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Category Archives: Finding KUKAN
July 7, 2012 — Getting Ripped Off
The police warn about it all the time, holidays seem to bring out the thieves in droves. Hawaii is no exception and I found out the hard way on July 3 when our house was burglarized in broad daylight. Bad news — all of my cameras and jewelry were stolen.
Shelf where the cameras used to be.
Good news. The computer and hard drives weren’t taken and the film and all my archival documents and years of research remain intact.
These binders alone represent years of research.
I am reminded of a Northern Exposure episode where Marilyn Whirlwind tells a story about a lucky situation turning unlucky and then lucky again. See transcript of story here.
Let’s hope you never have to fill out one of these.
I had a little mourning session for each item I listed in the Police Report, especially pieces of jewelry that my grandmother had given me. But as I was writing that up, friends from all over were responding to my Facebook post about the incident, offering help, comfort, loans of camera equipment, etc. Reading those posts I realized just how lucky I was.
But how to prevent future losses? Old fashioned safes might protect jewelry and cameras in the future, but what about those archival docs and film footage? Is cloud technology a practical solution? Anyone have experience using technology to safe guard precious photographs or documents? Let’s hear your story.
June 28, 2012 — A Visit to Yale and Chinese Exclusion
The recent FINDING KUKAN shoot at Yale University brought out the perpetual student in me. You can’t help but be awed by the vaulted ceilings and Knights of the Round Table atmosphere of the Hall of Graduate Studies where my interview with Yale Professor of American Studies Mary Lui took place.
Yale Graduate Studies Building on York Street
The building reminds you how much history has come before you and how much you are ignorant of.
Director Robin Lung at Yale
Fortunately the halls of learning at Yale are populated by people like Mary who dedicate their lives to gathering knowledge and disseminating it to people like me.
Robin Lung interviews Mary Lui for FINDING KUKAN
In trying to understand the social climate that prompted Li Ling-Ai and Rey Scott to risk money and life to make KUKAN, Mary Lui reminded me that the behavior of Chinese Americans like Li Ling-Ai was still governed in part by prejudicial immigration laws enacted against the Chinese — the most infamous one being the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882.
Signature Page of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
Meant to keep cheap labor from entering the US, the exclusion laws ended up doing much more than that. From restricting the formation of Chinese families, to rendering the few Chinese women around at the time exotic creatures with questionable backgrounds the Exclusion Laws had negative repercussions on even the richest and most educated Chinese Americans. It’s no wonder that with so few Chinese Americans around that stereotypes and misconceptions about them would form.
Vintage Valentine Card
I came back to Hawaii much better prepared to appreciate the historic bill recently passed by Congress to officially apologize for the prejudicial laws that targeted Chinese and other Asians in America for over 80 years.
Judy Chu introduced Apology Bill for Chinese Exclusion Laws
One of the stereotypes I had about my own ethnic background was that Chinese don’t make waves and passively accept their fate, letting bygones be bygones.
Action Call Posted by the 1882 Project
The courageous efforts of people like Congresswoman Judy Chu and organizations like the 1882 Project belie that stereotype and bring a new validation to the history of Asians in America that will hopefully prompt more stories about an era of exclusion that we still don’t know enough about.
Are there ways that exclusion laws have affected your life? Let us hear from you.
May 5, 2012 — The Enchanting World of ShadowLight
I’ve always been entranced by shadows — the magical play of light on the walls in the morning and eerie shapes that your own body throws as you walk on the beach or sidewalk.
London Street by Nobuyuki Taguchi
I wasn’t aware that there was a traditional form of shadow puppetry performed throughout Asia until I saw the Zhang Yimou movie TO LIVE in which one of the main characters is a shadow master (this is a great film BTW).
Traditional Chinese shadow play figures
Zhang Yimou’s TO LIVE
The shadow puppet scenes were so hypnotizing that when I was struggling with how to visualize epic historic scenes in FINDING KUKAN in an economical way, the idea of using shadow puppets came up for me. I started hunting on the web for people who performed shadow puppetry, and when I came across Larry Reed & Shadowlight Productions’ THE WILD PARTY, I was really blown away.
