ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS FROM THE 25TH ASIAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (AAIFF) EDITION OF CINEVUE

JUSTIN LIN
"Passion, A Good Team and Leverage" — 2002 AAIFF

ERIC LIN
"Alter Egos" — 2002 AAIFF

MARLINA GONZALES
"Finding 32 East Broadawy, Asian CineVision's First Home" — 2002 AAIFF

ROGER GARCIA
"Shopping for Space on the Shelf" — 2002 AAIFF

 
 
 

ALTER EGOS
by Eric Lin
6.15.02

It’s probably just an overblown sense of self-importance talking, but I like that think that indie filmmakers are like superheroes (not in the sense that we actually save lives or do anything heroic like that). Along with others driven by passion or purpose, we indie filmmakers lumber through the drudgery of our day jobs and, by night (or on weekends), we don our baseball caps, our DP vests and we try to save the world one film at a time. Just as each superhero has their own individual ability (Ant Man can shrink smaller than an ant and can communicate with insects -- neat), every indie filmmaker has their own story that they believe the world should see and in bringing that story to the screen, they will have changed the world somehow for the better. With my own films, I want to tell fresh, imaginative stories that critique society and empower and educate the viewer, urging them to take part in the social dialogue.

Is there crime out there that must be confronted? You better believe it (think Jason X). And, are we filmmakers out there thwarting criminality on every corner, saving the babies, taking down the henchmen and battling the bosses? Sadly, no. Not enough of us. I know filmmakers whose sole ambition is to become the next Green Golblin or the next Lex Luthor of filmmaking. Which is fine of course…except for the fact that they will have to live in constant fear as I hunt them down one by one and lock them up in Arkham Asylum where they will remain until they are cured of their psychotic filmmaking impulses through extensive electroshock therapy (ahem – pardon my zealous spittle).

As I continue to make films I realize more and more that for me every project is a search for kindred spirits that I can share the process of filmmaking with. Batman has his Robin. Wolverine has his X-men. Wonder Woman has her Justice League. I am constantly searching my group of Super-Friends to fight alongside with out there in the in the land of Crossroads and Scooby Doo. I want to find a band of misfits, of outcasts who, together in the Batcave (perhaps in tights and masks, perhaps not), we will hatch plots, dream up schemes to produce cinema that will make you talk in your sleep, cinema that will tickle you while you are showering (by this, I mean challenging cinema, of course: cinema that makes you ask questions; cinema that strives to be more than just trivial entertainment). The real super-human effort will be actually finding funding for these schemes.

But, we are of disciplined minds and strong bodies. We are tireless and determined.

And, when we are assembled, watch out.