I Could Never Imagine That The World Would Live Through My Childhood Memory: Haohao Yan On Her Short Film "The Speech"
Director Haohao Yan is a Chinese director and screenwriter who came to the U.S to pursue her B.A. in Film and Television Production at UCLA School of Theater Film and Television. The Speech is her thesis film, and it focuses on the 2003 SARS outbreak in China, a situation which mirrors our current climate today.
May 2003, Beijing, China. The SARS outbreak is real. The city is closed. Most students have been sent home. Inside a private boarding school, three eight-year-old girls have to find a way to make sense of the world.
This semi-autobiographical short was selected of the CAA Moebius Showcase 2020 in May, and also appeared at the Palm Springs International ShortFest. We had the opportunity to chat with HaoHao about her film, reliving the past through cinema, the SARS/COVID virus, and much much more!
The film is based around your actual experience growing up in China during the SARS epidemic. What was it like recreating and returning to that world?
I really appreciate that through making this movie I got the chance to look back to my childhood. The SARS epidemic marked an era in my brain but more importantly, by re-imaging my past, I have a better understanding of who I am right now.
The film is really timely, given how it mirrors our current climate. What is it like for you to see everything echoed on a global scale?
It was a complete coincidence for this film to be so timely. We shot in May 2019 and the post-production was done late last year. I could never imagine that the world would live through my childhood memory and it is a scary thing for me.
How has your experience helped to better equip you for life during COVID-19?
There’s really not much we can do besides taking every precaution, wear masks, stay home.
What were some of the difficulties you faced writing a personal story?
It was very difficult to see myself as a character, so I decided to put more focus on the world and the other characters. I hope that the movie brings an authentic experience to everyone, those who had the similar experience and those who don’t.
At its core, The Speech is a coming of age story. What are some of your favorite coming-of-age films?
The 400 Blows (Truffaut), Ratcatcher (Lynne Ramsay), YiYi (Edward Yang), Where’s the Friend’s Home (Abbas Kiarostami).
How did you find your cast and prepare them for the project?
Most of our actors are non-actors and I really enjoyed working with them. They brought so much to the film that’s not in the script. During rehearsals I made sure that they all get familiar with each other, we played games, ran around, and just made sure they are comfortable enough to forget the camera.
What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
I hope everyone finds new insight into their own memories and personal life.
Do you have any new projects in the works that you can share with us?
I’m working on my feature project which takes place in LA and it’s about a group of young international students from China.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!