Vancouver-based film takes centre stage at VIFF

An award winning,Vancouver-based filmmaker's movie will be one of the first screened at theVancouver International Film Festival (VIFF)openingThursday.

Director Mina Shum'sMeditation Park, starring Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon actor Cheng Pei-Pei, is set in Vancouverand centres around the self-discovery of a wife when she finds another woman's underwear in her husband's pocket.

The film also features Grey's Anatomy actor Sandra Oh and ArrivalactorTzi Ma.

Shum, who wrote and directed the film, has had a prolific career which includes titles such asDouble HappinessandNinth Floor.But in a conversation with Stephen Quinn during CBC's On the Coast, she admitted it can be difficult to make family-driven dramatic movies starring Asian actors in today's film industry.

'Things are changing'

"It's difficult making films that aren't Marvel comics right now, it's as simple as that," said Shum.

Shum said that if she, an Asian-Canadian woman, can watch a film starring a Caucasian maleand relate tohis character's journey, audiences watching a film starringPei-Pei should be able to feel the same way.

That sentiment of shared empathy was the driving force behind her creatingMeditation Park.

Shumsaid it's important to her to helpfurtherthe visibility of Asian actorsin mainstream media. She isn't alone in her desire for more diversity among movie casting.

Recent decisions to cast Caucasian actors such asTilda Swinton, Emma Stone andScarlett Johanssonas Asian or partially Asiancharacters in mainstream filmshave been criticized.

In early September,Meditation Parkopened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and Shum said the positive audience response reinforcedher belief that people can relate toall types of heroes.

"I'm seeing an openness to the very definition of what a hero is," said Shum. "Because we're actually having the conversation now. I'm hopeful things are changing."

Netflixannouncement

On the same dayVIFF opened Thursday, federalHeritage Minister MlanieJoly also announced streaming-company Netflixwill commit $500 million overthe next five years to fund original Canadian productions.

Shum said she is heartened by the streaming giant's decision, but only if it means more Canadian stories are told by Canadian filmmakers.

"That's really exciting ... if they are really going to fund Canadian filmmaking and not just want us to put American stars in Canadian productions and service them here."

Shum said it was her first time working withPei-Pei, who is sometimesreferred to as the "mother of martial arts" for her long career in Kung fu films.

Shumhas admired Pei-Peifrom afar for many years, and ShumsaidPei-Pei, a big Grey's Anatomy fan,has admired Oh for sometime as well.

Meditation Park screens atThe Centre in Vancouver, Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m.

With files from On the Coast