¡Llámame Chinita! by Stacy Chu is a tale about a 30-year old woman from China who travels alone to Mexico in the middle of the pandemic. She seeks refuge from her mother who is pressuring her to find a husband. Despite being thousands of miles apart, technology keeps the messages coming – to the point where viewers feel her frustration.
The film is one of six to be presented by the New Jersey Film Festival as part of its Short Program #2 on Friday, February 11. The films showcase the human experience from around the world. Films include ¡Llámame Chinita! by Stacy Chu; Threads of Desire by Bianca Di Marco; Covid Crusader: The Carla Brown Story by Randy Slavin; Memory Builds the Monument by Isaac Yowman; Just Like Water by Manos Triantafillakis; and Joey Skaggs: Fish Condos by Judy Drosd and Joey Skaggs;. The six film package is available to rent from 12:00am on February 11 through midnight.
We reached out to Stacy Chu to learn more about the film.
Your imdb page says you were born and raised in New Jersey. What town are you from?
I actually first moved to Edison, NJ when I was 7, but was born in Milford, CT. In between CT and NJ my family briefly lived in Hawaii for two years.
Did you or any of your friends have a mother pushing for marriage like in the film?
My Mother as well as other people’s mothers definitely pushed marriage just like in the film. My Mom brought up the topic in my early 20’s, and quickly realized that I was more interested in exploring my own life rather then settling down young and doing the ‘whole thing.’ Now that I am a bit older, she brings it up more. When I was younger, I would just brush it off, find it funny, and sometimes annoying to hear the same statements again and again. I think now being older, I have a much better understanding and empathy of her concerns and where she is coming from. In Chinese culture, where family is everything, the continuance of family is such a big deal.
I thought it was wonderful how you portrayed how we can be so connected to people when we're on the other side of the globe - even when we are sort of trying to get away from such connections. And then showing how the ultimate escape may be as easy as losing one's phone. Do you ever wish you could start over fresh like she did?
I think it’s more true than ever in our current society to be overly “plugged in.” This is wonderful thing, as well a thing of stress and negativity. When I was younger, I would go to China in the summer for as long as two months at a time. During that time, I would often not have a working phone. I would only communicate with friends back in the states when I was at the house with wifi. This separation from the plugged in world was really nice and humbling. Being able to focus with what was right in front of me would let me totally reset. I would come back to the states with much more patience and sensitivity.
But do I wish I could just start over fresh like her? Yes and no. In the film the main character is looking to get separation from the constant noise of every day life. She feels overwhelmed by the obligations put on her from her family and friends. Her moment at the beach finally without her phone lets her fully experience the beauty of life. In my own life I take time out every day to reduce the “sensory overload” that is the social media, the internet, etc, by going on quiet hikes with my dog or doing something that is very out of the norm. That is my mini “reset.” I still love my life and don’t wish to run away. The point is to just be mindful and present as much as we can. I always welcome unexpected things to happen to me as well. Like going to a new part of town and just exploring randomly. These help me stay present and grateful of whats around me.
What do you think is the biggest challenge in creating a short film?
Having a predominately Los Angeles based team shooting a film in Mexico meant a majority of prep had to happen off site. Casting also was challenging. We went through a lot of self tapes and had a wonderful casting director who helped in this area. I am a big fan of in person auditions to feel the energy and personality of the actor, but I was not able to meet the boys and mother until the day of the shoot. I also wish I had more time to have experimented with them for the beach scene, but working against daylight cut it short. Another challenge of the beach was just finding the location as well as figuring out technical solutions to filming it. The location needed to be rough and rocky but also have the potential for the tranquility the main character eventually finds in herself. We also were worried about filming this from a safety stand point since much of the beach had aggressive water. Luckily, we found a part of the beach that had calm water and decided to shoot there.
Finally, do you have any plans for the film after its festival run? Do you plan on trying to get it on streaming services or tv?
I am focused on doing my next project which is a feature length romance film titled Fireball. It is set in LA and explores the aimlessness of a relationship that comes from a youthful, longing for romance and missed connections. The story is told like an anthology piece and follows a young woman the characters around her that are the targets of her love life aspirations. It celebrates the naive nature of youth and reminds us all of a time when we felt the same. It reminds us how infatuation can cause tunnel vision and even distort the way we view the reality around us. I aim to shoot sometime next year.
¡Llámame Chinita! is part of the NJ Film Festival Short Program #2 on Friday, February 11 - one of my favorite days in the spring festival. It includes six films that showcase the human experience from around the world including ¡Llámame Chinita! by Stacy Chu; Threads of Desire by Bianca Di Marco; Covid Crusader: The Carla Brown Story by Randy Slavin; Joey Skaggs: Fish Condos by Judy Drosd and Joey Skaggs; Memory Builds the Monument by Isaac Yowman; and Just Like Water by Manos Triantafillakis. The six film package is available to rent from 12:00am on February 11 through midnight. Click here for more information or to purchase the package.
