In this past she was responsible for various shorts (including the great The Distance Between) and a documentary about the family toy business and the relationship with her father. With It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong she has made her feature film debut. I talked to her about this movie, her inspiration, experiences and the challenges of releasing an independent film.
This movie is about meeting the right person at the wrong time and how to deal with that. In other interviews you stated that this is partly based on your own experience and inspired you to write the screenplay. Are there other movies which inspired you while you were writing it?
My biggest inspiration is of course the “Before Sunrise” trilogy. Before I even had the real life inspiration for this particular story, my desire was to make a “Before Sunrise” in Hong Kong. And besides “Before Sunrise,” I was also heavily influenced by Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” and Wong Kar Wai’s “In the Mood for Love” and “Chungking Express.” I am not the first filmmaker to pay homage to “Before Sunrise” and some of my other favorite ‘walk and talk’ romance films are “Medicine for Melancholy,” “In Search of a Midnight Kiss,” and “Weekend.”
Ruby was partly based on your own experiences in Hong Kong. She is also a toy designer. As your family also does business in the toy industry I am wondering if you yourself have designed toys like Ruby does?
Yes, I actually did design Justin Beaver and Moos Like Jagger. All those toys you saw in the movie (at the Temple Street market) are from my toy company!
Jamie Chung and Bryan Greenberg both are experienced actors. What was it like working with them?
As a first time filmmaker, I will forever be grateful to Jamie and Bryan for taking a chance on me and the film. It takes an incredible leap of faith on their part to get on an airplane and fly half way around the world to star in a low budget indie by a first time filmmaker. It was such a dream to work with them. The success of the film rides entirely on their chemistry on screen, and they definitely knocked it out of the park in that regard!
Something which I really liked in this movie is how you manage to show such an intimate connection between these two people in such a big and busy city. Of course a big part of that is in the acting, but what do you do while filming to make sure you capture that the best way you can?
I still remember the first day of shooting, we shot on Nathan Road, which is the busiest street in Kowloon. We just plopped the actors down on this bustling street and went across the street and used a long lens to ‘spy’ on them in a way. People would pass them by on the street and not even realize they’re actors. I think that we did that throughout the shoot to constantly focus on the intimacy between the two characters, while the bustling city is just happening around them.
Although I won’t spoil it, I have to say that I was a huge fan of the ending and it was exactly the one I was hoping for. But it does make me wonder if we’ll be seeing more of these characters in another movie?
I’m glad that you liked it. The ending is certainly divisive to say the least and not everyone loves it. In fact, I’ve gotten hate mail in the past for it! But I was trying to go for a big emotional pay off, as I don’t think you realize how invested you are in their relationship, until the ending. The ending wasn’t planned so that I can set up a sequel. But since there’s been such a outcry for a sequel, I’ve definitely been thinking about a possible follow up or spin off.
What kind of equipment did you use for shooting this movie (as you were regularly working in crowded environments which you couldn’t block off)?
Most of the film was hand held on a Canon C500 (which we won from a Film Independent Grant). We needed a simple rig that would allow us to run and gun it. But for the long walk and talk sequences, we did use a steadicam operator so that the camera movement can stay smooth and not be distracting. As for sound, we laved them the entire time. I don’t think we saw the boom the entire time, until we got to the bar inside.
Making movies and distributing them has become a lot easier with progress of technology. How difficult is it currently as an independent filmmaker to have your movie stand out?
Yes, I think that with how cheap technology is today, it’s easier than ever to make a film. And with VOD, it’s also easier than ever to get an independent film distributed. But because of which, there are also a LOT more products for consumers to sift through than ever. In order to stand out, I think that you have to identify your target audience before even making the film. There are tons of romantic comedies made each year set in New York and Los Angeles, but audiences have never seen an English language romance set in Hong Kong before. You’re betting that your target audience will want to see that, and when the film is finished, you have to market to that group.
What are the current plans for release of this movie in Europe?
I have been very frustrated with the lack of distribution interest in the film in Europe. I’m actually in the process of sorting out my international rights and hopefully can get it out on iTunes, Amazon, and Netflix abroad very soon.
Looking at Rotten Tomatoes score, your movie has been well received and this must be very fulfilling, having financed the movie yourself. Has this opened up new opportunities for you?
Yes, definitely. It’s incredibly hard to get financiers to take a chance on a first time filmmaker, since you haven’t proven that you can make a movie yet. So that’s why I decided to just save up money and finance my first film myself, instead of waiting around for someone to take a chance on me. But based on the success of the fist film, I’ve gotten meetings with managers and agents and production companies. While it’s still yet to be seen if I can get a second project financed, I definitely have a lot more connections now than I did at the start of this whole process.
Why should people go check out It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong?
Do you like the high you feel after being on a really promising first date? If you do, then you should check out “Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong,” as that’s how I want people to feel upon seeing the film. And also, I think that Hong Kong is ready for its romantic close up, and it’s about time that an Asian American woman is the romantic lead for a change.
Interesting to read your interview with the director. As a fan of Before Sunrise and Lost in Translation, I’m curious to check out this movie.
Did you ever see Littlerock (2010) directed by Mike Ott? A small independent film which flips Lost in Translation, and has an Asian who can’t speak English visit the US. Worth a watch.
You definitely should try to check it out if possible.
No, haven’t heard of that film, but you have made me very curious!
Awesome interview Nostra!! Glad that you enjoyed ‘It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong’ too, it’s an outstanding film for a first-timer, and beautifully-shot as well. I didn’t know that she designed the toys in the movie, I didn’t ask her about that when I saw her so that’s cool that you did!!
Thanks Ruth 🙂 You should also check out her short The Distance Between, which I’ve just published a review of and which also has the movie itself. I love the style of that too.
Yeah, it just shows how much of her own experience she has used for making the film.
A beautiful movie. Seen it 5 times. Waiting for part 2. Been there and done that in Singapore
I’ve seen it three times now and can’t get enough of it.