SXSW 2020 – I Will Make You Mine
Three women wrestle with life's difficulties while confronting their past relationships with the same man.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Lynn Chen
Watch I Will Make You Mine on Vudu, Prime Video and Google Play
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I have been an actor for over three decades, and one of my most frequent collaborators is filmmaker Dave Boyle. He’s directed me in several movies, two of them being Surrogate Valentine and its sequel, Daylight Savings, starring musician Goh Nakamura. These films both went to SXSW in 2011 and 2012 and since they each had a cliffhanger ending, I assumed there would be another sequel. So when I went for a hike with Dave in November 2017, I asked him when he would finish the trilogy. He told me it was never going to happen. Even though I had never written or produced or directed a feature film, let alone a short - something within me wondered out loud, “What if I make it happen?” Dave gave me his blessing and promised he would help. I wasn’t entirely sure if he was serious, or if he thought that I was joking, but a fire was lit.
That same week, I traveled to Boston for Thanksgiving. On the flight there and back, I wrote the first draft. I decided to take the three female characters from the first two movies and tell the story from their points of view - flipping the narrative, and making Goh’s character the love interest. I admit that the initial reason I chose to make this movie from the feminine perspective was selfish - I wanted to create a juicy leading role for myself - but quickly it morphed into a desire to write for other Asian-American women. There was a line in Surrogate Valentine where Goh joked that growing up with sisters was like “drowning in a sea of estrogen.” I was curious about what that might actually look like, so I intentionally surrounded him with female lovers, friends, and a daughter.
Throughout my career I have been the token Asian actress in a cast of mostly white men - I wanted to put my colleagues who I saw only in waiting rooms or on red carpets in front of the same camera, and showcase how diverse we actually are. I wanted to create opportunities so that we are no longer just competing for a single role written by someone who will never understand our lives. I Will Make You Mine has been an opportunity to prove just that - “Rachel,” “Yea-Ming,” “Erika,” “Sachiko,” “Amy,” and “Julia” couldn’t be more different from one another, and not one of them is reduced to an exotified stereotype. No one does karate. No one has an accent. They are the women I relate to, the women I know, the women I have wanted to play for 30 years.
I was driven to make this movie happen while we had the momentum - instead of waiting for investors, we crowd-funded a portion of our budget and finished filming the movie almost exactly one year later, the day before Thanksgiving.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The feeling I most want to share is hope. Hope that it’s not too late to be the person you dreamed you would be. Hope that as we get older, we can take the time to be proud of everything we’ve accomplished, rather than disappointed over all the detours and dead ends. Hope that we can open our eyes to a different perspective by acknowledging and honoring the thoughts and desires of our former selves.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Early in my career I thought a lot about writing and producing but was always too scared to try. I knew that acting was my true love, and I feared the idea of putting energy into another career that I wasn’t as passionate about. I already knew how difficult the entertainment business is, and I felt insecure that I would fail and waste everyone’s time and money. But with I Will Make You Mine, I wasn’t afraid. For one thing, I knew I was supported by my producers - along with Dave Boyle, I had a team of experienced filmmakers (Mye Hoang, Cathy Shim, Emily Ting) who understood the challenges I would face, not only as a first-time director but as an Asian-American woman.
I’d always heard that once an actress turns 40. She gets put out to pasture. I was not interested in that future, not without a fight. I didn’t mind putting all of the work into this movie because I felt called to make it. I was fully aware that writing, producing, directing, and acting in a feature film was going to be difficult, but it also felt like this wasn’t going to happen in any other time of my life. It was now or never. This theme of aging - of feeling like there’s an expiration date on our dreams and our happiness - is directly reflected throughout the movie.
I had spent ten years creating two blogs, a podcast, and making my own non-scripted videos so I already knew the secret of making something happen - you have to stop thinking about doing it and actually do it.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I Will Make You Mine pretty much wrote itself. I took the characters created by Dave Boyle, Goh Nakamura, Michael Lerman, and Joel Clark out of their storage boxes, dusted them off, and allowed them to interact with one another. I never outlined or worried about structure. I didn’t plan anything plot-wise. The only thing I knew was that I had to finally end this trilogy. I was not going to leave Goh’s love life a mystery, as it had been in the previous two movies. I was also inspired by Yea-Ming’s music. She had already written the song “I Will Make You Mine,” and it just sounded like a great title for a movie. As I listened to her lyrics, they influenced what her character was going through, and how the story unfolded.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We had hoped to world premiere at SXSW so we are heartbroken it's been cancelled. But I'm grateful we have other festivals already lined up, and will be available for streaming via Gravitas Ventures on-demand starting May 26th.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'd love for people to watch I Will Make You Mine and spread the word when it's out on demand on May 26th. I had been hoping SXSW would give us the ability to reach a wider audience, so I appreciate your help.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We'd love to screen this at as many film festivals as possible before May 26th and also for journalists to consider doing a review/interview.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love to inspire other Asian Americans and women to tell their own stories.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Did your life turn out the way you had hoped? How is it different from what you imagined 10 years ago?
Would you like to add anything else?
Each of these women reflects a very personal side of myself - how I feel as an aging artist, being childless, and dealing with the loss of a parent. The scene where Erika falls apart while buying a funeral dress actually happened to me - while I was crying in front of the salesperson, I remember feeling mortified but also thinking, “One day I will turn this pain into something!” I used my own father’s photographs and belongings (like his watch and his water bottle) as props in the film. The movie is dedicated to him. He was always my biggest champion.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I just finished acting in three feature films and am looking to keep writing/directing my own work.
Interview: February 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
I Will Make You Mine
Three women wrestle with life's difficulties while confronting their past relationships with the same man.
Length: 1:19:00
Director: Lynn Chen
Producer: Dave Boyle, Lynn Chen, Mye Hoang, Cathy Shim, Emily Ting
Writer: Lynn Chen
About the writer, director and producer:
LYNN CHEN has a 3-decade career with acting credits in over 50 TV shows (Shameless, Silicon Valley), films (Saving Face, Go Back to China), audiobooks (Crazy Rich Asians) and video games (Call of Duty). She's an activist with Time's Up and The National Eating Disorders Association. Lynn makes her filmmaking debut with I Will Make You Mine, an official selection of the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.
Key cast: Lynn Chen (Rachel), Yea-Ming Chen (Yea-Ming), Ayako Fujitani (Erika), Goh Nakamura (Goh), Mike Faiola (Josh), Tamlyn Tomita (Julia), Joy Osmanski (Amy)
Looking for: journalists, film festival directors
Facebook: I Will Make You Mine
Twitter: @IWMYMfilm
Instagram: @iwmymfilm
Hashtags used: #iwillmakeyoumine, #iwmymfilm
Website: iwillmakeyoumine.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Gray Hat Productions
Funders: Kickstarter
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? May 26, 2020 - Available to stream on demand