Frameline 42 - For Izzy
Using documentary-style footage, poetry, and animation, For Izzy tells a sweet, empowering story through an Asian-American lens about a lesbian photojournalist recovering from addiction who befriends a lonely autistic woman, while their respective single parents find themselves in an unexpected romance.
Interview with Writer/Director Alex Chu
Watch For Izzy on Prime Video and iTunes
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
From a thematic standpoint, I am attracted to characters who are afraid to speak up when they feel vulnerable. Afraid of being judged, humiliated, or even worse, ignored. To see someone transcend these very struggles is a beautiful thing. It's what we hope for in ourselves and in others - to have our voices heard – and what I tend to write into my characters. That desire to overcome and speak from our hearts and minds is universal.
Whether it is two older adults who are past their “romantic prime” mustering up the courage to fall in love again; or the emotionally isolated gay woman admitting her need for help in overcoming addiction by stepping foot into a recovery program; or an autistic woman communicating her love of others through her cameras and poetry in ways she cannot verbalize in prose. With For Izzy, I wanted to bring the audience into this world of these four multi-dimensional characters in a fresh way that isn’t normally seen in traditional narratives.
And from a practical standpoint, I wanted to find a way to work with these actors - which I have worked with on prior projects. Michelle Ang was the only one I hadn't worked with before, but from the first time I met her while we went through a few scenes and discussed the script, I knew she was the one!
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This story is about family, friendship, and redemption as told through the lens of female protagonists. It's told in a documentary style format, using a blend of spoken word, interview footage, traditional scenes and animation that you may not have seen in many feature films.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The film is centered around Dede, who is recovering from addiction and suffering from depression - both of which are aspects that I have personal experience within my family. As the characters are Asian-American, it opens a window into immigrant life that I grew up in. What makes these themes universal is the struggles that the characters go through, because the heart and soul of the story is about relationships - about the power of friendships and family that can both destroy and heal us.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script went through about 10 (or more, I lost count) revisions, as I would invite the actors over to my place and workshop the script (basically read it out loud), and then critique it. I've worked with these actors before, and as an actor myself, I trust the actor's instincts, especially those involved in this film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We're in the beginning part of our festival run (two festivals as of this interview). Thus far, we have had audiences as diverse as healthcare professionals working with addiction and recovery, caretakers of those with disabilities, as well as a range of young and old audiences from the Asian-American community and beyond respond to the themes of the film. We premiered at the Ashland Independent Film Festival, where we received the Audience Award, and later at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, we received the Grand Jury Prize. We've been blessed with the response thus far.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The biggest surprise was how it resonated with audiences that we never expected. Even though half the film is in Cantonese spoken by characters in their 60s, we had many non-Chinese speakers from various backgrounds and age groups come up to us after the screenings and mention how they related to what these four characters were going through. Before this, I only half-believed the sage advice given to writers "that what is specific is what makes it universal", and this film made me believe that.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We want to be a part of the community - we're all in this together, no matter what background. Especially today when it's easy to be drowned out by so much toxicity and cynicism in our social media feeds, our news cycles, and even in our dinner tables whenever someone decides to spew ignorance. Films alone (at least in my view) cannot change the world, but they can at least serve as a spark plug or match that lights the fire towards insight and hopefully action.
In a way, there's a culture war going on right now between those who build for the future and those who cling to the past and, as filmmakers, we can choose to be on the front line of that battle of ideas and values. To support one another in standing up for both factual truths and emotional truths, and that our voices and agency will not be denied. To get those already at the table to scooch over and make room and to help us bring those chairs stacked in the corner for all of us to have a seat at the table.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Right now, we're looking to bring on board sales reps and distributors, as well as reaching out to more journalists to see our film about voices that aren't be (and should be) part of the mainstream culture, especially now in this political and social environment (in the US, but I'd imagine elsewhere as well, to some degree).
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Ideally I want the film to be part of a larger beachhead for other films that feature new and alternative voices - by setting a precedent with more films like these getting seen in theaters and getting a wider release. With so many films and television series out there these days, it's hard for audiences to make a decision, but even with a seemingly endless supply of "content" - it's still not as diverse (by any measure) than it could or should be. Yes, the stories these days may feature more diverse casts, but the protagonists of these stories are not. Simply put, there needs to be more stories through the lens of women, of people from different backgrounds, age groups, sexual identities, and socio-economic backgrounds.
