less effective. The rest of the film, though solidly directed and acted, is perhaps more lightweight than the premise implies. I craved something stronger from the story.

Director Ed Gass-Donnelly answering questions

SIFF: My Tentative Schedule

U2 concert; a wedding; a meeting about my autism documentary project. Those are all things that, deservingly, cut into my SIFF-going.

Jun 3-7 (Subject to Change)

Go to http://www.siff.net/festival/index.aspx for full details and to buy tickets.

PAC: Pacific Place; EGY: Egyptian; HAR: Harvard Exit; NEP: Neptune; SIF: SIFF Cinema; ADM: Admiral;

(*) : Filmmaker guests in attendance

Bold font: Films I particularly look forward to

Fri Jun 3

1:30pm, PAC, "The Names of Love" (France) (RomCom)

7:00pm, HAR, "Weekend" (UK) (Gay) (*)

9:30pm, HAR, "Small Town Murder Songs" (Canada) (Crime) (*)

Sat Jun 4

11:00am, HAR, "Do You See Colors When You Close Your Eyes?" (USA) (Gay) (*)

1:30pm, PAC, "Amador" (Spain) (Drama)

Sun Jun 5

6:30pm, HAR, "My So-Called Enemy" (USA) (Docu) (*)

Mon Jun 6

4:15pm , EGY, "Circumstance" (Iran) (Romance/Gay) (*)

6:30pm, ADM, "Every Song Is About Me" (Spain) (RomCom) (*)

9:00pm, HAR, "Tilt" (Bulgaria) (RomCom)

Tue Jun 7

4:30pm, NEP, "The Off Hours" (USA) (RomDram) (*)

7:00pm, HAR, "Bobby Fischer Against the World" (USA) (Docu) (*)

9:30pm, HAR, "If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle" (Romania) (Drama)

SIFF Day 13-14 (May 31-Jun 1): I Think I Was Supposed to Like It

Catching up on my reviews after a few days of being busy with a work project...

Lesson Plan (USA) (Docu) - B

As a technically straightforward documentary with mostly talking heads and archival photos/videos, the power of "Lesson Plan" lies in its subject matter. The intriguing story of the Third Wave is told by students who went through it as well as Ron Jones himself, discrepancies and all. The film doesn't provide much answer beyond that, but it serves as a serious reminder that we humans are really good at justifying what we have done (or will do). Or, as another quote from the film says: Any group of people with a shared extreme opinion, no matter how bright and educated they are, can be dangerous.

SIFF's Beth Barrett with "Lesson Plan" filmmakers

"Bibliothèque Pascal" (Hungary) - C+

The artfully presented story is reminiscent of the films from Terry Gilliam and Tarsem Singh, though it does get self-indulgent after a while and goes on a little too long. At the end, I did like the overall message and took away some food for thought. Whether it was worth the two hours of time, that's somewhat arguable.

"Win/Win" (Netherlands) - B

A subtly intense and deeply personal journey of a young man who is winning big time in his job as a stock broker, but losing just about every battle in his personal life, mostly with insomnia and loneliness. It is an engaging film that feels strangely detached at the same time, perhaps due to the fragmented storytelling. I also file it under "a lot of time spent on making the same point repeatedly." Which is not necessarily a bad thing, I might add.

"Simple Simon" (Sweden) - B

This is a fun, quirky romantic comedy that had a sold-out audience in stitches. My main problem, however, is that the Asperger's Syndrome as exhibited by Simon in this film rings false most of the time. Although I'm not an expert on Autism Spectrum Disorder, I am currently working on a documentary about ASD, and therefore have been interviewing and filming with autism experts and children with autism. Based on those experiences, I find Simon's symptoms to be unauthentic. I would be curious to hear from others who have seen the film and are familiar with Asperger's. In any case, if you are not distracted by this issue like I was, you will probably enjoy it quite a bit. One pivotal scene, which involves Simon executing a plan in a very non-Asperger's fashion, is the delightful highlight of the film.

