Dunning is not an Asian name. Of course it's not, and filmmaker Steven Dunning isn't Asian. But like most Americans, he is fascinated by all things Asian. Now Chinatown, his first feature, is the kind of film you might expect from a Chinese-American filmmaker. So, it gave me pause when I realized that the Director wasn't from the Far East.

"What makes you qualified to write a story about the struggles of a young Chinese immigrant? How can we be sure that the story is fair and accurate?" I asked him one of the tough questions first. Dunning and I talked by telephone and by email. He is based out of Los Angeles, and I'm usually in a little town right below Atlanta.

"I’ve been very involved in the Chinese community in LA and overseas, including mainland China for quite a few years now." Dunning responded. "I wanted to be very sure that my friends in China and LA did not roll their eyes after seeing this film and say 'There goes Hollywood again stereotyping us.' So from the very beginning of the script writing stage, I sent drafts to my friends here in the US, Taiwan, HK and mainland China. Many of the smallest details come from my own life experience in the Asian community and many people of Asian decent have come up to me and said, 'You know more about my culture than I do' And again at the editing stage, I would bring in people from HK then another group from China then another group who were born in America of Asian descent and people who have emigrated from Asia to the US. I would have them all answer questions an eight-page questionnaire and then we would have a big discussion about what they thought. So I tried to input views and life experiences from various backgrounds, looking for common denominators. But I know you are never able to satisfy 100% of the people all the time, and I don’t try to. The truth hurts sometimes but those truths exist in all cultures."

Now Chinatown is about Lee, a Chinese immigrant, who toils under a repressive Chinese restaurant owner in LA's present-day Chinatown.

"How did you ever assemble such a great cast? The casting auditions were so very personal on the DVD. What made you add the casting pieces to the DVD?" I was referring to one of the extras on the DVD which features many actors auditioning for various roles in the film. Little touches like audition out-takes help make the Now Chinatown DVD so special.

"I had several casting calls over almost a year." Answered Dunning. "Word of the script and what actors thought of it traveled fast from the first auditions forward. Then I started getting calls from name actors from films like from the Last Emperor, The Joy Luck Club, Indiana Jones, Boys in the Hood, etc.. I was very honored by many who had done much larger films but still asked me if they could read for the role even without consideration of pay rates. So I guess that was a good indication of the quality of the script. The audition process was one of my favorite parts of the film. You can play with the actors, push them beyond their limits and become intensely personal. I wanted to show the original cast auditions on the DVD so people can see the huge difference between an empty room with a video camera and a fully thought out an actualized scene with both having the same acting as the center piece. Ben Lum and I just improv'ed about my father and his being war buddies rescuing each other. Take a close look at Ben’s filmography on the DVD. It is dedicated to him, he died just this year [2002] but oddly I only feel good when I think of him. I feel happy that I saw his reaction as he watched the film and the smile on his face talking about it afterwards. It’s a strange world when I see him popping up on a new commercial today."

"How was the film received in China? The DVD contains footage that looks like you got the royal treatment when it premiered there." I said.

"I have always love China and find it one of the most fascinating places on earth. Folks like me there because I’m American, from Hollywood and I think nice. I’m selling the theatrical posters, t-shirts, hats etc. on nowchinatown.com so I can donate to cultural exchange programs that make people see we are all just humans. Hopefully if I can bring people together, get pictures of their kids up on opposite refrigerators around the world, people might think a little more no matter where they are from. "Hmm, I’m not sure I want to drop a bomb over there, because I’d kill my friend and his kids I’m looking at right here on my fridge." I travel To China often and can’t wait to shoot a feature film there in the vein of the great Zhang Yimou, Chang Kaige and others. I was lucky enough to make friends with Chow Yun Fat in LA and have him see the dailies from Now Chinatown. He was great to hang out with and visit back in HK. And after seeing the daily footage, he offered his services in my next film. I hope this happens in the near future even though he joked that I would become too big of a director and not bother to ask him to be in a film of mine. I hope he keeps his word because I will take him up on his offer. But for those things to happen the studios need to see numbers from your other work, so if you’re reading this please pick up a DVD at amazon and tell all your friends. It’s a bottom line business like all businesses."

"When I was in college, I was criticized for writing a short story from the perspective of a girl. The professor told me that I could never write from that perspective. How did you get inside the head of a woman when writing Now Chinatown and, in particular, a Chinese woman?" I asked. The central character Lee, played by Lianne X. Hu, is very well developed and believable in the film.

"I think the reason why the film hits so deep with so many people from such different backgrounds of all ages, races and both men and women is because I tried to write from the perspective of a human and draw out the most human and universal feelings that we all must go through." Said Dunning. "There were many particular details specific to Chinese women that came from talking with and pestering many female Chinese friends with endless questioning. And I pestered all my male Chinese friends too. I think your professor couldn’t be more wrong and must not follow my life philosophy: 'Impossible is not a word in vocabulary.'"

"The close-ups are stunning in Now Chinatown. I especially liked how you let the camera spend so much time on Lee's face. Like the bus scene and her smile. How did you get that scene so perfect?"

"I always shot still photographs since I was a little kid and love composing still shots in any kind of frame. The frame and composition alone is a story-telling tool that can bring powerful and calculated even subconscious effects to the viewer. The jumping on the bus shot in particular was one of the few shots in the film that was more than one or two takes. I remember looking through the lens and just tilting up a hair with Lianne’s movement to come to rest with her beautiful smile at the right moment, but not a simple shot to pull off."

Now Chinatown makes excellent use of Lianne X. Hu's face by capturing her reactions closely. I likened it to a special effect minus big budget digital enhancements.

"What's next for you?" This is the typical question I have asked many, many times in the past to many, many filmmakers.

"I am currently producing a script we have pre-sold to 20th Century Fox, Scandivania. And I have another script written, a psychological suspense thriller, and several treatments ranging from a science fiction action film to a romantic bicycle maker in China. But I am open to anything that touches the human elements that drive us all through this life. Hopefully with passion and purpose."

"Directing is all about style, I guess. Your background is in commercials, but your style of feature filmmaking isn't about selling a brand or whipping the viewer into a certain mode, rather, it is patient and measured. How were you able to switch from commercial directing to feature filmmaking on the incremental, subtle, let's call it for the sake of our lovely readers 'Indie,' level?" I asked, Now Chinatown is Dunning's first feature.

"From the opening shots of the film you can see that I like to let the scene play and have the viewer really see everything in the shot." Dunning answered. "There is nothing in my shots that is not purposeful so I like to let the viewer take their time to have the shot do what it is intended to do. Commercials and music videos are a totally different world of shooting, pacing, lighting and styling. Unfortunately, many films try to use those same devices and end up with a two hour flashy film that is nothing more than a long and boring commercial or music video that has lost its novelty after the first three minutes. With no story and no human drama that people can relate to it’s just a pitiful waste of money and a big piece of crap. I’m sure I’ll end up doing something like that to pay the bills so that I can continue to make films that I hope can be beneficial to someone sitting out there in the dark. Hopefully, you."

Jonathan W. Hickman