00:00:00: Welcome back to Venice.

00:00:01: To talk about a new film.

00:00:03: this time, it's again from the Orizonti section where Michel Jou premieres some big little things and I'm here now with her and her producer.

00:00:13: Hi!

00:00:13: It is good you speak to your two.

00:00:15: First

00:00:15: of all how has Venice been so far for you?

00:00:18: Hot But not today.

00:00:20: Yeah Not Today And very intensive We survived.

00:00:23: Yeah we've been

00:00:24: here for a really

00:00:25: long time.

00:00:26: Since day one

00:00:28: Our families are here So we have to watch films, prepare everything and take care of our

00:00:32: family.

00:00:33: And I'm a little bit nervous because it's gonna be their very first time watching the film in the cinema.

00:00:39: Michelle when did you start finding ideas?

00:00:42: And create this story which is about queer love... ...and that theme not so common in Chinese cinema?

00:00:49: Venice isn't represented also!

00:00:51: How do you relate with these stories

00:00:53: since they're inspired by personal events Which are coming out.

00:00:58: moments between me and Trin because she's my working partner, but also partner in real life.

00:01:03: We dated four years ago And finally there was a moment for us to meet To have this moments meeting her parents and revealing who we really are.

00:01:13: That moment She was happy to share our relationship But at the same time she was very terrified of losing them Because that same-sex thing is still forbidden In China.

00:01:24: So isn't actually forbidden?

00:01:25: I wasn't sure.

00:01:27: Yeah

00:01:27: It's under the table, but in real life we can talk about it to you.

00:01:32: But there is no legal

00:01:34: framework

00:01:34: yet definitely.

00:01:35: Her hand were friends most of time until... ...the moment her father figured out what was going on.

00:01:41: So over a night The truth came out.

00:01:44: She finally reviewed who she is.

00:01:46: At the beginning she just told a lie telling them We're just friends and hangout together.

00:01:51: They knew I wasn't so that moment whole family collapsed And overnight they were hysterical.

00:01:57: And then during that time, I was not only participating in it.

00:02:26: We can no longer lie anymore.

00:02:27: And so we don't need to be close with our family, friends and at the same time like it's a long

00:02:33: process.".

00:02:33: So

00:02:34: you're producing this film?

00:02:36: You already mentioned that you were cool but her telling the story about... Would you like to tell in your words how you felt about it and How was it to see the story now play out as a film and being directed and Being so close through It and At The Same Point In It?

00:02:49: myself

00:02:50: is a writer-director.

00:02:51: I'm because Michelle Is my partner so each of us have hooks like so many years in funding, funding financed for our own features.

00:03:00: So when she taught me... She wanna tell the story about that.

00:03:03: you know The real event That happened on me and my family.

00:03:06: I feel Like she probably the right one like from her angle to how this entire thing is going On And i think it's a right moment or For her where we have To do it quick because I Know what?

00:03:16: A good idea happen In your head like Do You Have to catch it?

00:03:20: if It happens Yeah

00:03:21: Make it Happen.

00:03:25: So for me, like it's first time being producer so I just put myself as a problem fixer or protector.

00:03:31: Just want to help make sure what she wanna tell is truly come from her and we can make the production time shorter than its way of about years.

00:03:41: you get financed Or go into funding or festivals And then come back to shoot.

00:03:46: That not gonna happen Like that usually takes four hours For us.

00:03:51: It try to get money in Masters, Stanley founds fundings and more like donations were our debts.

00:03:58: Like we just try our best to make it happen.

00:04:00: if she finished the script And We get accrued The friends that we know In the industry for many years came To help us and then we shoot in Vietnam thirty days You really could see be like her hometown after.

00:04:12: That is like post-production.

00:04:14: It's kind of longer because where we work off the money.

00:04:17: So we got some some money?

00:04:22: So it's like, It took us two years to finally be here.

00:04:27: To complete everything and bring the film eventually The entire pop package in front of audiences For me is a different goal But helping her being at a different position I feel that this healing process for my dad as well As for the whole family Making these films make us closer.

00:04:49: There's actually a

00:04:53: very interesting point because you both mentioned that your family is here in Venice, but then back at the time when coming out just happened.

00:05:02: You couldn't really choose it to happen like this did happen anyway.

00:05:04: Then there was a lot of conflict.