Packed house for "Simple Simon"

SIFF Day 12 (May 30): More Shorts

I camped out at SIFF Cinema for the final day of the ShortsFest. It was a good day with many excellent selections, and I enjoyed meeting many of the filmmakers. However, I was also feeling a little stir-crazy after three and half days in movie theaters. At one point today, I felt like it was late evening... Turned out it was mid-afternoon! So as much as I enjoyed the long weekend of films, I'm also glad it's over.

Even after watching 9 of the 16 shorts packages between Fri - Mon, I managed to miss Jury Award winners for Best Live Action Short ("Time Freak") and Best Animation Short ("The Eagleman Stag"). Hopefully I will get to see them later.

Shorts: Seattle Stories - B-

Though not the most impressive package technically (which is somewhat expected), there are memorable entries about two Pike Place Market artists ("Belltown, 98121" and "Busking Cadenza"), a pair of queer artists who blend dance with comedy acts ("The Cherdonna and Lou Show: The Movie!"), Seattle's vibrant DIY music scene ("We Invent You"), and Ivan the laser show artist at Pacific Science Center ("When the Lights Go Out"). Ultimately, this package is as much about celebrating Seattle as it is about celebrating local filmmaking.

Large group of filmmakers for the Seattle shorts; dance artists Cherdonna & Lou

Shorts: Twists and Turns - B-

"Library of Dust," directed by Ondi Timoner and Robert James, is the very deserving winner of Jury Award for Best Documentary Short. By telling the story of 3,500+ unclaimed canisters containing cremains of past psychiatric patients at Oregon State Hospital, the film sends a powerful message of celebrating and honoring every member of our society. The five live action shorts are a mixed bag, ranging from funny to creepy to intense, from pleasantly nice to painfully slow.

FutureWave Shorts - B

It wouldn't be fair to hold these shorts by young (18 and under) filmmakers - many of which were school projects - to the same technical standards as the other shorts in the festival. With that said, I was quite impressed by the creativity and passion demonstrated by this package of 19, including several that came from Ballard High School. Though it's hard to pick favorites, I especially applaud "The Adventures of Floating Boy and Flying Girl," "How Could She?" and "Reflection" for their uniqueness, and "Deaf Perspective" for its social relevance.

(Top L-R, Bottom L-R): FutureWave Q&A;

me with Joseph Yao, Prodigy Award winner ("The Million Dollar Watch");

me with Rogan Shannon ("Deaf Perspective");

SIFF's Dustin Kaspar with Ballard High seniors Blair Scott & Sheridan Koehler ("Reflection")

ShortsFest Closing Night - A-

If only all shorts packages were as strong as this one! "North Atlantic," a touching story about radio communication with a pilot on a doomed flight, is my favorite short of the festival and a common pick among those I talked to. "Cataplexy" is a pitch-perfect comedy that, astonishingly, was made for a 36-hour film contest (and won the contest). "Monkeys" is almost as funny and "Steve," starring Keira Knightley in a non-annoying role and Colin Firth as a questionable neighbor, is good for some chuckles as well. "Danny & Annie" uses radio interview and cartoon animation to tell a bittersweet tale of long-time love.

Closing Night Q&A; Shorts Competition jurors announcing the winners;

me with director John Salcido ("Cataplexy");

me with Documentary Short winner Robert James ("Library of Dust")

SIFF Day 11 (May 29): Have Guests, No Camera

Today I took a break from the ShortsFest and watched four feature films. Seeing that they all had filmmakers attending, it was a perfect day to forget my camera.

The Whistleblower (Canada) - A-

This gripping political thriller about human trafficking may very well become one of the must-see films of 2011. It kept up the intensity without being sensationalizing or exploitive; Rachel Weisz and a strong supporting cast carried the weight of the story with ease and finesse. I walked away with somewhat of a doomsday feeling, saddened by the level of cruelty and injustice that still run rampant in our world, and the extent to which most people - myself included - remain unfamiliar with such situations (even though so much can be found with an Internet search). Yet there is always hope for progress and small victories, even just the little bit of awareness raised by films like this one.

White Irish Drinkers (USA) - B

The story is boggled down with too many familiar elements, but strong directing and acting make this a worthwhile film. Lead actor Nick Thurston proves himself to be one to watch. The blue collar setting and the focus on family relationships (particularly the one between the two brothers) remind me of Ben Affleck's "The Town" - which, granted, is a much better film overall.

