During the 2007 VC FilmFest (The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival), director and Offender Justin Lin (Better Luck Tomorrow, Fast & Furious) sat down with director Wayne Wang (Chan Is Missing, The Joy Luck Club) for an intimate one-on-one discussion. We will be presenting the edited transcript of that discussion in multiple parts starting today with Part 1.

PART 1: Of Origins and Beginnings

(in which Justin and Wayne discuss their early forays into filmmaking)

JUSTIN LIN: So before we get started, I wanted to share a story. I remember back in film school, I took this Asian American studies class and they showed a clip of Chan is Missing. I was instantly drawn because it was the first time I had seen Asian Americans exist in a world where they weren’t there for an “Asian” reason but were just there. I didn’t get to watch the whole film because it wasn’t available until ten years later. But it was amazing, the little clip that I saw. That was my first exposure to your work.

WAYNE WANG: Well, I have a similar story. Actually it was on vacation in Honolulu. I saw Better Luck Tomorrow advertised at this huge mall with like 300 theatres and I walked in without knowing too much about it and it was the first time I felt that there was a new generation of Asian American directors. You know after so long, you see a lot of stuff. But you know that was the first time I truly felt that in my gut, that it’s happening. There were a lot of interesting things in between; I mean there were really interesting documentaries; there were more executives in the studios; but it was great to see Better Luck Tomorrow because it’s truly a whole new generation, a new sensibility and it was authentic characters who are Asian and it was great.  Read more...