“A Shot Through The Wall ”, an upcoming film, showcases the aftermath of an accidental shooting of an African American man by a Chinese-American police officer
Mike Tan, main character in the film, played by Kenny Leu, portrays his fervent guilt he experiences when dealing with the consequences of his inexorable action. The shooting incident immediately hit social media and has erupted in news outlets that sparked protests throughout the film. The film portrays how Tan navigates the world of complicated media, by making an effort to save his image in a faultless manner, injustice, by revealing the intense trial adjudicating the matter, between a victim and police officer, and the complexities of racial politics, determining if this is an issue of racism, or if it simply what Tan claims for this matter to be — an accident. With the support of his partner, Candace, played by Ciara Renée, father and sister, played by Tzi Ma and Lynn Chen, and police force standing behind him, Clifton Davis, he learns that this case is not one that will easily be settled in court, but is yet another contribution to an already on-going dispute between civilians, police officers while combating the issues of police brutality and racial politics
Film director and writer, Aimee Long, tells us more about the creation of this film:
The Knockturnal: What was the inspiration behind casting an Asian American lead as someone in the midst of a recurrent racial issue?
Aimee Long: I am Chinese-American myself. I wanted to see myself represented on screen. We started this project in 2015 before Crazy Rich Asians and the wave of Asian-American films. I wanted to write something grounded and authentic to my culture and upbringing. Also, when we are talking about these racial issues, we only usually hear about the Black and White. We, as Asian-Americans, are often ‘othered’. I wanted to insert ourselves into the conversation. We are Americans too. We belong here.
The Knockturnal: How was working with the casted talent to bring together the film?
Aimee Long: I had a great time with this cast. I was so grateful to be able to put this cast together. The casting process took a really long time, my casting director, Pat McCorkle, was extremely patient with me. I had a very specific vision in mind and she respected the fact that I wanted to keep the cast authentic. I really had a very humbling experience working with this cast, a lot of them are veterans. Tzi Ma and Clifton Davis, for example, were a joy to have on set. I also learned so much from them. They really believed in the film and the messages behind it.
The Knockturnal: Overall, how would you describe your experience creating this film?
Aimee Long: It had its set of challenges, but I think it was all worth it in the end. We had a very small budget, we tried to come up with creative ways to split a dollar in half. We were ambitious with this project and I think it ultimately paid off. I am very grateful that my cast and crew stuck with me through it all and really believed in my vision for the story. I learned a lot as a first time director. I also learned a lot about race relations and forced myself to dig within to find my voice in the matter. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
The Knockturnal: What would you say was the most difficult part in creating the film? Did you stick to the script all throughout? Were there any changes you had to make?
Aimee Long: The most difficult part of creating the film is honestly the weight of such a film. I really believe that I had a social responsibility to such a story and I really want to make sure I handled it with care. I think that there are real people involved in incidents like this. I wanted to make sure I don’t re-traumatize my audience. It was also very important to me that we don’t oversimplify the problem. There aren’t any easy solutions. I don’t have the answers to solve the problem. I wanted to present the problem with authenticity and have people spark a real conversation. I really believe the only way to solve a problem is by presenting it, acknowledging it, and confronting it. It’s an extremely uncomfortable topic, especially when I started this journey in 2015. This was before BLM came to the center of attention and before anyone was willing to talk about this issue or listen. We wanted to shine a light on stories that were uncomfortable and difficult for people to talk about. We did stick to the script for the most part. When I first wrote the film, I was adamant about not showing the actual incident. Back then, when an incident like this happened, we didn’t usually see it played out; there weren’t a lot of body cams or bystanders filming then. But then the times changed during post production. We see a lot more real-time incidents happening on the news and via social media. So when we did our test screening after our first cut, the audience really asked for it. The focus shifted to a different part of the conversation when we didn’t show the incident. We had to go back for some pick-ups and create the specifics of the fictional incident. That was the biggest change in the script.
The Knockturnal: What do you hope for viewers to get out of the film after viewing?
Aimee Long: I really wanted people to start a conversation. I also wanted people to see an authentic Asian-American family on screen, apart from the tropes and stereotypes. I wanted the audience to see Asian-Americans represented on screen. I wanted to show all the nuance in the aftermath of a tragic incident like this where things are not all black and white. Nothing is ever one thing. Especially, with issues that are so systemic, there are many factors that ripple throughout our whole society. I wanted to try and capture that feeling and, hopefully, urge the viewer to take some sort of action to understand and improve what exists in our world.
The Knockturnal: For the future, do you plan on creating more films that are similar to “A Shot Through the Wall”?
Aimee Long: Haha. I think I might take a break and do a lighter toned film next. I still very much want to make films with social commentary. I believe that’s what draws me to this medium, film. I want to make sure my films have meaning and a message behind them. I want to make films that are worth my time. I don’t mind if my films make people feel uneasy or uncomfortable, I like to live in that space. I want to continue making nuanced films that push boundaries for sure.
“A Shot Through The Wall” is set to premiere in theaters this Friday, January 21st.
