success<\/a> and popularity of Celine Song\u2019s \u201cPast Lives,\u201d it has seemingly reached a wider audience.<\/p>\nIt has also reached Ann Arbor, thanks to the efforts of Trevor Zhou, an alum of the University of Michigan. Born in China and raised in Ann Arbor, Zhou is an actor-turned-director, seeking to bring his upcoming directorial debut, \u201cAnn Arbor,\u201d to life. The film follows two middle-aged college alumni, Kendrick and Jane, as they reconnect over the course of a single night. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, I had the opportunity to talk with Zhou about all things Ann Arbor, film and life. Ultimately, I wanted to know the writing process behind a walk-and-talk film.<\/p>\n
In walk-and-talk films, the characters drive the narrative. Without compelling, interesting protagonists, a dialogue-driven film is doomed. The challenge in these films is having them interact naturally, sustaining the narrative with charisma, wit and ingenuity. Zhou studied the script of Linklater\u2019s \u201cBefore Sunset\u201d and drew inspiration for Kendrick from his own life.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\u201cKendrick is a pretty complex character just because he lives in a sort of Asian guilt. I\u2019m Chinese, and Kendrick is the \u2018what if\u2019 had I done everything my parents wanted me to do in life. (The character) was kind of a, \u2018Would I be happy?\u2019 \u2026 I draw on a lot of my own experiences in Ann Arbor to paint his world with a lot of specificity,\u201d Zhou said. \u201cA lot of the stories inside of it are my own. And what I\u2019ve learned in filmmaking and writing is that when you get specific, people have something to grab onto and they can catch that thread and come along with the ride \u2026 When you try to make (a film) for everyone, it\u2019s for no one.\u201d <\/p>\n
But Kendrick is not simply a stand-in for Zhou. He also uses the character to combat larger, societal norms.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis film is really important to me because it showcases Asian masculinity in a way that I usually don\u2019t see. Asian masculinity in American society is usually kung fu or gangster. Outside of those representations, (you see something) like Japanese feudal \u2014 we\u2019re taking it way the fuck back. So, (these depictions don\u2019t) represent who we are as people,\u201d Zhou said. \u201cAlso, that type of masculinity tends to be self-destructive: You turn to physical (action) rather than emotional and try to resolve it that way. Kendrick here, he\u2019s vulnerable, he shares, he opens up his world and we get to know who he is. He\u2019s brave in the way that he bears his soul. I feel that type of masculinity is not seen enough, and it should be shared more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jane\u2019s characterization was a large focus point for Zhou, based on people he has encountered over the years. While writing Jane, Zhou similarly drew on personal encounters and sought to avoid cinematic cliches.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things that I wanted to make sure I got right was Jane\u2019s character \u2026 I hate the manic pixie dream girl trope, where this quirky girl comes in and saves the dude. She has no internal world of her own. She has no objective or goals that she\u2019s seeking in life, and she just seems to be plopped in there just to solve this man\u2019s problems,\u201d Zhou said. \u201cThere are so many movies that make that sort of choice. You have \u2018Garden State,\u2019 you have even \u2018Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.\u2019 Jane has her own internal world, her own struggles. She has her own demon that she\u2019s fighting and she\u2019s not here to try to solve his problem, but she does try to help because they\u2019re friends.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nZhou leaned into the characters\u2019 unique history with each other\u00a0to propel their dialogue:<\/p>\n
\u201cThey both end up helping each other. As I was writing it, I wanted to make sure that these two people were the only people in the world that could open these portals \u2026 between their current selves and their past selves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zhou also used his acting knowledge to deepen each character and their exchanges.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you are an actor, or when you take acting classes, you can start looking at these lines that you\u2019re writing and then fighting for this person to exist. Every scene should have conflict for the most part. What are (the characters) fighting for (in that scene)? What are the stakes at hand?\u201d Zhou said. \u201cI go back and forth, I\u2019ll fight for Kendrick in one revision, and then, I\u2019ll fight for Jane in the other revision. I look at points where they could argue more and have their past come up as weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n
The environment almost plays a third character in walk-and-talk films, being a constant background. Cities provide texture and subtle ways to move the plot forward. Linklater\u2019s \u201cBefore Sunset\u201d and Song\u2019s \u201cPast Lives,\u201d for instance, are set in Paris and New York, respectively, and the cities shift and change to accommodate tone. If the characters want to grab a coffee or hop on the ferry, their urban environment easily allows them to. Both cities also have the benefit of having a clear identity, be it the city of love or the city that never sleeps, an artistic haven or a gritty Gotham.<\/p>\n