Small films work best when they are built around small, tight stories. It also helps if the story is smart and sexy.

Charlotte Sometimes is a unique, intelligent, human film that just happens to be subtly sexy cool. A remarkable achievement for first time writer/director Eric Byler on a micro-budget (shot for $20,000), the film has won awards at South by Southwest and the Florida Film Festival. Now, Charlotte Sometimes is vying for the John Cassavetes Independent Spirit Award for best film made for under $500,000 and one of its stars, Jacqueline Kim, is up for a best supporting actress Independent Spirit Award.

For some unexplainable reason, Charlotte has been beaten up on IMDB. I would be surprised if the people voting it down on the esteemed Internet database have actually seen the film. After all, it cannot be seen theatrically at this time and has been screened only at a few film festivals. I wonder whether a movie like Sex Lies and Videotape would have received similar treatment had the Internet been in full swing when it was released. Like that deliberate Soderbergh classic, Charlotte requires patience and the rewards are great.

Byler and I talked by email and telephone about his film.

Eric Byler: Hmm, I rarely watch "exciting" movies, so I’m at a bit of a disadvantage. Not that I don’t enjoy them; I grew up watching them. I mean, certain events-- murder, blackmail, aliens attacking--they make for exciting drama. But the films that speak to me are usually about people rather than events. As a viewer, I hate the feeling that the characters are secondary to events, or, worse, that their thoughts and motivations are being manipulated to maximize dramatic effect. I prefer the feeling that the characters were already there, existing, long before the events began--in this way, their story is interesting to me simply because I believe in their humanity.

Charlotte Sometimes is a film about people who hide more than they show. My aim was to bring the characters to life in a way that is believable and interesting, and disguise myself so thoroughly that you almost forget these moments existed on paper before they were photographed. To do this, I asked my actors to discover their characters, and one another, using some organic and, I guess, pretty unusual techniques. Also, I was forced to eliminate several of the conventions of "exciting" movies-- including hyperbolic events, melodrama, and certain camera angles.

If I were forced to repeat the choices of other artists, I couldn’t see the point of being one.

EI: Where did you get the idea to make Michael (played by Michael Idemoto) sexy, yet not really interested in sex, at least, not casual sex?

Eric Byler: I was always intrigued by men who behaved that way--as if they weren't interested in sex. Women sometimes ask it of us, implicitly of course. It's the unspoken contract: if you pretend not to want me, I'll pretend not to know.

But there's something else going on with this character. I've noticed that a lot of Asian American men are very private when it comes to sex, so much so that they might be interpreted as "not interested in sex." The challenge for me was to deconstruct this vibe. Michael Idemoto came to the table with some fresh ideas on the character. Really, I think he pulled off a miracle with his performance. His relationship with Eugenia Yuan's character is completely emasculating, but he's not only sexy, he's commandingly sexy, composed, dignified, and most importantly, he's kind to her. Then, he finds himself in a psychological jousting match with Jacqueline Kim's forceful, sexually aggressive anti-heroine--a character who would eat most of today's leading men for breakfast. And he manages to tame her with what amounts to a direct, candid expression of higher principles. I don't know what made me think I could find an actor who could do both of these things convincingly. If I hadn't, I’m afraid the film would have been a waste of my parents' money.

EI: Your parents must be pretty cool folk.

Eric Byler: They're the greatest.

EI

I followed the script pretty closely, except for the final scene, which I rewrote during production. A number of scenes weren't exactly in the script because I didn't want the actors to know what happens until cameras were rolling. For instance, the first half of the scene between Justin and Darcy in the hotel room was only one sentence in the script, but in the film it's quite developed. I didn't give Matt and Jacqueline any direction until moments before we shot it. There's a list of similar improvisations on the web site if you want more examples. http://www.CharlotteSometimesTheMovie.com/funny_facts.html

EI: The sex in Charlotte Sometimes is aggressive, stimulating, and adult. What do you think when sex is trivialized in films like American Pie?

Eric Byler: The only scene I can think of from American Pie is when the kid has sex with the pie. I didn't find it trivial. That's pretty serious, actually. I was worried he'd get caught and of course he did, it was funny... but sex can be treated in different ways.

For me, a love scene is no different from any other scene. It should be well acted and well directed. It should have a beginning, middle, and end. And most of all, it should move the story forward. Too often, love scenes in films have the exact same effect on the story as the old fashioned "kiss-and-cut." The only difference is we have to watch a 2-minute montage of body parts before the story can resume with the understanding that "now these people have had sex." The love scenes in Charlotte Sometimes are essential turning points, not just for the plot, but also for the characters and the theme. You really couldn't understand the film without them.

EI: Darcy is played by Jacqueline Kim who has a pretty good filmography. How did you get her involved in such a small film?

Eric Byler: I wrote the role for her and never imagined anyone else could play it. Back in ’97, I sent her the script and asked her to participate in a table read. We were both pleased with the result, and she agreed to play the role. The size of the budget was never a factor for her. She believed in the project, and supported it one hundred percent for five years now. It’s odd to say she supported it, when, really, she’s been the heart and soul. Her character’s final words express the theme of the film. With a lesser actress, I never would have let those ideas reach the surface, I mean, not in the form of dialogue.

EI: How did Jacqueline react to her Independent Spirit Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category?

Eric Byler: She didn’t even know we were being considered, so she was pretty shocked. The nominations are a tribute to everyone who worked on the film, but Jacqueline is the only one who was there from start to finish. We had high hopes, but when I think back to ‘97, really, this is more than we could have imagined.

