ABOUT THE MOVIE

          "The Present" is about drama about a suicidal young woman's journey to self-discovery of her own strength with the help of a mysterious stranger with a connection to her through her recently deceased mother.

Time Frame

After the 2003 SARS epidemic, Taiwan took some time to get back on its feet. This story starts a couple years after it was safe for everyone to stop wearing face masks all the time but people are still learning to live with the devastation it has caused their homeland.

Location:

There isn't anywhere in the world that recreates Taipei, Taiwan, perfectly, and so this film will be shot in Taipei, Taiwan. The locations featured will be around the XinDian area the Shi Da Ye Shi. Originally, Dan Shui was considered, but the crowds there would be too much for the small crew to wrangle. The importance of the location is getting the sense of traditional Taiwan culture, which carries many inherited important attributes that help shape the story in accordance to the culture. Also, for those who had never seen Taipei, this is more exotic and eye-opening for the Chinese culture that is just starting to change more during the past few years.

The Shoot

March 24th – March 30th, 2012

Themes

Major themes covered is the struggle against death and reconciliation. For Xin, especially after SARS has taken her grandparents and the sudden death of her mother, she is alone and very vulnerable. Because she had never known her father, she feels like she has nothing left to live for, thus choosing to end her own existence. Her battle is an internal struggle against the depression of being alone and trying to find a reason to continue living. For James, having long since abandoned his pregnant girlfriend and unborn child, he has felt guilt for the past 17 years. Though he had gotten married, he had never had children with his wife. When he returns to Taipei to make amends with Xin, his journey to reconciliation is difficult, but he works hard. In many ways, this idea is very much a fantasy because of the supernatural way it happens.

Director's Note

For a long time, I couldn't figure out why my mother insisted on my keeping up with the traditions of the Chinese culture. For an ABC (American born Chinese), like me, I longed for the commercialized family I saw in TV shows. I thought it pompous for Chinese people to have their own holidays and couldn't see why they insisted on following the lunar calendar. I struggled with the two cultures battling within me for so long and knew that if I chose one or the other, I would be even more miserable. I felt stuck and depressed, unable to figure out who I was and prohibited of doing what I wanted to do. I lived in such an environment for the first 21 years of my life. ... And then I grew up. Now, despite being an American, I am proud of my Chinese heritage and way of life. I've continually improved my oral Chinese skills and always take the chance to improve my illiteracy. I can drink tea like it's water and eat things that most Americans would never take a second look at. And this is all because I finally came to the understanding that I didn't have to choose between the two cultures because, in fact, they worked quite well together to make me the happy filmmaker I am today.