5 More Questions with Jeannie Nguyen
“Clam Dog,” by director Jeannie Nguyen, is a dark comedy charting the bad night of a young delivery driver in L.A. We asked Nguyen how the project began, shifting tones from her previous film, and what was appealing to her about the night-gone-wrong setup…
1) I believe you’re our first director to go through the “Five Questions” wringer twice! What’s new with you since we last spoke in February?
Oooh very cool, thanks for having my film twice on NoBudge! February seems so long ago. Since then, I've completed the first few drafts of my feature screenplay that also takes place in Vietnam. It's something that I've been working on for over a year now, and will be a continual process. I'm also developing a show that takes place in my hometown, San Jose. With both projects dealing with Vietnamese culture, I've been doing a lot of research about the history and reaching out to friends and family members about their experiences. It's been really interesting and sometimes difficult, but I'm grateful that film is pushing me out of comfort zone and letting me connect with those in ways I never imagined.
2) “Clam Dog” feels like it could easily be expanded into a feature or with more episodes. You mentioned last time that you were working on a concept for an episodic. Is that this? Any plans to keep going with this character, story?
I think "Clam Dog" is more of an exploration on my ability to tell stories. When I wrote the screenplay, I was in my early stages of learning about film. I wanted to keep the momentum going and continue to shoot, so this story dawned on me in the midst of other perverse thoughts hehe. Now that it's done, I don't plan on expanding the story. I'm beginning to understand what I want to make films about, and I'm searching for more depth in my stories. My interests come in waves, and at that time I was intrigued by the way technology altered lives (hence "Sigh Gone"). I think I graduated from that phase, and now I've been spending my time learning about the effects of culture.
3) There’s such a vivid sense of world building here, and it’s quite different from the alluring way you captured Saigon in “Sign Gone.” Here, the setting feels almost dystopian. How do you account for that shift in tone? What was most interesting to you about your darker mood here?
Great question! To be honest, I have a somewhat pessimistic view of the way we lead our lives in the states, and it's probably because I was born and raised here. With the rise of smartphones and social media, the narcissism is unavoidable. Sure, a selfie here and there is fine, but when there's a flock of influencers posing candidly, pretending to be deep in thought at LACMA, it's an eyesore for those who actually want to look at art. It sucks, and it's only gonna get worse so the best way I can express my frustration is through film. For "Sigh Gone", there's this longingness that I have for Vietnam. A country that's so foreign to me but at the same time, in my blood. With the rise of the economy, I'm sure within a few years (if not yet) Vietnam would be no different from here. But as of now, it's a place that I dream of living in, to learn more about my roots, so I have a very tender view of the country.
4) Though it's darker in some ways, it's also funny and ascribes to a pretty classic night gone wrong kind of vibe. Can you discuss what was appealing to you about this setup?
There's this feeling that I constantly feel, where as much as I try to do the right thing, things go wrong. I'm sure a lot of people can relate to this, and at some point you just gotta roll with the punches. I learned to laugh at my misfortunes, it makes life so much more entertaining. So I wanted to tell a story of just that, no matter how hard you try to be a good person, sometimes you get shitted on, then you move on.
5) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?
Two films that I've seen recently, both new, that I loved are "Climax" by Gaspar Noe and "Last Black Man in San Francisco" by Joe Talbot. Two very different movies that provoked very different emotions. "Climax" was a real trip. I loved the way Gaspar Noe explored a whole new genre (I like to call it, "Anxiety"). It was fascinating and terrifying at the same time. I'm at this stage in life where "negative" emotions (anxiety, depression, fear, etc) are just simply emotions. As human beings, we all experience these feelings, it's call living. So instead of avoiding these emotions, I'm learning to embrace them. I appreciate Gaspar Noe for going beyond storytelling by creating an experience. It was unconventional and beautifully captured, although I was at the cusp of an anxiety attack during the latter half. The movie impacted me for days after, which doesn't happen often, so he's definitely doing something different.
As for "Last Black Man", I lived in San Francisco for a few years during college and I never fell in love with a city until then. The way Joe Talbot created a character out of the city combined with the score, slow-motion shots, balanced compositions and beautiful locations, it truly felt magical. The cast were all amazing, too! It's his directorial debut which is nuts. It's such a tender, bittersweet film and I can't recommend it enough. Very excited to see him grow as a filmmaker.