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Edmund Lee


48 HOURS: What was the last great comedy that you watched?
YEE CHIH-YEN: Comedy? I haven't watched any memorable ones recently. [ Pauses] I rewatched the Peter Sellers movie The Party (1968), which I really like. And I've always enjoyed the works of Monty Python and the Marx Brothers for their trademark anarchy.
Do you personally find your new film, Meeting Dr Sun (opens November 20), funny? Are you satisfied with the result?
There's inevitably a bit of regret with every project that I've done — from Blue Gate Crossing  [2002] to some of the projects that I've done since. You always think about what could have been done differently if there's a chance to do it all over again. But it's pointless to think about this, anyway, because every project is a process of experimentation in itself.
As you have included the name of Dr Sun in your film title, people seem to be interpreting the story from a socio-political perspective. Was that your intention?
It was. Why else would I feature a statue of Sun Yat-sen in the film instead of, say, Confucius? There are so many bronze statues in the Taiwanese campuses — of Confucius, Chiang Kai-shek, Sun Yat-sen, and even a few headmasters from the past. [ Laughs] I'm making a statement by picking Sun Yat-sen. I don't shy away from any political, economic or social interpretations.
When did this film project begin? And when was the production completed?
The script was written in 2010. We then spent some time on finding investors, and a long time — almost a year — finding the right actors. The shoot began in August 2013 and took 30-odd days to complete.
How did your writing respond to the social atmosphere at the time?
By that point, society was overwhelmingly capitalistic. It was because I felt strongly about that atmosphere that I chose to tackle the topic [of poverty] in my film.
So that was why you tell a story about impoverished teenagers?
My more recognisable works revolve around young people. When you make a movie about them, it's more or less always a coming-of-age story that portrays its protagonists' enlightenment through death or sex, two popular subjects I wanted to stay away from that this time. While people at that age seldom have the opportunity to come across death, sex is pretty much a part of everyday life nowadays. I think the awareness of social inequality can provide more of an enlightenment to the characters.
Your film is described as a response to the Sunflower movement of earlier this year, even though it wrapped well before that. Are you OK with that interpretation?
Yes, because I think every film or work of fiction has a life of its own — even though my script was written two years before that happened. I mean, I participated in the Sunflower movement, too. It's about having the different walks of life in Taiwan share the same perspective on a certain issue, and voice it out together in public.
Meeting Dr Sun  is only your third full-length feature to date. Given the acclaim of your previous works, is there any reason you aren't more prolific?
There's no concrete reason. It's tough making movies. And I hope with every one I make, I have something meaningful to say and share with the audience, so that I can justify the large amount of money and labour put into it. I've always been writing scripts, but I realised a lot of them were just nonsense or a waste of time and money.
So all this time you have been waiting for the perfect script.
Right. I've always admired Terrence Malick. He made three movies in two decades, but with every film he did, you feel he had something to say. I'm not comparing my work with his, by any means — his is so much better than mine — but somehow, you realise that every creative person should work at his own tempo.
Perhaps you could learn from him and start to shoot several films in two years.
[Laughs] Indeed, indeed. But it's hard to predict whether the films he shot in those two years will be any good.
 


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48 Hours

The Taiwanese director makes his long-awaited return to feature filmmaking with Meeting Dr Sun


The Inquisition: Taiwanese filmmaker Yee Chih-yen

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Taiwanese director makes his long-awaited return to feature filmmaking with Meeting Dr Sun

The Taiwanese director makes his long-awaited return to feature filmmaking with Meeting Dr Sun