This was not the land of your grandmother’s shadow puppets anymore. Live actors, contemporary scenes, and shifting perspective lent a new dynamism to the production that I instinctively felt would be perfect for what I wanted to do in FINDING KUKAN.
Shadow master Larry Reed
Happily Larry was excited about my project and has agreed to collaborate with me on FINDING KUKAN. Larry Reed is truly a shadow master, having studied and performed traditional Balinese shadow puppetry for over 35 years. In the early 1990’s, Reed invented an ingenious shadow casting method, which integrates the traditional shadow theatre techniques, cinematic effects and modern theatre and dance styles. Watch for a sample of Shadowlight’s innovative work from THE GOOD-FOR-NOTHING LOVER in the new FINDING KUKAN teaser that will premiere next week.
Have ideas for cool ways of using shadows? Please let me hear from you.
February 15, 2012 — A Fashion Interlude
Recently I had the good fortune of meeting one of Ling-Ai’s nieces who had saved many of Ling-Ai’s papers and possessions. I am currently poring through documents and pieces of paper, looking for clues that tell more about the making of KUKAN. It can be a tedious job. So I took an afternoon off to explore some of Ling-Ai’s fashion accessories that had been painstakingly packed away. Ling-Ai had an obvious flair for fashion. And the vintage clothes lover in me went gaga as I opened this eye-catching tres MOD turquoise hat box.
Li Ling-Ai’s Mod Turquoise Hat Box could be a fashion accessory in itself
The contents of the box did not disappoint. I discovered three exquisitely crafted little numbers. A pink brocade small saucer hat with a stunning plume was my favorite.
Plumed pink brocade hat by Nick Savage
I had a lot of fun imagining the type of occasion Ling-Ai chose to wear this hat to.
While photographing this hat, I noticed the amazing craftsmanship that went into it’s construction.
Detail of pink brocade hat.
A signed label was sewn into the inside lining of the hat. Nick Savage appears to be the talented milliner who made it.
These next two pieces were also made by Nick. And are equally exquisite.
Gold ponytail hat by Nick Savage.Gold-banded camellia hat by Nick Savage
Gold-banded camellia hat by Nick Savage
The little details are marvelous. Check out the separate braided strands that start this gold pony-tail plume.
And the perfect positioning of the brocaded fabric.
The camellia on this inventive piece was a little a squished, but I imagine it was pretty sumptious when Ling-Ai wore it back in the day.
I couldn’t find any information on the internet about the talented Nick Savage. But I did find a little label in the inside of this camellia hat.
It had a New York City address — 350 East 50th Street — from Google Maps it looks to be a building just off Lexington Ave. If any fashionistas have any more information on him, please let me know. I have Mr. Savage’s millinery gifts, Li Ling-Ai’s fashion sense and her niece’s foresight to thank for a wonderful afternoon spent in a world of gamorous fantasy.
Black velvet rhinestone and pearl studded hat from Li Ling-Ai’s collection.
To top off my post I’ll leave with a few shots of another gorgeous topper in Ling-Ai’s collection (by an unknown maker).
February 19, 2012 — What do HUGO and FINDING KUKAN have in common?
Martin Scorce’s HUGO is a tribute to film pioneer Georges Melies
Like many people who were charmed by Scorcese’s recent film HUGO, I had little knowledge of early film history or Georges Melies before seeing the movie, so I headed to the internet afterwards to find out a little more about him.
Ben Kingsley (center right, as Georges Melies) confers with director/producer Martin Scorsese (far right) on the set of HUGO, from Paramount Pictures and GK Films. Photo: Jaap Buitendijk.
Although Melies is recognized today as an early film innovator with a fabulous imagination, he fell out of favor during his lifetime and many of his films were melted down or destroyed.
Still from Melies’s THE MAN WITH THE RUBBER HEAD
While reading about Melies, I ran across Wikipedia’s list of Rediscovered Films. Happily a couple of Melies’s films from the 1890s have been rediscovered in this century.
