Page 45 - MU VOL4 #3

GLASS HALF FIL

Long Nguyen as Vu
and Thien Nguyen
as Mai

Long Nguyen, Thien A.
Pham, and Thien Nguyen

2018 Viet Film Fest where the film premiered, largest international Vietnamese film festival the 100 Years of Beauty Vietnam video with over
respectively), as well as the accidental humor of sold-out, and a second theater opened their 3.3 million views on Facebook & 1.3 million
Isabelle Du’s character Linh. “I was prompted screening room in order to accommodate the views on YouTube, while it is tough to top a
to write Actress Wanted after seeing how hard 200 additional movie-goers. list laden with high accolades, surprisingly she
it was for my Asian-American actor friends to still encounters resistance with one endeavor:
land roles in Hollywood” Minh explains. “Their Isabelle echoes Thien’s thought process: “Asian- cultural identity.
struggles inspired me to write this script, in American stories are vastly different from those
addition to my love for the thriller and horror that are exclusively Asian or just American — For someone so well-traveled, who spent 4 years
genres. But I didn’t want to hit the viewers on particularly with second-generation Asian- modeling across Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia,
the head with the message. Instead, I just wanted Americans. They are raised with their parents’ Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, China,
to just hint at it, to keep the message subtle.” traditional values at home, but are immersed and even the Philippines (where she performed
in American culture from their peers, their scuba-diving stunt work in Cebu, graced the
The subtlety Minh refers to takes form in a peers’ families, school and what they see on pages of FHM Philippines, and would often be
complex melding of Californian vernacular, TV.” She further elaborates, “The themes in mistaken for KC Concepcion), it is an absolute
Vietnamese with English subtitles, and time- Actress Wanted might not resonate 100% with wonder – or more fittingly, society’s blunder
jumps, all of which lead to the film taking on its audiences in Vietnam or even American – that she should feel like a stranger to her
a timeless quality. “It was important for me to audiences — but for those in-between, it does.” cultures. The American in her is often asked
make the dialogue and characters equal part Speaking of Vietnamese audiences, Actress “What’s your nationality?” when really what
English and Vietnamese because it was more Wanted had a wide theatrical release in Vietnam people mean is her ethnicity. The Vietnamese
authentic that way. The older Vietnamese- late last year, screening in almost 100 theaters in her is thought of as being ignorant for having
Americans still speak Vietnamese to each other, across the nation. A press conference was held a an American accent when speaking her mother’s
and the young ones are usually conversing in few days before where the film was well-received maiden tongue. So what is the solution? How is
English.” While pitching a half-Foreign film in by critics; in attendance were actress Truong this rectified? Precisely how we have been doing
the Hollywood market might come across as a Ngoc Anh, producer Timothy Linh Bui, hip-hop so for centuries; through story.
gamble, the internationalism within is precisely artist Suboi, and fellow filmmakers Jayvee Mai
what made producer Thien A. Pham game. “I The Hiep, Buu Loc Tran, Danny Do, and Vu Isabelle is not perpetuating an Asian stereotype,
make a conscious practice to pursue and work Ngoc Phuong. rather she is accentuating what can be
on projects that provide opportunities for diverse accomplished when one embraces their cultural
talent, which is really what 3388 Films is about. In terms of what lies ahead for the makers of uniqueness. In March of 2019 she will marry her
We’re an international film production, sales this international marvel, filmmaker Minh Duc fiancée and partner on CBS’ 25th season of The
and distribution company that champions the Nguyen already has his sights set on making Amazing Race (#TheDatingCouple) Dennis Hour,
spirit of independent films, especially those by another horror film wherein he can further in a celebration fusing Vietnamese, Cambodian,
Asian filmmakers and about the authentic Asian manipulate the viewer’s mind. Continuing and American aspects. Even her pet dogs, Olive
experience.” his quest to quash Asian stereotypes, Thien & Caper – one of whom was rescued from Asia’s
A. Pham is producing a feature called Send, dog meat trade – are as multicultural as they are
“I gravitate towards projects that provide wherein a broken Asian family deals with multitalented (Buzzfeed’s Tito’s: Vodka For Dog
opportunities for Asians to take on characters teenaged angst and online sexual predation, in People: Dog Voice Over, modeling for Charming
and storylines that grate against current a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse. He also Charlie, Three Dog Bakery, & Modern Beast,
stereotypes. I’d like to see more projects like mentions, “There are so many challenges when and even participating in Haute Dogs &
Searching, where we see an engaging story it comes to distribution for a small, indie film Hallmark Channel’s American Rescue Dog Show).
unfold about a timely topic with universal like Actress Wanted, so we’re taking one small All of which to say, what you elect to create and
relevancy, centered around an Asian family. And distribution step at a time. If anyone reading this represent on mainstream media, you propagate
the family being Asian is not a distraction, nor is interested in supporting us, in any capacity, into being. The changes in Hollywood may seem
does it come across as merely a selling point.” please reach out.” As for actress Isabelle Du small and slow, but as producer Thien said, “It’s
To Thien’s point, perhaps there is indeed a – arguably the film’s voice-of-reason, often subtle and real, because our society is a fabric
thirst for theatrical multiculturalism, which is vocalizing what the audience is internalizing – made up of multi-colored threads that can’t
why when Actress Wanted premiered in Orange after being crowned Miss Vietnam USA 2017, be neatly separated by color.” And just like the
County, California – where the movie’s plot having starred in 6 seasons of Syfy’s Face Off, colorful threads found in those Lion Dancers’
takes place – the 400-seat theater at the world’s seasons 1 & 2 of Lifetime’s American Beauty Star costumes, here’s to looking forward to more
(the only Asian model to have ever done so), and dazzling displays of cultural significance. n

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