The 2020 Hamptons International Film Festival this weekend highlighted an enlightening conversation with critically acclaimed actor and producer Steven Yeun.
Perhaps best known for his role of Glenn Rhee on AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” Yeun originated and developed this pivotal character from the series’ first episode and made him a favorite of both fans and critics alike for seven seasons. In Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari,”Yeun plays a father who relocates his family from California to Arkansas in search of the American Dream.
“We had an independent budget. And so we didn’t have enough time. We didn’t have enough takes. But Isaac assembled such a brilliant cast and crew…so it worked,” said Yeun during the panel with Eric Kohn, the New York–based Executive Editor & Chief Critic at IndieWire.
The film was an official selection of the festival and Yeun also executive produced. He spoke about Korean culture coming to the forefront in American cinema with the project, as well as the recent Oscar win of “Parasite,” which shifted a dynamic in the states.
“We’re in a place now where it was something like that is transcended in American cinema, to have one of those accolades and to kind of cut through in the way that it did,” he stated. I hope that means that we’re in a time where we might be able to see each other for who we actually are and that is the most exciting thing is that we might add to what seems to be like a more connected future in a way that’s not so delineated. That’s not so separate, but really just kind of understanding. Yes there’s cultural differences but also there is deep humanity that we all can access.”
The Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to celebrate Independent film—long, short, fiction and documentary—and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences. The festival is committed to exhibiting films that express fresh voices and differing global perspectives, with the hope that these programs will enlighten audiences, provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers and present inspired entertainment for all.