This isn't just about social justice, but it also opens up a whole new world of storytelling in ways that you may never have imagined if you tell different genres of story from a straight English speaking male character aged 30-45. For Izzy is a small film, but I hope it's part of a larger movement of films coming out these days that help to change that landscape. It'll certainly make the decision to go see a movie in the theater or in front of a TV more compelling.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
If problems relating to addiction, mental illness and disability are universal, why are immigrants less willing or more afraid to speak out about it in an honest way? How do we lessen the stigma and open the door for immigrant communities to open up about problems that are mainstream and universal?
Would you like to add anything else?
This film is dedicated to one of our lead actors, Elizabeth Sung, who passed away suddenly in May 2018. She was a veteran actor who worked tirelessly not only in her own acting career going back to the 1980s, but also in opening up opportunities for younger filmmakers and actors as a mentor, teacher, and friend. Depending on the release schedule of the other film projects she was working on, For Izzy may indeed have been her final film.
While she was gone too soon, we are glad that she was at least able to see the screening at the festivals to appreciative audiences, knowing that the film was getting its due in what we believe to be one of her best performances in her long career. We will miss her dearly, and in a way given her real-life advocacy for diverse voices in film, we are flying the flag of this film in her name.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Alex is currently developing a few projects - most notably a sci-fi story on Artificial Intelligence, and a children's fairy tale. Jennifer is also developing another project with a co-writer. Michelle is working with another director on developing a project that is currently at the Sundance Labs.
Interview: June 2018
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
For Izzy
Using documentary-style footage, poetry, and animation, For Izzy tells a sweet, empowering story through an Asian-American lens about a lesbian photojournalist recovering from addiction who befriends a lonely autistic woman, while their respective single parents find themselves in an unexpected romance.
Length: 84 minutes
Director: Alex Chu
Producer: Michelle Ang, Jennifer Soo, Michael G Gray
Writer: Alex Chu
About the writer, director and producer:
ALEX CHU was raised in North Africa, and has lived across Asia, Canada and the US. His most recent film, For Izzy, is currently on its festival run. His previous works include the Asian-American feature YES, AND…, as well as the short film FORTUNE COOKIE MAGIC TRICKS, a gay zombie martial arts musical and the Wall Street short drama THE EQUITY PARTNERS. Outside of filmmaking, he is an activist, most recently as Committee Chair for Digital Media at the March For Science LA.
MICHELLE ANG began her career as a series regular on the Australian series NEIGHBOURS (for which she was nominated for a Logie) before becoming a series regular on OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE as well as on Emmy-nominated writer Craig Wright’s MTV series UNDEREMPLOYED. Most recently she has become a series regular on FEAR OF THE WALKING DEAD and FEAR OF THE WALKING DEAD: FLIGHT 462 (for which she received an Emmy nomination), as well as the feature TRIPLE 9. She won "Best Actress in A Feature Film" at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards 2011 for MY WEDDING AND OTHER SECRETS, while also having worked with Oscar-winning director Jane Campion on the BBC series TOP OF THE LAKE.
JENNIFER SOO was born and raised in New Jersey, and performed in various theaters in New York such as the Kraine, HERE Arts Center, Theater for the New City, and Theatre Row. Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, she played “Switzerland” on PARKS & RECREATION and has since kept busy with films, commercials and her theater company, NOTE: She holds a BFA from NYU Tisch and an MFA from the ART/MXAT Institute at Harvard University.
MICHAEL G GRAY is a native of Detroit, and has previously worked for the Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michel Gondry on THE GREEN HORNET, and THE WE AND THE I before joining Maker Studios as an executive producer. He then started production company SMASH, where he produced COW POWER, a documentary about alternative fuel and the feature film YES, AND… with director Alex Chu. He holds a BFA in Film Production from Emerson College.
Key cast: Michelle Ang, Jennifer Soo, Elizabeth Sung, Jim Lau
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, journalists
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForIzzyTheMovie/
Twitter: @ForIzzyTheMovie
Instagram: @ForIzzyTheMovie
Funders: Who What Where Industries LLC and our Indiegogo supporters
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Frameline in San Francisco: June 23rd at 11:30am at the Roxie Theater