| Lowell Teacher a part of the Asian American Film Festival (3/08) | | Print | |
| Written by Soraya Okuda | |
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Other than the great variety of films to choose from in the 26 Annual San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, Lowell students have another thing to note: Lowell High School’s own Chinese teacher, Brian Danforth, was in a 77 minute film, The Princess from Nebraska, presented by renowned director Wayne Wang, which was featured on March 15. In renowned director Wayne Wang’s film, the main character is a college student from Beijing named Sasha, who comes to Nebraska and realizes that she’s pregnant. In a scene where Sasha treks to San Francisco to find information on the father of her child, she encounters Boshen, played by Danforth. “My character is a gay guy who used to live in Beijing, and his boyfriend [who was also Sasha’s former boyfriend] was in the Peking Opera,” Danforth described. Danforth originally heard about the role from his friend by email. “It was a general casting call sent out to a few Chinese American organizations noting that a well-known major director was casting several parts for a movie to be shot locally,” Danforth wrote in an email. “They were most concerned about finding a person to play Boshen, a 40-year old Caucasian, fluent in Mandarin and English, with a deep knowledge and love of Chinese culture. The character sounded a bit too much like me to pass up.” Danworth filmed from last April to mid May. “The filming worked out well in his schedule, because he was able to leave school in the afternoon,” Japanese teacher Naomi Okada said. Prior to the film, Danforth had little acting experience, besides playing in a rock band in college. “One reason I got the job was because the director, Wang, said after my screen test that ‘as a teacher, you perform everyday,’” Danforth recalled. Danworth found working with Wang and the cast rewarding. “[Wang] tells stories that other people have never been able to tell as successfully,” Danworth said. “I was thrilled to work with the entire cast and crew, and really enjoyed seeing Wang in the middle of the creative process. It was a real treat to see his passion for the craft of film making and for the telling of stories detailing the Asian-American experience.” Lead actress Ling Li, portraying Sasha in the film, (who at the time of filming was a senior at O’Connell High School) enjoyed Danworth’s company. “In working with Danworth, I feel that there was a connection, not just from a student to a teacher, but because he spoke Chinese (my native language). It was a wonderful experience working with him,” Li wrote in an email. “My most memorable experience with him on set is when we had to shoot a scene near 3rd street. It was freezing that day, and both of us ending up standing there for a few hours, repeating the same lines and adjusting our posture to the correct spot,” Li added. Lowell students and teachers have been actively involved in the film festival. US History teacher Barbara Blinick took her class on a field trip on Tuesday March 18 to gain further insight into World War II by watching Cats of Mirikatani, a film about street artists and Japanese internment camps. “We saw the movie for history and for fun,” junior Arman Liwanag said. Chinese and French teacher Lani Nahleen Pang also brought her class to watch a break-dancing documentary at the festival, which showcased b-boys from various parts of the world, such as Japan and Korea, according to freshman Samuel Rothman and junior Traci Liang. Not all students who go to the festival are required to. “I’m just going with a few friends to volunteer,” senior Alison Huang said, who was an usher and line monitor during the event. “It’s cool just to be around all the film makers and get more of a feel for the production of the movies,” long-time festival volunteer and senior David Pon said. “You get to see the people involved, like the producers and actors. The most exciting part is that I get to watch free movies,” Pon added. “If it wasn’t for the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, I would be ticketless and shirtless, and then where would I be?” As the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, the festival presents approximately 120 acts in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose. The festival played at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas and the Castro Theatre, with screenings in San Jose’s Camera 12 Cinemas and Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive Theater. Although only two days remain in the festival (March 21 to March 23), Lowell students can still view films in San Jose’s Camera 12 Cinemas. Film festival coordinator Chi-Hui Yang especially recommended the Ping Pong Playa (“a great comedy about a family of ping pong players, and the slacker son who must save the day”), as well as The Killing of a Chinese Cookie (a “hilarious and very entertaining documentary about the history of the fortune cookie”), and the Glory Boy Days (“a film made in San Jose about a group of slacker friends on the cusp of high school and college”) to Lowell students. For more information about the event, visit the festival’s Web site (www.festival.asianamericanmedia.org). |
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