Interview: Kathy Wu & Director Wong Hing Fan of ‘I’m Livin’ It’

CHICAGO – How do you communicate Hong Kong’s homeless situation in a fresh and relatable way? Wong Hing Fan’s new film “I’m Livin’ It” takes on not only poverty, but the shortage of housing for professional and working class people. The main setting is a 24 hour burger restaurant – with the sly marketing slogan of “I’m Livin’ It!”

Once a star in his finance firm, Bowen (Aaron Kwok) now spends his nights in that fast food joint, which allows the homeless an overnight respite area, and he encounters other “roommates” who are in a similar predicament. There is a child and her mother (Cya Liu) – who has taken out high interest loans to cover her mother-in-law’s debt, an old man (Alex Man) who is too afraid to go home, a young runaway (Zeno Koo), and a singer (Miriam Yeung) who was part of the financier’s past. When Bowen hears from his sister (Kathy Wu) that their mother (Nina Paw) is dying, he must decide whether to go be with them or stay with his “new” family.

Actor Kathy Wu
Photo credit: Kathy Wu

The actor Kathy Wu was recently in Chicago to represent the film at its Season Ten screening at the Asian Pop Up Cinema (APUC). Her background is of scholarship – her grandfather was a prominent University professor in China – and beauty, as she competed in the Miss Asia Pageant as a U.S. representative, after her family had moved to the States. This boost led her to acting, and with the help of her mentor Nina Paw (her “I’m Living It” co-star) she began to work in Asian TV and film.

A chance breakout in the martial arts film “Lady Bloodfight” got her noticed in the Los Angeles industry, and she has since moved there to make it her base for both American and Asian movie/TV roles. She has appeared in the TV series “Pure Genius” and “Counterpart,” and had a role in the Dwayne Johnson film, “Skyscraper.”

In a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, Kathy Wu talks about the cultural adaptations she made to become an actor, and what it takes to split time between the Asian and American industries.

On Page Two, an interview with director Wong Hing Fan of “I’m Livin’ It.”

HollywoodChicago.com talked to writer/director Wong Hing Fan (through an interpreter) about his the origin of “I’m Livin’ It” and his first film as the main director, after several years of being an assistant director.

Scene from Director Wong Hin Fan’s ”I’m Livin’ It”
Photo credit: APUC

HollywoodChicago.com: How did you develop the script with screenwriter Ja Poon, in the sense that it became your first film as the main director?

Wong Hin Fan: I came up with the story first, and pitched it to Hong Kong investors through a summary of scenes. Once I got the green light to make the film, I brought in the writer Ja Poon to formulate the screenplay and expand the story, but it was my creation from the beginning.

HollywoodChicago.com: Obviously this is about the homeless problem in Hong Kong. What fascinated about this problem, and what did you want to highlight about it in the film?

Fan: In 2006, all the McDonald’s restaurants in Hong Kong expanded to 24 hours, and began to allow homeless patrons to stay there overnight. I observed that although it was unusual, the people there were in a safe and sheltered environment. I made the film to highlight this circumstance and gain sympathy for it.

I found that these homeless were there not just because of poverty issues, but also because the high rents of Hong Kong were preventing working class people to find housing. There was a reason that all of the those people were in the restaurants during the overnight hours, and there were multiple stories. This became the backdrop for the situations in the film.

HollywoodChicago.com: What made Aaron Kwok the right choice for Bowen? What part of his performance surprised you the most?

Fan: Aaron is an excellent and award-winning actor, and always goes beyond any expectation in giving a performance. He pays attention, he looks deeper into a character and expands himself over and above what is on the page. When we shot the film in the Fall of 2018, it was a five week timeline. Aaron was in the midst of a very busy period, but you wouldn’t have noticed by his commitment during the five weeks of the shoot, he was completely locked in. His value is part of the film’s success.

As far as a scene in the film that really surprised me, it was when Aaron’s character was given some bad news by a doctor. The way that Aaron handled it expanded upon the gravity of the situation, and what was happening to his character.

HollywoodChicago.com: You had two funerals in the film, the absurd fake one for a ‘movie’ within your movie and a much sadder real one later. What did you want to communicate in the differences between the two scenes?

Fan: There is a story behind the two scenes. We shot them on location and did both of them the same day, even though it was wasn’t meant to be scheduled like that. For the fake movie set, of course all the homeless people were there as extras getting paid and getting fed. It’s hard to fake sadness, and I wanted them to screw up a bit, and not get paid even for such simple extras work. The real funeral in the film was much much sadder, so I stripped it down and made it very plain. I wanted to show contrast based on the economics and poverty.

Kathy Wu and Wong Hin Fan of ”I’m Livin’ It” at APUC Season Ten Opening Night
Photo credit: APUC

HollywoodChicago.com: Since you were the main director for the first time, what was different while you were filming that you never encountered before in your long career as an assistant director?

Fan: Well, I found out that when I was an assistant, I didn’t have to hear a lot of things that the boss or main director has to hear and deal with, and now I was on the front line. Not only was I speaking with the actors more, but I also had to interact with their managers. [laughs] That’s a harder conversation to have than the actors, and was completely new for me.

HollywoodChicago.com: What do you think the Hong Kong film industry does overall that no other country does or can do?

Fan: From what I have observed about filmmaking in other countries, the Hong Kong system is much faster from initial pitch to production. There is not as many layers to go through … the decision is made and the filming process begins. The person in charge of the decision just gets it done, and then we go shoot our movie.

[19]	By PATRICK McDONALD [20] Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com [19]