SYNOPSIS “Adultolescence” presents the psychological landscape of a first generation Asian-American family, adding elements of selective memory, voyeurism, escapism, and magical realism, all as ingredients that constantly alter the character of a perceived legacy by the youngest daughter, Lea May. The story begins when Lea returns home after a major career disappointment. She is catapulted back into her real but tainted memories of growing up under the scrutiny of her immigrant mother’s watchful eye that turns into a silencing but damaging disownment. As she films her present-day family and learns what it means to become an artist, Lea must confront the variations of truth that has led her to her own stagnancy and blame. By turns, she realizes there is no escape, fantasy or otherwise, from the unconditional and almost insufferable love she shares with her mother. |
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DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
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Classic Cultural Gap Conflict Redefined: I wanted to make “Adultolescence” as an emotional survey of the psychological landscape of family dynamics, through the eyes of a single family member, but also present multiple points-of-view. I knew this would be crucial, when reinterpreting another story of cultural gap and assimilation, to present something provocative or, at least, emotionally true in order to create a cinematic forum for discussion. It is with thoughtful characterizations that “Adultolescence” presents its dilemma: knowing their parents sacrificed their livelihood to secure their children’s future, how do first-generation Americans reconcile fulfilling parental expectations and going after their own dreams? Inspired by the spirit of Cassavettes’ films, I hope to provide humor and insight into this longstanding conflict by exposing the organic progression of family discontent in its raw, disjointed manifestations. I believe “Adultolescence” explores culturally-specific ideas, but delves into more satisfying, universal themes of family disconnection and alienation. A Fractured Narrative for a Fractured World: I also wanted to weave through the film a visceral, thematic narrative to integrate how popular culture creates a sense of isolation within the individual. “Adultolescence” speaks of today’s media-influenced generation: for the main character, Lea May is so affected by idealized fulfillment, a modern-day “Madame Bovary,” the barrier between reality and fantasy bleeds. Even though Lea relentless searches for truth; she copes with paralyzing aspects in her life by rejecting reality and living in “playland,” as if seeing life from behind a fictitious camera lens. Because Lea is more concerned with observing outside of herself than living in the moment, "Adultolescence" uses a fractured narrative to exemplify the disparity. Her multiple perspectives, in contrast with each other, beg the question “which world is true and which is false?” I believe when we relate primarily through media that brings us stimuli at microwavable speeds, a kind of simulated memory is implanted in the public's experience. It gives us a common "past" and, along with it, a synthetic perspective. However, media can still be a great educator and a source of energy, as long as we don't fall into its lazy eye... that we don't fall into passivity but take on a creator's vision instead.
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ABOUT THE FILM: Q & A Why is the perspective of this film important? The film presents an American family rarely seen in film. It has a raw, emotional appeal that doesn't apologize for showing the deep layers of characters and their relationships as they are, likable or not. The film is more concerned about how we live with each other not how sympathetic we are to an audience. Why should audiences pay attention to this film in terms of sociopolitical relevancy? Because it humanizes the immigrant experience and demystifies the "model minority," showing the commonality in struggles with everyone, American-born or not. It also has secondary, but still important, themes of marginalization of minorities in the media. Larger than this, it is also about how everyone is influenced by the media and lead these borrowed lives from what is fed to them on screen and in magazines. Is this movie autobiographical? I've often asked myself the question, "just what is autobiographical." Early on, while developing the script, I knew that by trying to be pitch-perfect with events, it gets further away from the essence of reality and truth. You place actors, lights, and a camera, and it's never going to be an autobiography. I think the essence of truth is by searching for a parallel story that resembles the truth more. This sounds esoteric? But, sometimes I feel defensive like just because the film answers one word questions about myself, like "Yes, I'm Asian-American, and yes my parents are immigrants, and yes I'm a filmmaker," that this is just a self-involved diatribe. After all, non-fictional elements have to be rewritten in order to create a story and character arc even if not heavily plot-driven. “Adutolescence” has a loose three act structure, not a tidy narrative not because it's rambling on but because it's character driven and it works with the themes of the movie. Then, again, I feel liberated because if a viewer feels this is so real, so cinema-verite, then that's the ultimate compliment. If they feel it's just a diary, then that's not what I intended. Hopefully, I'm creating a story that seeks nothing but itself, regardless of a mainstream audience, as hard as that is on the personal ego. In conclusion, I feel the story has a life of it's own separate from me as a filmmaker. What would you want people to walk away with from this film? Hopefully, it leads to discovering how anyone, as a member of a family, finds value within the family structure. Viewers might look at their own family dynamics and recognize the conflicts that stay repressed but not finished, and how it can keep you stagnant at any age. This film creates a cinematic quandary: how is one to let go of familial issues when family is forever. This is not a young coming-of-age film but a mature coming-of-age film! Why is this film unique and compelling? “Adultolescence” not only searches for truth but searches voyeuristically. When the main character, Lea, copes with paralyzing aspects in her life, the viewer is given a "secret eye" that takes the perspective of Lea’s "mind’s-eye” camera lens, reflecting today's mass-media voyeurism. The theme of "idealized fulfillment" stems from the idea of how we as a society have inherited a kind of collective, subconscious memory as a result of the enormous influence the media has on popular culture. The duality of the protagonist’s perceived realities, melding imagination and reality is presented intuitively so the movie audience can not only follow jumps in subjective timelines but in subjective perspectives. This unique stylistic approach to filmmaking not only lays out the vast landscape of the Lea’s mind, but allows the audience to experience the story viscerally. The ending is not a traditional Hollywood ending. What would you like the viewers to come away with at the end Every viewer should be able to process their own ending with regards to their own personal experience. For me, the final scene between mother and daughter reveals that underneath their differences lies a reservoir of mutual love and metaphysical understanding that reaches beyond cultural understanding and, beyond that, fundamental differences. Family members live in this impossible place with each other but have to find a way to coexist. I hope “Adultolescence” manages to explore assimilation and the culture gap without any usual ethnic clichés, and reaches beyond this family to any family in the global community.
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