{"id":342341,"date":"2021-09-21T21:11:43","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T18:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/justin-chon-explains-the-blood-memory-coursing-through-blue-bayou\/"},"modified":"2021-09-21T21:11:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-21T18:11:43","slug":"justin-chon-explains-the-blood-memory-coursing-through-blue-bayou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/justin-chon-explains-the-blood-memory-coursing-through-blue-bayou\/","title":{"rendered":"#Justin Chon Explains the Blood Memory Coursing Through &#8216;Blue Bayou&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a368da932a0d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a368da932a0d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/justin-chon-explains-the-blood-memory-coursing-through-blue-bayou\/#Changing_Hearts_and_Minds\" >Changing Hearts and Minds<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/justin-chon-explains-the-blood-memory-coursing-through-blue-bayou\/#The_Visceral_and_Raw_World_of_Blue_Bayou\" >The Visceral and Raw World of Blue Bayou<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/justin-chon-explains-the-blood-memory-coursing-through-blue-bayou\/#Exposing_Blue_Bayous_Blood_Memory\" >Exposing Blue Bayou\u2019s Blood Memory<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/justin-chon-explains-the-blood-memory-coursing-through-blue-bayou\/#All_Movies_Should_Haunt_Their_Audience\" >All Movies Should Haunt Their Audience<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Justin Chon Explains the Blood Memory Coursing Through &#8216;Blue Bayou&#8217;<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<pre><code>     &lt;span class=\"mx-1\"&gt;We chat with the director about his new film and how he hopes to change the hearts and minds of those watching.&lt;\/span&gt;\n&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=\"\"&gt;&lt;figure class=\"sf-entry-featured-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> \"&gt;&lt;img width=\"800\" height=\"455\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Blue-Bayou-Justin-Chon.jpg\" class=\"articlethumb wp-post-image\" alt=\"Blue Bayou Justin Chon\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Blue-Bayou-Justin-Chon.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Blue-Bayou-Justin-Chon-768x437.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/&gt;&lt;p&gt;\n                    &lt;span class=\"sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline\"&gt;Focus Features&lt;\/span&gt;\n\n                        &lt;\/figure&gt;&lt;!-- START BYLINE --&gt;&lt;div class=\"row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4 text-center medium dark-gray\"&gt;\n        By\u00a0Brad Gullickson\u00a0\u00b7 Published on September 21st, 2021 \n        &lt;\/div&gt;\n    &lt;!-- END BYLINE --&gt;\n\n    &lt;em&gt;Check the Gate is a reoccurring column where we go one-on-one with directors in an effort to uncover the reasoning behind their creative decisions. Why that subject? Why that shot? In this edition, we chat with Justin Chon about cinematic power and how Blue Bayou can change hearts and minds.&lt;\/em&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<hr\/>\n<p>Some stories bowl you over. They enter your brain and just sit there, refusing to move, and the longer they stay, the heavier they become. You don\u2019t necessarily want to kick them out, but you can\u2019t let them pace the floor bumping from wall to wall. In the end, you need others to meet these stories. You need to take control of their future and your sanity.<\/p>\n<p>When <strong>Justin Chon<\/strong> read about the adoptees who entered this country as children, were raised by white parents, with no memory of their biological point of origin, only to be rounded up and deported by the U.S. government, he was thunderstruck. The devastation he experienced could not exist only in his person. He had to know it deeper. He had to mold it and share it.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Blue Bayou<\/em><\/strong> is his scream. Chon is reaching out, gripping his audience by their shoulders, and begging them to look with eyes wide open. Placing himself in front of the camera as well as behind, Chon expelled the story from his person, hoping others would feel its slap as much as he did when he originally encountered this particular American tragedy through the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>paper.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BLUE BAYOU - Official Trailer - Only in Theaters September 17\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Jh59H_d19Kg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Changing_Hearts_and_Minds\"><\/span>Changing Hearts and Minds<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Chon crafted <em>Blue Bayou<\/em> to confront the tale that plagued his mind, but such confrontation also demanded further human connection. The film is the director extending himself beyond his screen and into the lives of those watching.