Monday, Oct 15, 2007 9:02AM /
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Last Monday, we had a reception and screening of LUST, CAUTION at Directors Guild of America sponsored by the Asian American Committee. Ang Lee brought his star Tang Wei. She looks so young and fragile in person and yet delivers such mature performance in the film. I am sure she will be recognized for her work.
LUST, CAUTION is a fantastic story about improbable love. How does one reconcile love and hate when right and wrong are not clear anymore? Should she follow her heart or complete her duty? The way Ang explores the characters through their love making is ingenious. I am curious how the film survives the Chinese censors. Will it have the same impact?
The best part of the evening was the Q&A afterwards. It was inspiring to listen to Ang Lee and Jutin Lin talked about lives, dreams and films. Two Asian American artists at the height of their games sharing their loves and frustrations. I feel proud to be part of this community. I hope we can do more to share.
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Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 2:27AM /
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After spending more than a month in Russia, I have come to really appreciate the enormity of this country; the diversity of it's population and the strength of the Russian character. On the streets of Moscow, there are Middle Eastern faces and Asian faces among the blond hair, blue eyes of the Slavic people. The food is just as diverse and colorful. For some reason, sushi is quite the rave. Having sushi served by a six foot blond in kimono was an interesting experience.
There is a Chinese saying about 吃苦, eat bitter. The more bitter one eats, the better person one becomes. In that way, the Russian is very much like the Chinese. When Napoleon invaded Moscow, they rather burnt down the city than to surrender it. When the German laid siege to Leningrad "St. Petersburg" in WWII, the Russians held for more than two years, even though they were starving and down to eating the dead. Perhaps, it is the severe weather that makes this character trait imperative for survival. Whatever the reason, the Russian people have persevered under the harshest conditions. Adversity, seems to bring out the best of the Russians.
However, this stubbornness can also blind them from reality and logic. Once they stake out a position, they would not back down. Some friendly discussions can often deteriorate into shouting matches. All one can do is drink more vodka and toast each other's health.
I was also surprised by how the Russian Orthodox Church has survived the 70 years of Communist persecution. Churches were closed down. Monasteries and convents were disbanded. It was only after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 that people were allowed to worship openly again. The devotion of the faithful is unmistakable especially in the countryside. Even small village churches are beautifully restored and well attended. There are no pews for the congregation to sit. Everyone stands through Mass.
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Friday, Jul 6, 2007 1:59AM /
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Last week I got a call from Sony International. They asked me to go to Russia to consult on the remaking of "I dream of Jeannie" for Russian TV. Boy, we have come a long way since the cold war. Instead of shooting missiles at them, we are sending over American TV shows.
For the last several years, Sony has been licensing old American TV shows all over the world. Shows like "Married with Children" and "The Nanny" are being made in Greece, Turkey, Agentina and Indonesia. I guess that should not be surprising in today's world of cultural globalization. After all, we get McDonalds from Red Square to Tiananmen Square. We listen to Rap music in all languages. Hip Hop becomes the language of youths of the world. The tide is not just a one way street. America is also at the receiving end. Martin Scorcese won the academy award for remaking "Infernal Affairs", a great Hong Kong film. "Ugly Betty" started out as "Betty, la fea" a soap opera from Columbia. May be there would be less war if we all watch the same TV shows and laugh at the same jokes.
The vibriancy of a society can usually be measured by how well it adopts other cultures without losing its own. So here we are, multicultural artists, how do we take all our experiences and produce something new and unique? Can we heat up this boiling cultural melting pot?
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Tuesday, Jun 26, 2007 4:26AM /
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The first Asian American Theatre Festival was held in NYC from June 11 through June 24. There were over 30 shows from all over U.S. From drama to comedy; from traditional to experimental; from one man/woman show to full blown production.
It was so exciting to check out what everyone is doing. The best part was to meet the artists from all over the country. So the whole two weeks felt like one big party.
There seems to be a trend, especially with younger artists to explore beyond the traditional ethnic themes. I think that's very encouraging. After all we should not be prisoners of our ethnicity. There was a question in the post show survey that asked: What does Asian American Theatre mean to you? I said: Anything Asian American artists do.
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Friday, Jun 8, 2007 11:31AM /
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I am very flattered and encouraged by the responses I've been getting. It's great to feel so welcome.
Right now I am directing a play called TeleMongol. It is a sketch comedy about an Asian American TV station that tries to program for Asians, by Asians. We spoof on every Asian American stereotype, nothing is sacred. If you are ready to poke some fun at ourselves and not easily offened, please come join us for a riotous evening. It is part of the Asian American Theater Festival in New York from June 11 through June 24. Their website is www.naatf.org
Hope to see you there.
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