Ever since I was young, I had a
passion for telling stories. I was part
of the first generation to be raised
alongside YouTube and online
videos. Seeing others picking up
cameras and making internet videos
inspired me to do the same.
When I was 6, I received a video
camera as a gift. I started filming
everything. While I was in middle
school and high school, I was in
several film camps. At 16, I enrolled
in college with my major in Mass
Communication, from which I
graduated in 2015.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
I find dancing to be very inspirational.
While listening to “Motion
in a Minute” by Yoko Kanno, the
delicate piano in the melody made
me want to write a music-led ballet
film.
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker? What elements/
themes may be a signature of your
films?
I wish I could say something
extremely poetic, like how my films
always include themes that will
inspire future generations to overcome
adversity or touch your heart
and make you cry. But honestly, I’m
an entertainer by nature with a love
of interesting stories, not a person
who thinks their films will change
the world. My films will always be
from the subjective viewpoint of
the main character and how they
see the world. Dynamics between
family, friends and oneself are all
elements I try to explore.
TRUTH ABOUT ISRAEL
A trip to Israel completely
changes the perceptions of a young
Chinese man, an outsider from
the other side of the world, and
enlightens us about how special
it is.
QA with Filmmaker James Leong
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
I believe a production can change
a person’s inner world, including
their views and values of things. I
grew up in a Southeast Asia country,
a place filled with many different
races, religious backgrounds and
cultures. Different messages can be
presented through films, especially
documentary productions, objectively
bringing new ideas to the
audience, making them think. My
mission is to use images to express
my point in an honest way.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
I am a Christian; Israel is the
country I most wanted to visit,
because Christianity starts in Israel.
A few years back, I finally had the
opportunity to go. It was eye-opening.
The things about Israel instilled
to me were narrow and mixed with
much prejudice. There’s a great difference
between what I witnessed
and what was in my heart. I noticed
the same prejudice is found in many
people I know, so I decided to show
what I saw to the world.
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker?
I’m glad I grew up in Malaysia
and studied in Hong Kong; the
Malaysian environment helped me
learn five languages and dialects.
Coming into contact with different
religions and cultures has helped
give me different levels of perceptions,
enabling my screen to capture
more colors; widening my thinking.
What elements/themes may be
a signature of your films?
My film has elements of respect
for people, bring harmony
among all.
TO-DO
An overly structured young woman
crosses paths with a free-spirited
Frenchman and finds herself bending
the rules for love. But how far
is she willing to bend?
QA with Executive Producer/
Actor Lauren Cox
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
I became a filmmaker kind of on
a whim. I’ve been acting for twenty
years now and have spent the past
three years traveling out to LA each
spring, but Los Angeles is a tough
city to be a temporary resident
of. There’s so much talent, yet so
few opportunities to work. One day
I sat down and wrote a 7-page short
I decided needed to be made. I had
a little more than two months to
film, so I made some calls, prayed
a lot and shot the thing six weeks
later! Tada! A filmmaker is born.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
The inspiration for this film came
as I was working on a previous
project. My costar was from Paris
and told me about the difficulties of
acquiring a visa. After hearing his
story and learning how challenging
it is to find enough work to stay in
the U.S., I decided to create my film
and have him be a part of it.
What distinguishes you as a filmmaker?
What elements/themes
may be a signature of your films?
I try hard to put others first in this
industry and never go through with
a project I don’t feel represents me
well. All my decisions are carefully
prayed over, and I do my best to
surround myself with people who
deserve a chance. Every cast and
crew member of my film needed
work. I prayed for God to build a
cast and crew who could benefit
from this opportunity… and He
did. With this being my first film, it’s
tough to claim a signature theme.
However, the theme behind the
scenes is this: artists were created
with a special passion, so I believe
everyone with the desire to work
should be given an opportunity to
do so.
HOW FAR SHE WENT
Adapted from the Flannery
O’Connor Award-winning short
story by Mary Hood, an unflinching
look at family, sacrifice and the
lengths we’ll go for those we love.
QA with Writer and Producer
Chloe Lenihan
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
The need to tell stories in a visual
medium led me to filmmaking.
It’s hard to trace a turning point
or specific moment because, since
childhood, “movies” are the only
thing I’ve ever wanted to do. I love
how film connects people across
time, place, and can create shared
emotional experiences between,
otherwise, strangers.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
The short story by Mary Hood, a
winner of the Flannery O’Connor
Award for fiction. It was adapted for
the screen as an MFA thesis film at
Columbia University, where it won
the IFP Audience Award and Jury
Honors at the Columbia University
Film Festival. The film was also
awarded “Best Female Filmmaker”
for “How Far She Went” Director
Ugla Hauksdóttir by the Director’s
Guild of America at their student
awards.
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker?
My style of filmmaking is rooted
in classical form with an emphasis
on character dynamics. I’m less
interested in cinematic trends and
more attracted to simple, yet compelling,
stories.
What elements/themes may be
a signature of your films?
My films dabble with genre, but
intergenerational female dynamics
and family remain consistent
themes.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16–17
October 2017 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 13