\u00a0There\u2019s a conversation in process, and he believes he can crack open the audience\u2019s soul and impact their journey going forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think hearts and minds can be changed,\u201d says Chon. \u201cThat\u2019s my hope in filmmaking. It\u2019s the reason why I do what I do. If there cannot be change, if there\u2019s no hope for change, that\u2019s quite sad and pessimistic for me. I\u2019m not trying to force people to change their minds. I\u2019m just presenting a different viewpoint. I\u2019m trying to create empathy, and I think that\u2019s absolutely possible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Chon can easily reach back into his past and find the films that uncorked something in his very being. He remembers watching <em>Moonlight<\/em> for the first time and coming to the sudden realization that he desperately needed that movie at the point in which he saw it. He recalls the work of Wong Kar-wai and John Cassavetes and how their art rewrote his DNA. And he can pinpoint an early childhood experience that shaped him into the filmmaker he is today.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI remember watching <em>A Perfect World<\/em>,\u201d he continues, \u201cdirected by Clint Eastwood and starring Kevin Costner. I was young, and I was at camp, and we all watched it. I don\u2019t even know if that\u2019s necessarily an appropriate film for kids, but I watched it. And that father-son relationship, albeit through a jailbird and a kidnapped kid, got me. At the end, I started crying so hard. All the kids were making fun of me, but thinking back, it\u2019s awesome that you can use these universal <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">theme<\/a>s, and twelve-year-old me can be affected so bad; it made me so emotional. It\u2019s a powerful medium. It can stay with you. <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Movies<\/a> can change your perception and change you forever.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Visceral_and_Raw_World_of_Blue_Bayou\"><\/span>The Visceral and Raw World of Blue Bayou<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>With a strong belief in cinema\u2019s profound emotional impact, Chon studied the visual language of those filmmakers who dug their claws into his person. As <em>Blue Bayou<\/em> tumbled through his brain, John Cassavetes rattled right there alongside it. Chon\u2019s earliest conversations with his cinematographers <strong>Ante Cheng<\/strong> and <strong>Matthew Chuang<\/strong> swirled around the cinematic maverick\u2019s aesthetic.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCassavetes\u2019 films feel so visceral and raw,\u201d says Chon. \u201cThey\u2019re naturally lit and handheld. That\u2019s what I wanted to do. That\u2019s why we shot in 16mm. I wanted a very visceral, tangible experience. So, if you watch the film, sometimes you see <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Film_gate\">hair in the gate<\/a>, but I did everything to make it very real and authentic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The word \u201craw\u201d continuously pops up in conversation. Chon flees from artifice, wanting to be as far away from Hollywood as he possibly can. It\u2019s an escape made possible by simply existing in his shooting location, but even in picking New Orleans, he didn\u2019t want to shoot it the way other films tend to use the city.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNew Orleans is very American,\u201d he says, \u201cBut also very something other than the coastal cities like Los Angeles and New York. It\u2019s a very raw town. It\u2019s very diverse but diverse in a different way than those other cities. I shot on the other side of the river from Bourbon Street so that it would have an everyday feel to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Exposing_Blue_Bayous_Blood_Memory\"><\/span>Exposing Blue Bayou\u2019s Blood Memory<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>However, scattered throughout <em>Blue Bayou<\/em>\u2018s rawness are several visions that don\u2019t quite gel with the rest of the film\u2019s vibe. These flashbacks expose the protagonist\u2019s hazy past, offering a tether to his childhood and the family that came before him. At first, these sequences appear jarring, but Chon delights in how these two aesthetics collide into each other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople complain that I\u2019m tonally inconsistent,\u201d says Chon, \u201cand all this bullshit, but that\u2019s just what I love. Sometimes, filmmaking gets like, \u2018What\u2019s the right way and what\u2019s the wrong way?\u2019 Fuck all of that. It\u2019s art. And I love kitchen sink dramas; I love very visceral moments that are real. But then, I also love these moments of poetic lyricism, where we are in the subconscious. It\u2019s exciting for me to watch those things come together, those two different forces to exist in one film. I really get amped up about that kind of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These visions tap into the main character\u2019s genetic source, an impossible memory that resides in his blood. It\u2019s a concept Chon explored during acting classes and one that he eventually folded into his philosophy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlood memory is your heritage,\u201d says Chon. \u201cIt\u2019s your culture, where you\u2019re from. These things are undeniable. They run through your blood, and whether you\u2019re conscious of it or not, they exist in you. Sometimes you deny it, but you\u2019d probably be much more well-served to embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Severed from his biological family, Chon\u2019s character Antonio resists his blood memory. Doing so sparks guilt, tension, and torment. A chance encounter with a stranger, and his hellish ordeal with the judicial system, forces him to look inward in a way he\u2019s never done before.