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This week on BEHIND THE LENS, we turn our attention to the Miami art world and first-time feature director JING AI NG with her film FORGE. \u00a0I thoroughly enjoyed this film from a story perspective and from a directorial and production perspective. \u00a0As I\u2019ve been seeing in quite a few films of late from first-time feature directors, once again, production values are high, but story and character are at the center of it all. \u00a0On seeing FORGE, I would never believe that this was Jing\u2019s first feature directorial effort. \u00a0And she is the screenwriter, as well!<\/p>\n
So, what is FORGE about? \u00a0Set in Miami, we meet the resourceful Zhang siblings\u2014Raymond and Coco\u2014 who sell forged paintings to unsuspecting parties. \u00a0Coco is an artist whose own work is so beautiful that it should be hanging in galleries, something that continues to frustrate her and her dream. \u00a0Raymond, on the other hand, makes a buck by providing fake IDs, licenses, passports, and other documents, including those that attest to the provenance of works of art. \u00a0The Zhang family is unaware of what Coco and Raymond are doing, and happily own and run a family Chinese restaurant. \u00a0Despite their thriving underground operation, the siblings are still short on cash when they cross paths with disgraced millionaire Holden Beaumont. Sensing an opportunity to make a fortune, Holden convinces the Zhangs to forge long-lost masterpieces as a front for his family\u2019s collection. Meanwhile, FBI Art Crimes agent Emily Lee moves from New York to Miami, discovering a plethora of forgeries cropping up in the South Florida art market. As Emily continues to investigate the Zhang siblings\u2019 work, their lives converge to devastating effect in the Zhang family’s dim sum restaurant.<\/p>\n
FORGE is written and directed by JING AI NG and stars Kelly Marie Tran, Andie Ju, Brandon Soo Hoo, and Edmund Donovan, among others.\u00a0 Some fabulous artisans showcasing their talents on FORGE, including cinematographer Leo Purman, editor Briana Chmielewski, production designer Arielle Ness-Cohn, and composers Marco Carrion & Ian Chang.<\/p>\n
In this exclusive conversation, Jing Ai Ng and I break it all down in this in-depth discussion. \u00a0What I love about Jing\u2019s origin story of FORGE is that she drew inspiration from the infamous Knoedler Gallery art forgery scandal in New York, particularly focusing on the mysterious Chinese forger who was never apprehended and whose story has never been told.\u00a0 Given that no one has ever heard his side of the Knoedler story, Jing had this fantastic blank canvas of creative freedom to craft a unique narrative centered on Coco, a complex character whose journey in the Miami art world blurs the lines between antagonist and protagonist. As you\u2019ll hear, Jing emphasized how the film invests the audience emotionally in Coco and her family, making viewers care deeply about her motivations and struggles, despite her criminal actions.<\/p>\n
The film\u2019s visual style is a standout element, with Jing and cinematographer Leo Purman developing a consistent color palette influenced by Florida\u2019s landscape artists. They collaborated with a local Miami painter to create original artworks for the film, ensuring authenticity and a strong sense of place. Production designer Arielle Ness-Cohn played a crucial role in distinguishing the film\u2019s various worlds: the opulence of Holden Beaumont\u2019s (Edmund Donovan) high-rise life, the warmth and intimacy of the Zhang family\u2019s Chinese restaurant, and the shadowy, expansive warehouse where Coco works.\u00a0 And then there’s the work of\u00a0editor Brianna Chmielewski, who used visual sequences to convey character development and shift the film\u2019s tone without relying on excessive dialogue. The score, composed by Marco Carrion and Ian Chang, weaves Asian instrumentation with electronic elements, mirroring Coco\u2019s dreamy, internal world and reinforcing the cultural identity of the story.\u00a0 And, of course, we talk casting, particularly since the production did not have leads attached to it at the outset.<\/p>\n
Make sure to check out FORGE this week and next!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s at the Landmark Nuart in Los Angeles right now and opens in NY at the Quad Cinema this Friday, the 22nd, with a wider rollout thereafter.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
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