Late Autumn (South Korea/USA) - C+

There is a common phenomenon in Chinese (Asian?) cinema, where a female character remains stone-faced and expression-less for an extended period of time, while refusing to answer questions like a normal person. For me it's irksome; and "Late Autumn" seems all too willing to demonstrate this phenomenon for most of the film. I also didn't buy into the chemistry between the two main characters, or how their personalities shifted. Now back to the film itself... There are several clever and creative scenes that shine on their own, but in terms of story structure and character development, the film leaves much to be desired. It feels more like a series of film segments, instead of an organic whole. It's rare to see an Asian/Asian-American film set in Seattle, so it's quite a pity that "Late Autumn" fails to heat up the screen.

Surrogate Valentine (USA) - B

An ultra-low-budget, black-and-white, quasi-road-trip-movie about a singer/songwriter (Goh Nakamura playing a version of himself), a bad actor, and a dubious movie project. That sounds far from a sure bet, so it is a pleasant surprise that "Surrogate Valentine" turns out to be sweet, funny, endearing and enjoyable. The post-screening Q&A was one of the liveliest I've seen, thanks to an excited audience, a beer-influenced Goh Nakamura, and an audience member that downloaded the memorable ringtone from the film right on the spot.

Me with "Surrogate Valentine" director Dave Boyle and star Goh Nakamura

(thanks to Ramsey for taking the photo!)

SIFF Day 9-10 (May 27-28): Time for Shorts

An African Election (Ghana) - B

This documentary holds special interest for me, because I took a trip to Ghana in the fall of 2008 for a charity project. (It was the subject of my own documentary "Hope, Ghana.") That was about one month before the election depicted in this film, and I witnessed some of the pre-election excitement. It was during the same trip that Obama was elected in the U.S., adding another level of intrigue to the experience. Ghana, the first sub-Saharan nation to gain independence in 1957, holds their presidential election every four years (same year as the U.S. election) and has two major parties that have dominated. So the comparison with the U.S. is inevitable. When the election in December 2008 ended in a virtual tie between two major candidates, what happened next was in sharp contrast with the Bush-Gore debacle in 2000. "An African Election," benefitting from an unprecedented level of access and trust that director Jarreth Merz was able to obtain, tells a remarkable story of a country that displayed passion, hospitality and civility under intense situations.

Director Jarreth Merz answering questions at Harvard Exit Theater

The funniest moment came during the post-screening Q&A, when a woman (she sounded like a well-educated white woman) asked the director how he "miraculously" found a farmer who was so articulate and thoughtful about politics. I don't know where this lady received her knowledge about Africa, but based on my personal experience in Ghana, I was not surprised at all by the comments made by the farmer. Most Ghanaians I met, in both cities and villages, were bright, aware, and passionate about their country. Perhaps the real significance of this documentary is to allow the audience a glimpse into the Ghanaian culture and personality.

ShortsFest

Short film is a great format that offers a big variety of cinema bites at a fast pace. Some of these bites are quite tasty or even super-brilliant. The short film sub-festival of SIFF runs for three and half days at SIFF Cinema, with 16 different packages and over 100 short films. I plan to catch over half of them - and that's still a lot - so my review will only mention the highlights from each package.

At SIFF Cinema (L-R): Dustin Kaspar and Dan Doody of SIFF,

Geoff Klein and Mo Fine of the Tumbleweed Film Festival

ShortsFest Opening Night - B+

The opening night package, supposedly the best of the best, felt uneven to me. My absolute favorite was "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," a stunning, imaginative, and poetic ode to books, originally inspired by the scene of paper-covered streets of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The visuals were so refined and smooth that I didn't even realize it was stop-motion, which made the library scenes all the more incredible. Check out the trailer and iPad app(!) at Moonbot! Two short-short comedies, "We Are What We Drink" and "Careful With That Crossbow," achieved hilarious results with simple premises. I found "The Abyss Boys" a little too bleak and fatalistic, but I'm sure a lot of people loved it.

