An exciting and eye-opening BEHIND THE LENS as we span the globe exploring cultures and historical events thanks to our special guests, LEON LEE and NAMRATA SINGH GUJRAL, plus our exclusive interview with writer/director AMMA ASANTE.
We kick off this episode of #BTLRadioShow with our exclusive interview with writer/director AMMA ASANTE who talks about her latest film, the emotionally powerful WHERE HANDS TOUCH. Set in 1944 Germany, Asante explores an oft-overlooked part of World War II history – the Rhineland Bastards, the name given by the Nazis to those of mixed race. Another part of Hitler’s “cleansing”, Asante sets the stage and brings us into time and place with a love story between a young girl of mixed parents named Leyna, and Lutz, one of the exuberant Nazi Youth and son of a famed member of the Nazi military regime. Listen as Asante talks about her approach to telling this story from the visual immersion to the emotional resonance, the contemporary relevance of the film today, and shooting at a former concentration camp.
Moving from 1947 Germany to present-day China, Peabody Award winner and filmmaker LEON LEE takes us deep into the story of Sun Yi, a man held prisoner in the Masanjia Labor Camp, with his powerhouse documentary, LETTER FROM MASANJIA. Hiding a note inside a Halloween decoration (a headstone, no less) made in the prison for shipment to the United States for sale in a K-Mart store, Sun Yi begged the finder of the note to contact human rights organizations and alert them to the abuse and torture at Masanjia. Luckily for Sun Yi, in 2012 Julie Keith of Oregon opened up the Halloween decorations she had purchased two-years earlier and found the note. Lee, an authority on China, takes us down the rabbit hole and into Sun Yi’s experiences and persecution for his involvement with Falun Gong, a spiritual group founded on the moral philosophies of truth, compassion and tolerance. Filmmakers will be amazed to learn of the lengths Lee had to go into order to make this film as he is not allowed to enter China, and Sun Yi, on his release from Masanjia could not leave the country. A fascinating conversation.
And then we welcome acclaimed writer/director and President of Uniglobe Entertainment, NAMRATA SINGH GUJRAL, talking about her new film 5 WEDDINGS! A cultural explosion showcasing the beauty and wonders of India set against a fictional story of a magazine journalist seeking the Editor-In-Chief position which will be determined by the quality of this unique assignment, Gujral’s enthusiasm about the film is palpable as she talks about its structure, deciding on the weddings to focus upon (there are 15 different types of weddings in India), including the Hijara as an important part of the film, focusing on the relationships of fathers & daughters, true love, tradition, working with her cinematographer Christo Bakalov, casting Bo Derek and Candy Clark, the importance of authentic casting, and advice for filmmakers about finding your target audience.
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@BTLRadioShow
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK:
www.facebook.com/BTLRadioShow
#BTLRadioShow
