Special Slamdance Coverage: Birdy Wei-Ting Hung

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This is as close as I've ever been to going Joe Rogan style, four hour interview.

I've never talked with someone so willing to discuss the history of cinema (in this case, Taiwanese) than my guest today, Birdy Wei-Ting Hung. She directed the brilliant film, A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS (2024), which screened at Slamdance.

In order to make the film, she drew on years of reading history and watching cinema. If you loved school, or even if you didn't, prepare for the best class ever with Birdy.

In this episode, we discuss:

• how she became a subject matter expert on Taiwanese cinema and learned to love horror films;
• how Edward Young and other filmmakers influenced her film;
• if a critic can take their own biases out of their judgment on a particular film and whether students of film can see that in others' works;
• Sean Baker's influence on her type of filmmaking and the bravery to take on subjects like sexual awakening, which is a theme of her film;
• who she thinks are female directors taking similar steps and her thoughts on labels;
• what her first screening at Fantastic Fest and in Taiwan was like;
• why Slamdance? it's her first time at the festival;
• does she consider herself a California filmmmaker?
• her work on music videos and what her first feature looks like -- "I'm not one of those people that has to be working on a feature"

Birdy's Indie Film Highlights: MAULED BY A DOG (2024) dir. by Sion Owens; THE STAG (2023) dir. by An Chu

Links:

Follow Birdy Wei-Ting Hung On Instagram

Video Essay For A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR THE LADY AVENGERS (2024)