00:05:06: What happened during the film and how was it as therapeutic?

00:05:09: Because all something you mention had a therapeutic function.

00:05:12: It's too personal

00:05:15: question.

00:05:15: Yeah

00:05:15: its long story short cause Its very complicated.

00:05:19: During the past year-and-a half before was made, but we didn't talk to each other until her father being on set.

00:05:26: My dad was in my short film before so I know he could act.

00:05:28: she was looking for the Father Rose like one day.

00:05:31: just asked

00:05:32: me

00:05:32: how suggested whether you think that my father would be the best because this comes from real life.

00:05:38: Yeah!

00:05:38: But it's not a documentary exactly same It is still fictional story...but Her father is very painful Because This is similar character and He has to face me challenge

00:05:49: your fate.

00:05:50: he accept this chance that I just said?

00:05:52: yes it's because in the real life like we never came to me where i never went to him talk about that chaos when she figure out were actually couple.

00:06:02: We never mentioned again.

00:06:03: but making these films is kind of giving him a chance to finally tell something from truly inner his feelings, you know using characters roles so thats interesting.

00:06:14: He not talking with me ,but he is

00:06:19: Another character, he's utilizing the magic of it.

00:06:23: Would you say that film is also a way maybe to have conversations or say things that feel like you cannot say and real life?

00:06:30: Definitely because especially in China I mean Asia not just China In Asian culture It so hard to confront who really are even though You're close with your parents.

00:06:40: but never talk about very sensitive subject matters Like for instance my friends My neighbors.

00:06:46: I had lots of friend.

00:06:47: they were LGBT.

00:06:49: They will never talk about this in a film.

00:06:51: The parents of children, they've been guessing each other for years until like fifties?

00:06:56: They are still pretending Oh I'm normal.

00:06:58: This is the situation or culture?

00:07:01: It's gonna be very painful.

00:07:02: You don't want to face truth Because

00:07:03: you know that their parents would never

00:07:05: understand.

00:07:06: So most people just keep silent.

00:07:08: I'd say ninety-nine percent.

00:07:09: They'll ignore.

00:07:10: Just pretend.

00:07:11: it

00:07:11: has never happened.

00:07:12: Do we also have hope That this film can maybe help people open up And also helps parents To see what their children?

00:07:19: Because in our culture, even we are living in a state in LA.

00:07:23: Everything's very open-minded but it still is hard for the parents generation to be accessible to things like this.

00:07:30: You cannot find these LGBT things on television or cinema and books And they don't use internet that often so you can not search them.

00:07:40: It's too difficult for them to see normal couples.

00:07:49: They heard about it, but still... It takes years for them to understand the difference.

00:07:54: It's the same actually!

00:07:55: But they never see this.

00:07:57: I mean..They are hiding themselves in their generation.

00:08:00: So i feel there is like intergenerational gap between us.

00:08:03: so i would say definitely that film will be a family A family who share this movie not just because of LGBT elements but also we want move forward.

00:08:13: We wanna try to move forward even though understand each other yet.

00:08:18: That's the function of this film, I would

00:08:20: say."

00:08:20: How hard

00:08:20: was it to find a cast for them apart from those that were your actual relatives?

00:08:45: different ideas about how the story should go or where one of you was not in line with other's concept?

00:08:53: They didn't get a chance.

00:08:54: No, I choose now to be there.

00:08:56: It is very sensitive since i'm directing.

00:08:59: so if I'd been there definitely we would have second opinion.

00:09:02: So for me it like...I told myself no to being here just doing my producing.

00:09:06: Let them see this for us too.

00:09:08: You know.. I think that's right thing to do.

00:09:10: directing you as director and on producing

00:09:18: She didn't even show up for

00:09:20: once.

00:09:25: And I didn't have the time, actually There's a weird lack of people in my department to do things.

00:09:30: So basically everywhere you sent the monitor

00:09:34: and will he continue make films?

00:09:35: And also specifically queer cinema Maybe new Chinese cinema?

00:09:39: Yeah

00:09:40: i would say so.

00:09:41: But then next feature gonna be set in Thailand still about Chinese nationals and European national.

00:09:47: It's also fired by real life events during COVID on a small island in Thailand.

00:09:52: That

00:09:52: sounds very exciting, thank you so much for being

00:09:54: here Thank You.