Soft Sounds of Peeling Fruit
A coming of age story of a rebellious Korean American teenager named Hayoung who discovers the complexities of her mother’s love.
Interview with Production Designer Shi Min Yong
Watch Soft Sounds of Peeling Fruit here:
Congratulations! Why did you production design this film?
I was approached by Korean-American director Shelly Yo to production design her film. I was moved by the strong script and Hayoung’s character arc. I had many long conversations with Shelly and despite being Singaporean, there were a lot of tangible and intangible elements of Asian family and culture, the memories of youth during that specific time period, that I strongly relate to and identify. Shelly has a strong vision and she liked the preliminary production design look book that I made. We connected very well and I joined her on this journey to tell her story.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you like a coming-of-age period drama, taking a walk down memory lane, I guess this would be the right film for you!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
It is Shelly’s deeply personal story that encapsulates her Korean American experience, yet is it also a story with universal themes of love, growth, loneliness, empowerment and social class.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The overall story arc has stayed the same but certain details in the script did change based on the locations we have found. During post-production many scenes with specific locations/sets were cut out, it was not an easy decision but it is all for making the story better.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I did not attend the Tribeca Film Festival premiere, but I have heard from fellow crew members and friends who attended that the feedback was positive.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
No, but I do know that this has been a huge learning experience and there is always room for improvements on my part.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I just want to increase the visibility and audience base for this film, and hopefully people would be as touched by it as me.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Anyone who is interested and connected with the film is more than welcome to reach out to us!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope it helps people to have a better understanding of their parents who may express love in other ways.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Remember those flip phones?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Another short film that I production designed called MASS AVE is currently going on the festival circuit, it is a story about the strained relationship between a first-generation Sierra Leonean American and his traditional immigrant father.
Guo Guo is currently Head of Production at Media RED and Shelly is currently in development for a variety of projects, highlighting the stories of Asian Americans, immigrants, misfits and people living on the fringes of society.
Interview: August 2021
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
Soft Sounds of Peeling Fruit
Length:
14:00
Writer/Director
So Young Shelly Yo is a first-generation Korean-American director, screenwriter, editor and visual creative from Southern California. She holds an M.F.A. from Columbia University of New York and a B.A. from University of California San Diego. Her recent short MOONWALK WITH ME was a finalist for HBO’s APA Visionaries competition and was granted AT&T’s InspirASIAN Film Award (CAAM) and Best Student Film (Dead Center Film Festival).
Shelly is a recipient of SFFILM’s Sloan Filmmaker Fellowship, VC Media’s AWC Fellowship, a two-time finalist for Tribeca’s Through Her Lens Filmmaker Program and the Athena Screenwriting Lab. She is also a 2nd rounder for the Sundance Development Lab in 2020 and a finalist for the SFFILM Westridge Grant in 2020.
Production Designer
Born in Singapore, Shi Min began her career as a commercial interior designer and came to Los Angeles to pursue her MFA in Production Design at the American Film Institute Conservatory. Shi Min has designed numerous film projects that have been screened at film festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and the CAA Moebius Showcase.
Producer
Based in LA and holds an MFA in producing at the AFI Conservatory, Guo Guo’s producing credits include the Palme d’Or nominated AYKA, winner of Best Actress at 2018 Cannes; 12 CITIZENS, winner of best picture at the 2015 Rome International Film Festival; MEIDUO, a 2020 Shanghai International Film Festival Media Award nominee; as well as 44-episode Chinese TV Series BE WITH YOU that has enjoyed over 1 billion views. During AFI, Guo Guo interned in Sales for HanWay Films at 2019 AFM, and in development for Plan B Entertainment. Fluent in English and Mandarin, she is a current participant in the Women In Film 2020 Mentoring Program. Guo Guo’s goal is to bring people together through a visual storytelling able to transcend time, space and everything in between.
Key cast:
Shannon Young Cho (Hayoung), Sook Hyung Yang (Umma), Luke Kim (Joon), Greena Park (Mrs. Lee)
Looking for:
film festival directors, journalists
Hashtags used:
#risingvoices #softsoundsofpeelingfruit
More info:
Made in association with:
Lena Waithe's Hillman Grad Production and Indeed's Rising Voices Program