Producer, “The Motel”
Interviewed by Cinema AZN, courtesy of AZN Television

CAZN:   As producer of the film, what are your responsibilities?

Karin Chien:  On this particular film, I came on board when the director, Michael Kang, was ready to start pre-production.  So I handled a lot of the physical production work.  And I ended up staying on board through post-production, through the festival circuit, and even now as we’re locking in distribution...When Michael came to me with the project, he already had three producers on board…  So on each film a producer’s responsibility differs, depending on what the project requires, what the director needs and who the other producers are.

CAZN:  What was it like working with Michael Kang?

KC:  Michael’s great to work with. He has a very generous soul.  And to be honest, it’s not so common in filmmakers. Michael is a very intuitive filmmaker, so it’s a lot of fun to watch him work.  He’s also very much into the collaborative process, which for a producer is really what you want in a director.

CAZN: How does this experience compare with your experience on “Robot Stories?”

KC:  “Robot Stories” was my first film as a producer, so the whole thing was kind of a trial by fire.  And Greg Pak, you know, took a chance on me, because I hadn’t had producing experience.  The production of the film was more difficult, because it was a lower budget, and because we started shooting on September 11th in 2001 – or September 11th,  was the second day of filming.  Also, there were no other experienced producers on board, whereas with “The Motel,” we had three other producers.

CAZN: What do you look for in a script when deciding whether or not to produce it?

KC:  It’s hard to say what I look for, because, for example, I don’t like science fiction, and “Robot Stories” is a science fiction film.  I look for good writing, which is very easy to tell because there are a lot of poorly written scripts out there.  And I look for strong storytelling skills.  The other half of the equation is the director and the other people involved.  It’s really important to me to work with people I find interesting but also would be challenging for me to work with, both creatively and intellectually.  It’s also important to work with decent people, because I’m going to end up spending a lot of time with them.  I want to make sure that they’re people I can trust. 

CAZN:  Specifically, what attracted you to the script of “The Motel?”

KC:  The narrative and the dialogue and the characters were all beautifully written.  And meeting Mike, and knowing that Mike was a good friend of Greg’s, I immediately felt I had a rapport with him. 

CAZN:  What is the message of “The Motel?”

KC:  I don’t think I should say; I mean, that’s up to the viewers to find out what the message is.  And I don’t know if the movie necessarily has a message.   To me it’s just a beautiful portrait of a boy growing up in an environment that he doesn’t necessarily fit into; and in that sense I think it’s a universal story.

CAZN:  What was the most difficult situation you faced in producing it?

KC:  I think what’s been hard is, now that the film has come out – it premiered at Sundance earlier this year – just drawing attention to the film.  It’s a smaller film, and it’s an independent film, and we don’t have any name actors in it; so it’s hard to get the press attention that the bigger films get, or the films with the bigger cast names.

CAZN:  So why do you think film festivals are important, and what roles do they play in, say, “The Motel,” specifically?

KC: Film festivals are a key part of the independent film industry.  For a film like “The Motel,” it’s where the film gets sold.  And it’s where the film finds its audience.  For “The Motel” and “Robot Stories,” I think both of those films, without the festivals, would not have had a life after having been completed…
And Asian-American festivals are great, because they generate community support for the movie before its release.

CAZN:  “The Motel” has won numerous awards.  What do you think are the reasons for this acclaim?

KC:  It’s just strong filmmaking.  I think the strength of the script actually comes across on screen, which you don’t always get. We have a very strong cast.  And it’s a quiet film.  It’s one of the few films I’ve seen where I think the spirit of the script carries over to the final product. 

CAZN:  Do you have any other projects that you would like to talk about?

KC:  I’m currently in post-production on a film called “Undoing,” which is the second film by Christian Ming, who directed “Yellow.”  It was really exciting to work with Chris, because he is one of the pioneers of Asian-American independent film; “Yellow” was one of the first Asian-American films I saw when I was coming out of college.  The film stars Sung Kang, who is in “The Motel,” Russell Wong, and Kelly Hu.  So it’s a great Asian-American cast.

CAZN:  Well good luck with that.

KC:  Thanks very much