WHEN I FIND YOU - AN INTERVIEW WITH VINCY WANG
Vincy Wang's when I Find You is a heartwarming short film that has a toy car and a puppet as its lead film characters. Using these inanimate objects, she weaves a story about growing up and growing out. Once favourites, the toys now feel forlorn and deserted as their keeper, a young girl, develops a liking for video games. In conversation with Cult Critic, Vincy sheds light on her creative process and how she uses her imagination to shift the perspective from humans - to the objects they consume and then cast aside without a second thought. In the process, a dialogue on memory, consumerism, evolving subcultures and Toy Story emerges.
CULT CRITIC - First off, tells our readers a little bit about yourself and your work as a filmmaker so far.
VINCY WANG : I was born and raised in China. I came to the United States two years ago and just finished MFA degree in film. My filmmaking practice involves non-fiction film, experimental film and video art.
CULT CRITIC - When I Find You deals with nostalgia and growing up. Was it inspired from your childhood?
VINCY WANG : Not from my childhood. Electronic products were not as developed as nowadays when I was a child. So I spent more time playing with my toys. I have toys that I kept from my childhood, and they are valuable to me. But there are so many temptation for children today, so as for adult. Those temptation could even make people forget or realize what is really valuable and precious to them.
CULT CRITIC - Your film feels almost like a tribute to Toy Story. Which films would you cite as your influences?
VINCY WANG : I’ve never seen Toy Story. I think I don’t have any specific films which influenced me.
CULT CRITIC - Can it be seen as an indictment of increased video game consumption by children today? Are toys becoming a relic of the past?
VINCY WANG : The indictment of increased video game consumption was just a part of the film.Toy is just a metaphor here. As I said before, it’s more about truly treasures and possession.
CULT CRITIC - What was it like imagining how non-living objects feel or think?
VINCY WANG : Asforme, it is a natural and unconscious thing.
CULT CRITIC -Making this film must have been fun. Share with us what the shoot was like and valuable lessons you learnt from it.
VINCY WANG : We were a very small film crew and they are all my close friends. The atmosphere of the set was relatively relaxing so that helped the film shooting process smoothly.
CULT CRITIC - What dictates your artistic choices and sensibilities?
VINCY WANG : Film for me is to express a kind of confusion and predicament. And it doesn’t need an answer. Life is confusing originally with no answer. No matter how personal this expression is, I believe it will meet a film audience with tears.
CULT CRITIC - Who is/are your favourite contemporary filmmaker's?
VINCY WANG : Jim Jarmusch, Wim Wenders, Hong Sang-soo, Jan Švankmajer, Leos Carax
CULT CRITIC -What’s next for Vincy Wang?
VINCY WANG : I still want to see film, this art form, asan ultimate goal of life.
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