"Restless" charms the SFIAAFF

03.11 - Posted by Editor

"Restless" charms the SFIAAFF

3.11.2000 -- by Greg Pak   The fervor continued at the 18th annual San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival with the packed Saturday evening screening of "Restless," directed by Jule Gilfillan and produced by Peter Shiao for Celestial Pictures.     "Restless" interweaves two stories of Americans in China. The main story, a kind of "Sex in the City" set in Beijing, follows a white woman (Catherine Kellner, looking remarkably like Sarah Jessica Parker) who falls for a foxy Chinese chess master (Geng Le).     The second story features a Chinese American surfer (David Wu) who takes a trip to China to return his grandfather's ashes.     Both characters predictably but charmingly tumble in and out of love, confront the differences between Chinese and American ways, search their souls, and end the film knowing a little more about their own hearts than they did when they began.     The film is strongest when dealing with matters of the heart and gonads, with Le making a particularly strong impression as the lean, long-haired object of Kellner's affection.     Asked by an audience member whether the Asian male romantic leads in the film would appeal to a broad audience, Gilfillan said, "I think you just have to take one look at Geng Le. Geng Le is gorgeous!"     The physical humor of Wu's inexplicably clumsy surfer's pratfalls wears a little thin. But all of the actors have charm to spare, earning great response from the San Francisco audience.     "You guys laughed at almost everything!" said the delighted director Gillfillan.     "Restless" is the first ever US-China co-production, which means it will be distributed in China as a domestic film without having to be imported. Without co-production status, it's unclear if the film could ever have been shot in Beijing. But the filmmakers had to deal throughout the shoot with Chinese government agents and censors.     According to Shiao, the Chinese government became agitated when it learned that the filmmakers planned to cast a Taiwanese actress in a principal role.     "Their argument was, 'Out of 1.2 billion people, you can't find a local Chinese person?'" said Shiao.     But Shiao and Gillfillan were convinced their actress was perfect for the role. Both met with Chinese officials to defend their decision.     "I know I had to call the guy uncle," said Shiao to Gillfillin, "But what did you do?"     Gilfillin, who speaks fluent Chinese (like the character in her film, she lived in China for several years), said, "We just kept at it. What it finally came down to is I said, 'I promise you'll be proud of her.'"     Another struggle came over the squeals of ecstacy which were supposed to be heard over unseen lovemaking in the opening sequence of the film.     "We decided that laughter was the way to go," said Gilfillin.     At a time when US-China relations have often made the news for negative reasons, Shiao is hopeful that 'Restless' may have found a narrow opening when its release may coincide with a desire for both nations to find a better way to communicate.     "Let's talk about something else," said Shiao. "Let's talk about the people, the relationships."     "Restless" will be released by Arrow nationally beginning in the late Spring. Check back soon with AsianAmericanFilm.com for more details.     The SFIAAFF continues thoughout the week at the Kabuki Theaters. Visit the website at http://naatanet.org/festival/2000/index.html or call 415-255-4299 for more information.     Back to top