Packed house for ShortsFest Opening; post-screening Q&A;

me with "We Are What We Drink" director Marc Hardman (UK);

me with Calvin O'Neal Jr. from Moonbot

Thrilling Tales of Astonishment - C+

Horror is not a genre I generally enjoy, so I took a chance in sitting through this horror-heavy package. The thing is, even in the most gory horror films, I can appreciate clever plots and strong characters. Not a lot of those in this package, except for the mischievous opener "Moving Day" a.k.a. "fairies behaving badly". "The Dungeon Master," "Chum" and "BlinkyTM" were moderately successful, but the rest of the package were head-scratchers.

Sat May 28, great sunny day, FolkLife festival in full swing...

Alas, I am going indoors for more cinematic samplings.

The Family Picture Show - A-

Hamster, babies, bunnies. Awww. Even the snow rodent is adorable. But beyond the cuteness factor, there are great artistry, innovative storytelling, and important messages to be found in this mostly animated package of 13. "New Digs" is the cutest of the bunch, followed closely by "Amazonia." "Walkin' on Snow Grass," a quiet piece from Japan, is hypnotically beautiful. Also memorable are "The Yellow Balloon" (pencil sketch animation), "The Sasquatch and the Girl" (shadow puppet style, made in Flash), "Precise Peter" (German humor), and the seemingly "Coraline"-inspired "Temple Rider."

"The Sasquatch and the Girl" director Trevor Knapp Jones

Between The Silences - B

"Howl of a Fish," a 20-minute French short about a poet working at a phone survey center, looks and tastes like a full meal instead of an appetizer. "Sign Language" is a great example of how a short can succeed with a simply yet beautiful story. "Project Silence" makes me take notice of the director's visual poetry, though not necessarily his story-telling.

Directors Tess Martin, Matt Kazman, and Bruno Caticha (Brazil)

Boy Meets Boy - D/B-

Fair disclosure here: I submitted a short film to SIFF 2011, which would've fit perfectly in this package. It was rejected. So I couldn't help carrying a sense of awkwardness as I went into this show. I liken it to being dumped by someone and then attending their big fancy wedding... That said, I can assure you that my score for this package is not an act of revenge. Indeed, after being repeatedly disappointed by the gay short packages in previous years, I would much rather see a great collection that blows me away. That didn't happen. The best two, "Requited" and "Cappuccino," are authentic and heart-felt. The other selections suffer from a range of issues including laziness, messiness, and lack of depth. And then there is "I Want Your Love," a pornographic short film. Not glorified porn, but 100% real porn, produced by a commercial porn website nonetheless. Call me a prude if you want, but I consider it absolutely inappropriate for a general-audience festival (without any warning, even). If my short film had been played alongside it, I would have been deeply offended and insulted. The fact that SIFF considers the gay short package an appropriate venue for commercial porn is a major disservice to the gay community, and a slap in the face for gay independent filmmakers. And I also feel offended on behalf of the word "Love", because the title should have been "I Want Your Sex." I give this package a score of D, or B- if the porn piece is excluded.

"Boy Meets Boy" Q&A; me with "Requited" director Sal Bardo;

me with "Cappuccino" director Tamer Ruggli (Switzerland);

me with Seattle filmmaker Rolito Mojica

SIFF Day 8 (May 26): Paper Birds

I skipped SIFF today due to another commitment, but went over to Renton to catch the post-screening Q&A for "Paper Birds," which I saw (and loved) at a festival preview event.

Director Emilio Aragon is a warm and affable man and a fourth-generation comedian performer. He co-wrote the film by drawing from stories and anecdotes he heard from his own family; his father appeared in the film in a small but critical role. In answering the audience's questions, he talked about the inspirations behind the setup of the story, and his experience working with the talented group of actors, including the young kid. I asked a question about the film's art direction and cinematography. Emilio revealed that the art director used to work in opera but never before in film; and that the cinematographer was his right hand man in fighting with his producer. The final question was about the state of film industry in Spain. He commented that new technology has allowed a lot of talented young people to enter filmmaking, and he is optimistic about the future. He also said he still considers himself as "young", even though he is 52.