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith Antonio,\u201d he continues, \u201cwhen he meets Parker [<strong>Linh Dan Pham<\/strong>], he cannot deny that there\u2019s some sort of calling or relation to himself with where he\u2019s from. But because Antonio came to America as a child, when he was three, it\u2019s as if it was a past life that he doesn\u2019t remember. It\u2019s almost like he was reincarnated. It\u2019s a powerful thing that one cannot deny.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"All_Movies_Should_Haunt_Their_Audience\"><\/span>All Movies Should Haunt Their Audience<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Justin Chon wants <em>Blue Bayou<\/em> to live in your head the way it lived in his. He wants Antonio to remain un-dismissable. For a few hours in the dark, his pain should be your pain, and when the lights come up, you should take that pain with you.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of my goals with filmmaking,\u201d says Chon, \u201cis that when people walk out those double doors, out of the theater, and they go home, I want them to consider the characters one more time. I don\u2019t want them to forget about them. I want them almost to be haunted by these characters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For Antoni0 to remain in your head long after the film ends, Chon must leave you with a thwack. <em>Blue Bayou<\/em> climaxes, and there are no easy answers to hang on, or futures to imagine. It\u2019s the audience\u2019s job to contemplate the rest, to finish the story, and if you want a bright ending, you got to make that happen in your voting booth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to bring empathy to my community,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd in order to do that, I need for you to consider these people. So, without giving away the ending, it\u2019s what I do in this film. I want you not to be able to forget them so easily. Some people may like that, and some people may not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Such filmmaking requires participation. Your audience can\u2019t kick back, relax, and receive. To make a film like <em>Blue Bayou<\/em> is an act of trust. And Justin Chon is confident that you will open up to it the way he did to <em>A Perfect World<\/em>, <em>Moonlight<\/em>, and so many others. Hearts and minds can change. They do so every day, in the dark, under the screen.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><strong><em>Blue Bayou<\/em> is now playing in select theaters.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<pre><code>    Related Topics: Check the Gate\n    &lt;!-- AUTHOR BOX --&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<div class=\"gray-bg p-4 border small mb-5\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center text-md-center\">\n<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/brad.jpg\" class=\"circle img-fluid\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\"\/><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\">\n            Brad Gullickson is a Weekly Columnist for Film School Rejects and Senior Curator for One Perfect Shot. When not rambling about movies here, he&#8217;s rambling about comics as the co-host of Comic Book Couples Counseling. Hunt him down on Twitter: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MouthDork\">@MouthDork<\/a>. (He\/Him)        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<pre><code>    &lt;!-- START RECOMMENDED READING 1 --&gt;\n                                &lt;section class=\"recommended py-5\"&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Recommended Reading&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\n\n        &lt;\/section&gt;&lt;!-- END RECOMMENDED READING --&gt;\n\n\n&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/justin-chon-blue-bayou-interview\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=justin-chon-blue-bayou-interview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Justin Chon Explains the Blood Memory Coursing Through &#8216;Blue Bayou&#8217;&#8221; &lt;span class=&#8221;mx-1&#8243;&gt;We chat with the director about his new film and how he hopes to change the hearts and minds of those watching.&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;&lt;figure class=&#8221;sf-entry-featured-media &#8220;&gt;&lt;img width=&#8221;800&#8243; height=&#8221;455&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Blue-Bayou-Justin-Chon.jpg&#8221; class=&#8221;articlethumb wp-post-image&#8221; alt=&#8221;Blue Bayou Justin Chon&#8221; loading=&#8221;lazy&#8221; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Blue-Bayou-Justin-Chon.jpg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Blue-Bayou-Justin-Chon-768&#215;437.jpg 768w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px&#8221;\/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":342342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Blue-Bayou-Justin-Chon.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-342341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=342341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/342341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/342342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=342341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=342341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=342341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}