Excerpt from Wikipedia’s List of Rediscovered Films — 1890s
Scrolling down the list, look what film shows up in the 1940’s … Rey Scott’s KUKAN!
Excerpt from Wikipedia’s List of Rediscovered Films — 1940s
And that’s the answer to a film trivia question that might someday be asked on a game show in the far future – HUGO and FINDING KUKAN are both about rediscovering lost films and forgotten filmmakers.
In 1961 the French government issued a postage stamp in honor of Georges Melies’s cinematic contributions.
Maybe someday KUKAN, Rey Scott, and Li Ling-Ai will have a postage stamp dedicated to them too.
January 30, 2012 — Georgia Remote Shoot
I got goose bumps when I first saw Michelle Scott’s paintings on her webpage two years ago, and I’ve been a fan of her work ever since. Since my discovery of KUKAN, Michelle has been using her grandfather Rey Scott’s China photographs in her paintings.
“Battle Cry” by Michelle Scott
Recently she created a couple of exciting new paintings for a group show at 2Rules Fine Art Gallery that will open on February 3rd in Marietta, Georgia. While seated at my desk in Hawaii, I was able to interview Michelle about that process with the help of Skype and Atlanta DP Wes Browning of Sema Films.
Director Robin Lung conducts Skype interview from Hawaii.
Wes also got some nice shots of Michelle putting some final touches on her paintings before delivering them to 2Rules. Wes and Skype facilitated another virtual meeting and interview with gallery owner Becky Rule. Of course I would have loved to do be there in person for it all, but I’m thankful that Skype and Wes allowed me to be a virtual part of it. Here are some photos Wes took of the shoot.
Becky Rule of 2Rules Fine Art
December 5–10, 2011 — LA Production Shoot
My main reason for traveling to LA was to interview Li Ling-Ai’s nephew Andrew Li who was a young boy of 8, living in Nanking when Rey Scott and Li Ling-Ai began pre-production for KUKAN.
Ann Kaneko films FINDING KUKAN director Robin Lung meeting with Li Ling-Ai’s nephew Andrew Li.
I hoped to find out more information from Andrew about Ling-Ai’s connections in China at the time. Though I was able to gather some valuable information from my interview, the 5 days in LA turned out to be about so much more — a lot of it behind the scenes stuff that will never make it into the documentary.
Getting to know the talented filmmaker Ann Kaneko was one of the unexpected bonuses of the trip. Thanks to generous donations from early FINDING KUKAN supporters, I was able to hire Ann for a couple of days as my LA Director of Photography. Having a dp with a real interest in the project and experience with both editing and being a character in her own films was invaluable.
Witnessing Ann balancing her dedication to her work with the demands of raising her 8‑month old daughter Ceiba was a real inspirational shot-in-the-arm too.
Andrew Li inspects photographs
As I lunched with Andrew Li, his daughters Portia and Quincy, and his wife Gilda I got a sense of the rich life Li Ling-Ai had beyond KUKAN and the profound ripple effect that personal stories can have through time and space.
John Zainer talks to Ed Carter in front of the $500,000 King Kong poster that decorates the Margaret Herrick Library’s reading room.
Filming B‑roll scenes of Ed Carter at the Margaret Herrick Library introduced me to this gorgeous building and amazing film history resource for the first time (I am already thinking of excuses to return to spend more leisurely hours there).
Ann Kaneko and Rebecca Bozzo prep for a shoot at the Margaret Herrick Library
It also gave me an excuse to hook up with the perennially upbeat Rebecca Bozzo again. Becca is a dedicated young filmmaker who shares a passion for old movies and has been a FINDING KUKAN supporter from almost day one.
Dan & Denise Levenick with Robin Lung
Dan & Denise Levenick invited me to their home in Pasadena to view their mother’s home movies and photographs of 1930s Hawaii. Besides giving me another reason to marvel at the generosity and kindness of strangers, Dan and Denise provided me with precious “before-my-time” knowledge of my home town.