Here again is my review of the film, which will screen two more times this weekend:

Paper Birds (Spain) - A

If you are allergic to emotional stories, heart-tugging turn of events, and orchestra music that swells on cue, don't see this film. Otherwise, don't miss it! The complex and layered plot is accentuated with refined acting, atmospheric cinematography, and snazzy performance numbers. There are moments and elements that remind me of "Schindler's List," "The Sound of Music," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - not a bad class to be in. And the ending is perfect.

SIFF Day 7 (May 25): Language Barriers

Tyrannosaur (UK) - B(?)

Seriously. Some British films should be required to have English subtitles. The accents are so thick here that I think I understood less than 20% of the dialogue. Most others said they had a lot of trouble too, so I don't feel too incompetent. Anyway, based on what I saw, it's a solid film. The SIFF description made me fear that it would be super-gritty and super-intense the whole way through. Turned out it's not that bad (not that gritty and intense is bad), though some scenes are definitely brutal. It's not my favorite type of story, but "Tyrannosaur" is a well-made film with an appropriate ending.

Page One: Inside the New York Times (USA) (Docu) - B

The topic of online vs. print media is a highly relevant one in today's society. (I mean, you are reading this review through online media right now...) This documentary offers a fun ride-along with the daily grind at the New York Times, one of the biggest tentpoles in the print world. (What a snazzy office building!) There are some great characters and highly amusing stories that should make this an enjoyable watch for everyone. I would have loved to see the film dive deeper into some of the subpoints, or organize the various stories in a more connected way. Additionally, as a documentary filmmaker myself, I was bothered by the lack of technical finesse and consistency. A lot of the camera movements seemed unnecessary, and sound quality was bad in many scenes. Come on, you are interviewing the New York Times. Invest in a good microphone.

panel discussion following "Page One"

Apart Together (China) - A-

This film is a wonderful illustration of how cinematic languages can differ from country to country. The pacing is slower; the camerawork is restrained and pulled-back; and the characters don't generally wear their feelings on their faces. All these can sometimes make a painfully boring or detached movie - as I have unfortunately experienced in previous SIFFs - but in this case they help build a beautiful story that is quietly moving. Starting with a premise that's both interesting and challenging, the film walks a somewhat unexpected path before reaching a richly meaningful conclusion. As someone who grew up in China, I can say that the characters and their interactions feel very authentic, full of subtleties that I hope will not be totally lost on an American audience. Some old Chinese songs appear as significant supporting players in the film, in a way that unfortunately cannot be conveyed through subtitles.

OK, so that was 19 films over 6 days... I am taking a day off from SIFF tomorrow, then coming back to dive into the ShortsFest over the long weekend. See you soon!

SIFF: My Tentative Schedule

May 25 - May 30 (Subject to Change)

Go to http://www.siff.net/festival/index.aspx for full details and to buy tickets.

PAC: Pacific Place; EGY: Egyptian; HAR: Harvard Exit; NEP: Neptune; SIF: SIFF Cinema; ADM: Admiral; REN: Renton

(*) : Filmmaker guests in attendance

Wed May 25

4:30pm, NEP, "Tyrannosaur" (UK) (Drama)

7:00pm, NEP, "Page One: Inside the New York Times" (USA) (Docu) (*)

9:30pm, SIF, "Apart Together" (China) (Romance)

Thu May 26

4:30pm, TBD

Fri May 27

4:30pm, HAR, "An African Election" (Ghana) (Docu) (*)

7:00pm, SIF, ShortsFest Opening Night

9:30pm, SIF, Shorts Package "Thrilling Tales of Astonishment"

Sat May 28

All day, Shorts Festival at SIFF Cinema

Sun May 29

1:00pm, EGY, "The Whistleblower" (Canada) (Thriller) (*)

4:00pm, HAR, "White Irish Drinkers" (USA) (Drama) (*)

6:45pm, HAR, "Late Autumn" (South Korea/USA) (Romance) (*)

9:30pm, HAR, "Surrogate Valentine" (USA) (Music/Romance) (*)

Mon May 30

All day, Shorts Festival at SIFF Cinema

9:00pm, SIF, "Silent Sonata" (Slovenia)

SIFF: Forgot This One

I watched this one at a special preview event and highly recommend it!

