Picture of the movie Blue Bayou © 2021 Focus Features, LLC.
Blue Bayou as seen by Justin Chon
With Blue Bayou, director and actor Justin Chon, who first rose to fame in the Twilight saga, reflects on the promises inherent to the American dream, exposing the difficulties underpinning integration and equal rights for all. The filmmaker stars in the film alongside Alicia Vikander, playing Antonio LeBlanc, a Korean-American whose past catches up with him when he finds out that he may be deported from the country he has always called home.
What inspired you to begin work on this film?
I read a few articles about international adoptees who were brought to the U.S. as children by American citizens, raised as Americans, and who were about to be deported. The injustice of these deportations made me feel extremely emotional. I felt their stories needed to be told.
What was your working method and the atmosphere like on set?
I am a very collaborative filmmaker. I come prepared, but I am always ready to throw it all away for what is being created in the moment. I love ideas that come from all the craftspeople on my team.
Can you tell us a few words about your actors?
All my actors are incredible. Alicia Vikander is a true professional, an actor who cares deeply about one thing: the work. Mark O’Brien is a chameleon, unrecognisable from role to role. Emory Cohen is an artist who has ideas for days. Linh-Dan Pham is so soulful. And Sydney Kowalske is a treasure just waiting to be found.
What did you learn over the course of making this film?
The main lesson I learned is that it truly is possible to collaborate with people in making an intense film, while also having love for one another during the process.
What inspired you to become a filmmaker? What were the sources of your inspiration?
As an Asian-American filmmaker, I strive to show empathy for my community. Humanity’s capacity for love inspires me, and I want to show how we can all peacefully co-exist on this earth.
Can you tell us about your next project?
My next project is about a rapper in the midst of a break up with his father who happens to be his manager.
