Filmmaker Derek Ho’s journey investigating how his gay brother’s adoption of Christianity impacted on his sexuality. A story of brotherly love and betrayal, it reveals it was Derek who outed his brother thirty years earlier.

Interview with Director/Producer/Editor Derek Ho

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

While Australia proposes a “Religious Discrimination Bill” and Singapore criminalises homosexuality with Penal Code 377A, I want to shine a light on the conflict between sexuality and religion and the damage it can cause to families and individuals.

As a gay Asian man who has struggled with discrimination from society at large and from within the gay community due to my sexual orientation and race, it has led me to an experience that was deeply conflicted with self-acceptance for a long time.

I also often wondered about the downward spiral of my brother’s life as a gay man and his recent denouncement of his sexual identity, and how much of that has got to do with his traumatic coming out experience that was caused by me.

I know deep down whatever happened in the past can never be reversed. Making this film is the first step towards letting go of the guilt and to forgive myself while working towards reconciliation and acceptance with my family, especially my brother.

I am telling this very personal story for healing and closure. I also hope those who have doubted their value and existence can find strength from my story.

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

You should watch this story because it gives you intimate access to a very personal story, and despite its complex themes, the story has a simple heart.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Love and acceptance are the themes running through my life and in this film.

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

This was a rather difficult subject to tackle and given that it is such a personal story with the family made it even more challenging. Without giving too much away, things took an unexpected twist during filming and the outcome in the film is different from the initial script.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback has been really positive so far. The comments were that the film is very powerful and brave yet sensitive, considered and nuanced. The cinematography is also beautiful.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The main feedback was people were very curious about my relationship with my brother and how it developed onscreen to be so honest and revealing.

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

More awareness and understanding of how religion and sexuality affects a person's private and family life.

Jeremiah teaching about love, forgive, forget and find peace

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

I would love sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors and journalists to come on board.

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

I would like people from opposing mindsets to have conversations in the hope to have common ground. It would be great to have a better understanding and acceptance of each other.

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

Can religion and sexuality exist in harmony with each other?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I am currently developing work based on the Asian LGBTIQ+ experience and I am open to working with other storytellers interested in the topic.

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

A Thousand Words Unspoken

Length: 26:16

Director: Derek Ho

Producer: Derek Ho

Writer: Derek Ho

About the writer, director and producer:

DEREK HO first graduated from film school at Edith Cowan University, Perth, in 2001. He had since accumulated 18 years of professional experience in camera work and editing. He has just completed the Master program in Documentary Filmmaking at the Victoria College of the Arts (VCA) in Melbourne in 2019 as he pursues his passion for telling authentic stories. As an avid supporter for human rights and social justice, Derek intends to share stories from voices of the lesser heard in a bid to educate, to bring awareness and to address inequality through the art of documentary filmmaking,

Key cast: Jeremiah Ho, Derek Ho

Looking for: film festival directors, buyers, distributors, sales agents, journalists

Facebook: A Thousand Words Unspoken

Hashtags used: #1000words, #LGBT, #religion, #family, #chinese, #apology, #singapore, #australia, #gay, #asian, #gaysian, #humanrights

Website: derekho.com.au

Made in association with: Yellow Fellow Films in association with Real World Pictures

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Melbourne Documentary Film Festival/ Melbourne - 30/06/2020 to 15/07/2020