Narcissus
Under the familial pressure and countless rejections in her career, an Asian American actress blames everything on her appearance and blindly takes action to better herself.
Interview with Writer/Director Grace Gao
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Narcissus is a proof of concept short film for the feature screenplay I wrote under the same title. My creative team would like to explore the visualization and execution of the story while we're actively financing for the feature production. It was a great experience working for actors and key crew members who fully endorse my vision.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This is a film about an Asian American actress in New York submerging herself into the process of plastic surgery due to the societal and familial pressure. It is a character study of a struggling artist who yearns for success through means without end, as well as a reflection on the minority actors' difficulty in finding a place in the mainstream media.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
When I was 18 years old, I almost went into a full-face plastic surgery treatment plan. Thankfully the night before the surgery, my father and I both realized how much impact it would have in my life and cancelled the appointment. This personal experience inspired me to use the topics of plastic surgery and social media to physicalize the abstract ideas such as image, vanity, the ephemeral quality of youth and beauty. It is a universal story because people, especially women, everywhere are subjected to superficial comparisons created by social media, and the pressure from unrealistic beauty standards perpetuated by consumerism. I hope Sybil's tragic story can serve as a cautionary tale and a response to the fatal pressure from her family and society.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Narcissus, originally titled Dorian, is a feature screenplay inspired by Oscar Wilde’s masterpiece The Picture of Dorian Gray. As a reader, I was intrigued by the character Sybil Vane, but the novel only had limited room for her development. Therefore, I’ve decided to look into her character arc through a modern lens and enriched the character through her oppressive family background, and her ambition of standing out as an actress. The screenplay eventually evolved into an original story through the lens of an Asian American actress in New York.
In summer 2016 and 2017, I had the honor to dive into acting training in The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and William Esper Studio. This wonderful opportunity allowed me to portray the lifestyle of an actress vividly. Narcissus then won the Best Undergraduate Feature Screenplay at Fusion Film Festival 2018 and became a finalist at Screencraft Film Funds Fall 2019.
During our production for the proof of concept short film, the lead actors Claire Hsu and Grace Chang brought a new light to the characters and the story. We decided to focus on the mother-daughter relationship in the short film without losing Sybil's "to be or not to be" progression facing the temptation of plastic surgery.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
After the test screening, the audience voiced several distinctive takeaways. Some believed Narcissus is about addiction; some resonated with the subtle discrimination that minority artists constantly fight against in the workplace; some cared the most about the suffocating relationship between Sybil and her Mother. I've also received many questions regarding the execution of the plastic surgery post-operation scenes. It all thanks to the brilliant work of our SFX Makeup Artist Paige Gittelman, and the support we received from the makeup studio of Tony O'Brien.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Although these diverse reactions make me wonder if I failed to focus the story on one major issue, I do feel encouraged to know that Narcissus is serving as a mirror to my audience. We would notice different things from the same film given the different perspectives we came from while experiencing the same emotional journey with the protagonist. To me, that's really the purpose of cinema.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
By sharing the proof of concept short film with more audience and industry professionals, we would love to connect with more potential financiers and EP to bring the feature film to life.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Executive Producer, Financier, Sales Agent and Film Festival Directors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We hope to be the first arthouse film that speaks about the impact of plastic surgery in a realistic fashion.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How far is too far when we change ourselves in the name of self-improvement?
Would you like to add anything else?
Writer/Director's website: www.gegracegao.com
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Writer/Director Grace (Ge) Gao is currently working on a TV pilot script titled Triple Threat. It's about three Asian girls with drastically different backgrounds coming together to survive adulthood in New York City.
Interview: July 2020
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Narcissus
Under the familial pressure and countless rejections in her career, an Asian American actress blames everything on her appearance and blindly takes action to better herself.
Length: 16:17
Director: Grace (Ge) Gao
Producer: Siyu Lin
Writer: Grace (Ge) Gao
About the writer, director and producer:
Originally from China, GRACE (GE) GAO moved to the United States at the age of 16. She graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts Film/TV Undergraduate Program in 2017. Previously, Grace has worked as the assistant to Chinese writer/director Xue Xiaolu for her Chinese-Australian co-production The Whistleblower. Grace has directed 4 award-winning shorts, reaching film festivals in NY, LA, France, and Spain. Her feature screenplay Narcissus won the Best Undergraduate Feature Screenplay in Fusion Film Festival 2018 and was selected as a finalist in Screencraft Film Fund 2019.
SIYU LIN started her steps into the film industry since 2012. She attended New York film academy in 2014 for directing. Since then she has taken on roles ranging from Production Designer to First Assistant Director. Now she stands as a Producer for Rollin Studios, currently producing multi-million dollar international productions. Her body of work includes Festival running short films such as Don't Write Me Off and Last Fair Deal and Chinese blockbuster features such as Lost in Russia.
Key cast: Claire Hsu (Sybil), Grace Chang (Mother)
Looking for: film festival directors, producers, sales agents
Facebook: Narcissus
Instagram: @narcissusfilm
Hashtags used: #narcissusfilm #narcissus #narcissusbygracegao
Made in association with: Rollin' Studios
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Narcissus short film serves as a proof of concept for the feature screenplay under the same title. Please stay tuned for its festival run in early 2021. We're actively seeking EP and financiers to produce the feature film in the coming year.