AMPAS Preservationist Joe Lindner describes how curled the KUKAN film print is.
Talking to AMPAS Presrevationist Joe Lindner about the arduous process of restoring KUKAN gave me new insights into the precious nature of old film, the historic value that even old home movies have, and the galling number of films that have been destroyed by time.
Ille-Heid Zainer and her fresh baked bread.
John Zainer’s 1971 VW Van was the perfect LA production vehicle.
Finally my hosts in LA, John and Ille-Heid Zaner, provided me with an intimate view of what living in LA can be like, inviting me to neighborhood parties, providing home-cooked meals after long days of shooting, chauffering me around in vintage vehicles, and sharing Ille’s sister Elke’s amazing Christmas cookies with me.
Elke’s Cookies
The result is that after my 5‑day production shoot in LA, a city that I once had a very low opinion of, I can’t wait to go back.
December 1 to 31, 2011 — Producer/Director Robin Lung Featured on Career Changers TV
Although I’m more comfortable being behind the camera than in front of it, I agreed to be profiled on OC 16’s Career Changers TV show in order to get the word out about FINDING KUKAN. Producer Rich Figel and Cameraman/Editor Stan Chang managed to boil my life of job-hopping down to a succinct 4 minutes or so. Even better, the lead in and out of the piece made people really want to see the work-in-progress trailer and learn more about KUKAN. The show airs through December on digital channel 16 or 1016 in Hawaii. The show is rebroadcast Fri 2:30pm, Sat 6:30pm, Sun 12:30am, Mon 9:00am, and Wed 2pm and Thur 8:30pm through December. If you can’t catch it, here is a low resolution version.
You can see the nice lead up to the trailer here. And a fabulous article Rich wrote about “The Mystery of Li Ling-Ai” here.
December 2, 2011 — Gifts From the Blogosphere
There’s nothing like having a cold over the holidays to make you feel sorry for yourself. It’s that old dejected feeling that creeps in as the box of kleenex gets emptied. Now that I’ve recovered, I’m having some belated Thanksgiving thoughts, tallying up the windfalls that have come my way over the past year — many by way of the internet and blogosphere. Recently I made an internet connection with blogger Durian Dave, who turned out to be a very generous like-minded soul with an incredible visual archive and wealth of knowledge about old Chinese films and film actresses. See his blog and Tumblr for hours of entertaining and eye-opening articles and photos. David advanced my KUKAN research tremendously by sending a bunch of choice KUKAN related items to me, including this vintage lobby card.
Lobby card for the 1941 Oscar-winning documentary KUKAN
Besides displaying gorgeous color and imagery, the card had an intriguing embossed stamp on the bottom of it: “STATENS FILMCENSUR 1947–48.” David suspects that the stamp refers to Sweden’s censorship board. If he’s right, that means KUKAN screened all the way in Sweden! So if any of you Swedish film collectors come across 16mm Kodachrome color footage of China that appears to be from 1939 or 1940, let me know! We’re still looking for good partial prints to help with the KUKAN restoration.
My next post will feature the fabulous photo of a jet-setting Li Ling-Ai that Durian Dave dug up as well as info about a couple of other groundbreaking Chinese American females working behind the camera. Why not now you might ask. Hey, I’m still recovering!
October 19, 2011 — FINDING KUKAN Excerpts Screen at Evening with Jiang Wen
Two work-in-progress excerpts from FINDING KUKAN (one in its first public showing) will screen as the “opening act” for the University of Hawai‘i sponsored Evening with Jiang Wen, the famous Chinese actor/director who is in Hawai‘i as the featured filmmaker for the 2011 Hawai‘i Intternational Film Festival.
Flyer for FINDING KUKAN Screening at University of Hawai‘i sponsored Evening With Jiang Wen
The evening should be a very special one, and bound to bring great exposure to FINDNG KUKAN. Check it out if you are in the area.or pass the word on to others. Note that the screening is free, but you need a ticket to get in the door. They expect a capacity crowd, so get your tickets early. They are available at UH Moore Hall 417.