EI: I think that it is interesting when a filmmaker goes from making a big budget film to making something very small. You know like Soderbergh did with Full Frontal. Was making a small film a financial necessity only?

Eric Byler: It was a financial necessity, yes. I had never made a big film, never made a feature, actually, and I’d only worked on one. I had five thousand dollars to my name when I started the project. My parents and uncles helped, but none of them are millionaires.

EI: What feature did you work on?

Eric Byler: Greg Araki’s Splendor. I was the camera trainee.

EI: Any suggestions for working with a small budget?

Eric Byler: I would say your chances for success are better if you make a personal film. Think of the ideas or the moments that meant the most to you in your life, and just be honest and reveal. If you try to emulate big budget films, whether it’s to pay homage or because you want to be commercial, you’ll probably fall short. You just don’t have the resources. Base your artistic decisions on what you know from life, rather than what you know from movies. You’ll make a better film that way, at least for my taste.

EI: What made you go with an all-Asian cast?

Eric Byler: There are plenty of films and plenty of filmmakers out there who ignore Asian Americans. If our own filmmakers did the same, then where would we be? One of my goals as a filmmaker is to present Asian Americans as real people, who are interesting as human beings, without having to kick someone and/or get paid for sex. Another goal is to stay true to my vision, so, it was a question of artistic integrity more than anything.

EI: What was your vision?

Eric Byler: Well, that's my way of saying I imagined the characters as Asian American. That's why I had to cast it that way. It's a big part of the story.

EI: You know, you don’t exactly look Asian.

Eric Byler: Yeah, I’ve had to answer a lot of questions about my ethnicity. Why would someone who can pass for white make an Asian American film? The explanation that my mother's Chinese, and that I grew up in Hawaii is good enough for most people. I hope my films will help make room in people's minds, not only for Asian Americans, but also for people like me, who identify with more than one race. I don’t know. If Tiger Woods can’t make a dent, I don’t know how I’m going to. But, both Charlotte Sometimes and my next film American Knees have Asians of mixed ancestry in key roles. It’s a start. People need to realize there’s a marginalized community within the marginalized community. I take exception to the inference that an artist of mixed ancestry shouldn’t make films with ethnic content.

EI: Charlotte Sometimes is really a drama about young people that happen to be Asian. If you decide to tackle a story that centers on an Asian theme, do you think you might catch some criticism?

Eric Byler: We’ll see when American Knees comes out. The novel (by Shawn Wong) has a lot of political and social criticism, and I’ve retained some of that in the screen adaptation. But also you have to understand Charlotte Sometimes isn’t exactly sheltered from criticism just because the social commentary is less overt. There are very few films in the public eye that represent the Asian American experience, so people are sensitive and sometimes critical of the films that reach the mainstream. For instance, many Asian Americans are private when it comes to sex, but my film is very candid. Overall, the community has been very supportive of me as a filmmaker.

EI: Michael in the film is Japanese but his love interest is Chinese. How do these ethnic differences play into real Asian relationships? Is this an issue in Charlotte Sometimes that I missed?

Eric Byler: There are some historical and cultural barriers between the different Asian American groups, but I think we’ve begun to unite through shared experience. We’re all perceived and treated pretty much the same by the mainstream.

Differences among specific groups of Asian Americans were not the focus of Charlotte Sometimes, so I was able to look at any actor as long as he or she was Asian. I’d be pretty surprised if "Japanese vs. Chinese" occurred to Michael or Eugenia even once while cameras were rolling. I certainly didn’t discuss it with them. Michael's Japanese because a Japanese actor won the part. Lori's Chinese because a Chinese actress won the part.

Eric Byler: Well, I identify with all the characters. But I can see why you’d compare us, because he's Hapa (half Asian). I considered casting someone non-Asian, but that would have called too much attention to race. Matt was the perfect choice because he allowed the character to represent an "outsider" exactly as much as I'm considered that way-- which is impossible to define, and for this reason the film's view on race is hard to define too. A good test as to whether Hapas are really Asian in our minds is when we see them in bed. Responses have varied tremendously.

EI: Sounds like there is another story there, one with definite adult implications.

Eric Byler: The story’s already there, if I get what you’re saying correctly. But, yeah, it will be a recurring theme for me. In American Knees, the Hapa character is a woman choosing between two lovers, one who’s Asian and one who’s Caucasian. I expect the interpretation will be that this choice defines her. If she chooses a white guy, she’s white. If she chooses an Asian guy, she’s Asian. It’s ironic that an interracial man, like Matt’s character in Charlotte Sometimes, can date who ever he wants and stay in the same category he was before. It’s like how men keep their name.

EI: I’m always surprised by the frank and mature way foreign directors handle sex. I mean take Y Tu Mama Tambien for example.

Eric Byler: Sex on screen should be surprising. Y Tu Mama Tambien is a great example.

Foreign directors approach sex as they approach all aspects of drama, with uncompromising honesty and creativity. American directors have less freedom right now. Our films are usually business ventures before all else. Surprises can be risky in that way.

EI: I wonder whether success will kill the hunger and dull the edge of your future films. You know, there just might be something to the theory of necessity being the mother of invention. Also, all the really tough kids grow up in households where dirt was a part of their environment. Do you see where I’m going?

Eric Byler: Yes. But, it’s not success that dulls the edge. It’s the loss of creative control. For better or for worse, I made every creative decision on Charlotte Sometimes because my family paid for it. I may never have that authority again. If I’m going to keep that edge, I’ll have to fight for it. But don’t worry; dirt will always be a big part of my environment.

Jonathan W. Hickman