Paper Birds (Spain) - A
Screening on May 26, May 28, May 29

If you are allergic to emotional stories, heart-tugging turn of events, and orchestra music that swells on cue, don't see this film. Otherwise, don't miss it! The complex and layered plot is accentuated with refined acting, atmospheric cinematography, and snazzy performance numbers. There are moments and elements that remind me of "Schindler's List," "The Sound of Music," and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - not a bad class to be in. And the ending is perfect.

SIFF Day 6 (May 24): Against Expectations

Beginners (USA) - B

Oh, how I wanted to love this film. Ewan McGregor - one of the finest actors working today. Christopher Plummer - I don't think he is capable of being disappointing. And a premise that seemed full of potential. So how did I end up feeling so disinterested? All the tricks and quirks, from stock photo sequences to a subtitled dog, are quite effective. It's the overall story that I have trouble connecting with, particularly the girlfriend - I fail to understand what the relationship is about and why they are together. When I don't buy in the primary relationship, that pretty much kills it for me. The father's story is way more engaging. Unfortunately, the narrative structure of jumping back and forth between two timelines, while interesting at first, eventually started being distracting and disruptive. Despite all that, I still consider "Beginners" worth watching for the two actors alone.

Perhaps it served me right that I didn't act fast enough to get ticket to the Ewan McGregor tribute event, thus ending up watching this film under the horrible sound system at the Neptune? I heard many people complaining that they missed a lot of the dialogue. If I could hear everything better, that might have helped... Who knows.

A Lot Like You (USA/Tanzania) (Docu) - B+

Screening again on June 12

Seattle local Eliaichi Kimaro, born half-Tanzanian-half-Korean, went to Tanzania to find a deeper understanding of her paternal root. During her several years of filming, however, the focus shifted to somewhere else... and then to somewhere totally unexpected, when the issue of sexual violence and abuse came into the picture. In my conversation with her after the screening, Eli stated that she sees herself as an activist more than a filmmaker. This film is first and foremost for her own purpose (and a gift for her daughter); her process of shifting focus and, to a certain degree, the lack of resolution are reflected in the documentary as well. (There seemed to be strong interest from the audience to know what happened next after the film finished.) But like Eli said in the Q&A, the more personal and honest she went with the documentary, the more universal it became. Originally slated to be called "Worlds Apart," "A Lot Like You" is an appropriate title for a film that's so appropriate for today's ever-blending world.

"A Lot Like You" Q&A; post-film reception;

me with Eli, her mother, and her husband

SIFF Day 5 (May 23): Good Touch & Bad Trip

My tour of the SIFF venues continues today with the Admiral Theater in West Seattle. Some people dislike that venue; I don't really mind it. True, the screening room is so long that most seats feel too far away, and the projection is too dark. But the long room also means good viewing angle, and there is ample leg room.

Touch (USA) - B+

This half-Vietnamese, half-English film centers around the special relationship between a young Vietnamese-American woman Tam, who newly became a manicurist, and one of her clients, a Caucasian car mechanic who is trying to save his faltering marriage. By "special relationship" I don't mean an affair - It is indeed quite unusual and intriguing. The secondary storyline is about Tam's relationship with her parents, both currently and in flashback. The unconventional turn of events is not always convincing, and the multiple subplots seem to compete instead of gelling together. That said, "Touch" is a beautiful and touching tribute to the power of human connection as conveyed by physical touch. Writer/director Minh Duc Nguyen deserves major kudo for presenting a story that's both culturally authentic and universally relatable. This is a must-see for anyone who has a romantic streak.

"Touch" Q&A; me with writer/director Minh Duc Nguyen,

star Porter Lynn, and star Melinda Bennett

The Trip (UK) - C-

So much of this movie is built upon Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's rambling, bantering, voice impressions and self-referential indulgence, that I imagine you would find it absolutely hilarious - if you are already a fan of Coogan, Brydon, and that particular style of comedy. I am not one, unfortunately, so this became a very long and very random sequence of footage to sit through for a few weak chuckles. The main story is thinner than Kate Moss and hollower than a tin can. The side points, including the numerous shots of beautiful food, are completely inconsequential and often pointless. By the time we got to watch Coogan and Brydon comparing their vocal ranges, I found myself playing a game in my head to see how many ways I can pronounce the word "insufferable."