Carrying the burden of ‘Pride of Taiwan’ on his anchor plated shoulder, the reticent national icon attempts his one last shot at baseball glory.

Interview with Director Frank W Chen

Watch Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story on Prime Video

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Chien-Ming Wang and I first crossed paths in June, 2005 at the old Yankee Stadium on my first trip to New York City. That was the first time I ever saw him pitch, before he was donned the “Pride of Taiwan”. From the top deck looking down, I witnessed him standing at the center of the baseball universe. Although he was far away, the impression he left was anything but. As he stood on that mound I cheered for him; the whole world seemed to cheer for him.

The next time I saw him was in May, 2013, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a small city not many people have heard of, let alone been to. At this point he was struggling to get back into the Major Leagues, as a series of injuries had forced him to the minors and below. We had a mutual friend who he came to meet in a small rental car that barely contained his lanky frame. In a corner, we talked and shared a meal together. I learned of his reticence, his injuries, and his reluctance to be considered a hero. Afterwards, he squeezed his six-foot-four frame back into his tiny rental car. The impression he left this time wasn’t as grandiose, but it was much more vivid.

As the taillights disappeared into the night, the two impressions of him began a dialogue in my mind. Here was a man who once stood in the center of the world, and was now exiled to the edge of the universe. This became the catalyst to a story, and the origin of this film.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Very rarely you get to see the behind the scene stories of the glamorous life of professional athletes, let alone a national icon. The film gained exclusive access into the private life of Wang, often known as ‘Pride of Taiwan’ in his homeland – and delve deep into the human person that is Chien-Ming Wang.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

More than a baseball movie, the film is a human focused story that connects to all of us for we all experience the rise and fall in life. It is an extraordinary journey of an ordinary man who fell, and fought his way back up again and again.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

With documentaries of a story that is ongoing, it is always a back and forth. We set up a few potential story structures and outcomes of his latest comeback attempt. We knew we would need to delve into the back stories, and pending on our access to archival materials, we were constantly modifying the ongoing story to weave into his present quest. We ended up shooting and editing simultaneously towards the end of the production and were able to rework the story structure and tell a coherent story that departed from where we started off.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Our California festival outings were a great success. We heard so many positive feedbacks especially from local Taiwanese and Asian American audiences. One particular incident was in San Francisco, a female audience membercame up to me, smiling in tears and thanked me for making this film. The film reminded of her love and support from her family in Taiwan, as well as what got her to the United States in the first place. It was probably the most rewarding experience so far.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The filmmaking team present at the festivals was surprised but also glad the film touched not only baseball fans, but non-baseball fans alike. There were parts that drew laughter that was unexpected, as they were the off the field scenes and daily life moments that the audiences were able to relate to. The challenge has always been how we could recreate that connection from a baseball star, a national icon to audiences around the world, the off the field moments were a testament of how cinema can establish just that.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Through We Are Moving Stories, we would love to achieve a wider awareness of different demographic and interest groups for the film.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We would love to speak to distributors, film festival directors and journalist as we just set our foot onto the festival circuit.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

It is our hope that our audiences walk out of the theater seeing a great baseball story but also being able to relate to their own quests on a day to day basis.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

The question of home. Where is home? Is it where you came from or simply where you wanted to be?

Would you like to add anything else?

Stay tuned for our future festival outings!

Interview: May 2018

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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

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LATE LIFE: The Chien-Ming Wang Story

Carrying the burden of ‘Pride of Taiwan’ on his anchor plated shoulder, the reticent national icon attempts his one last shot at baseball glory.

Length: 99 minutes

Director: Frank W Chen

Producer: Frank W Chen, Hai-Tao Wu, Brian Yang

Writer: Hui-Chuan Chan, Wen-Hao Winston Chou (supporting writer)

About the writer, director and producer:

Director Frank W Chen is a Taiwanese-Canadian filmmaker based in New York City. LATE LIFE marked his directorial debut.

Producer/Director of Photography Hai-Tao Wu is a director/cinematographer based in NYC; he is the co-founder of Mad Hatter Media Group.

Producer Brian Yang is a founder of 408 Films based in LA. He is the producer of Linsanity and My Other Home, a biopic of former NBA star Stephon Marbury.

Key cast: Chien-Ming Wang, Neil Allen, Brian Cashman, Alan Chang, Charlene Wu and Hung-Chih Kuo

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Distributors, Film Festival Directors and Journalists.

Social media handles:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LateLifeMovie

Twitter: @LateLifeFilm

Instagram: wycmotions

Official Website: www.LateLifeMovie.com

Production Company: WYC Motions, EBOS International, Activator Marketing Company

Made in association with: 408 Films

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Film Festivals across North America