Sean Wang Makes a Movie Like His Life

July 23rd, 2024

Sean Wang is a movie maker who had a very special week in January. First, his movie about his grandmothers was picked for an Academy Award. Then, his first big movie, "Dìdi," was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. People really liked "Dìdi," which is about a young boy named Chris Wang who films his friends skating. Chris's story is a lot like Sean's own life. Sean has been making videos since he was young, starting with skateboarding videos and later making short movies about his friends and family. His grandmother and mother even helped with his new movie, "Dìdi." The story shows Chris trying to figure out who he is. The movie is funny and sweet, and it talks about growing up with two different cultures. The actress Joan Chen plays Chris's mom in the movie and understands the story very well because she is also a mom. Sean asked her to be in the movie by sending her a very nice letter. Sean used to make skate videos for fun and was inspired by other skate videos. He liked making videos that showed not just the tricks, but also who the skaters were. Sean learned to make movies at the University of Southern California and got help from the Sundance Institute. The young actor Izaac Wang, who played Chris, became good friends with the other actors and learned a lot while making "Dìdi." The movie team felt like a family, which made him very happy. The movie "Dìdi" is not just about skateboarding, it's also about growing up and figuring out who you are. It shows Chris's life as a kid with parents from another country and how he feels about himself. Sean knows that making movies is different now that he is more known. He has to think about making good movies and this can make him feel a bit scared. But he is still excited about making videos, just like when he was a kid.

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💭 Discussion Questions

. What was significant about Sean Wang's week in January?

. What is the movie 'Dìdi' about?

. Who plays Chris's mom in 'Dìdi', and how did Sean ask her to be in the movie?

📖 Vocabulary

🌐 Cultural context

The cultural context involves a filmmaker whose works reflect his personal experiences and background concerning identity and multicultural upbringing. The article mentions the Academy Awards and Sundance, two significant American platforms that recognize film achievements.

🧠 Further reading

Cultural identity

Everyone has something special called cultural identity. It is like a part of who we are inside. This comes from the country we are from, the color of our skin, the religion we follow, the kind of family we have, the place we live, if we are girls or boys, and the groups we feel part of. This identity changes as we grow and learn new things. Cultural identity has three main parts. First, it is about knowing our culture's main ideas. Second, it is about feeling part of our culture even if we don't show it all the time. Third, it is about the people we spend time with, like family and friends. To build our cultural identity, first, we learn about our culture's ways. Then, we see ourselves as part of that culture. Last, we build strong ties with other people in our culture. The word "culture" can mean many things. It changes as time goes by, and as we meet new people and places. That's why some people feel they belong to more than one culture. Culture is very important for who we are.

Portrayal of East Asians in American film and theater

People in American movies and plays have not always shown East Asian people in a true way. They often used their own ideas about East Asians instead of what is real. Sometimes, actors who were not East Asian would put on makeup to look like they were, which is not good. This has happened even in recent movies. There was a famous Japanese actor called Sessue Hayakawa who became very popular in American silent movies around 1914. He was in many movies and was liked a lot. But when movies started to have talking, it was hard for him because of his Japanese accent. During World War II, he could not get work because people did not feel good about Japan. After the war, he acted in movies again and even got a prize for his acting. Anna May Wong was a Chinese-American actress. She started acting when she was very young. She was the first Chinese-American to play important roles in Hollywood. People all over the world knew her, but sometimes she didn't get to play the characters she wanted to.

Jim Jarmusch

James Robert Jarmusch is an important American movie maker and writer. Since the 1980s, he has made many movies that are different from big Hollywood films. His movies include "Stranger Than Paradise," "Down by Law," and "Only Lovers Left Alive." One of his movies, "Stranger Than Paradise," is so special it is kept in the National Film Registry. He also makes music and has put out three albums. Jim was born in Ohio and had a normal family. His mom loved movies and would let him watch them in a theater while she did other things. This is where he started to love movies. He remembers watching "Thunder Road" as a kid and it really stuck with him. He also liked to watch a local TV show with scary movies. Jim loved to read when he was young and this made him more interested in movies. His grandmother helped him like books even more. He didn't like going to church, but reading helped him think about big questions in life. His friends also helped him like different things that were not common or popular.