Past Filmmakers

Khang Mai
Comrade Turtle and Vulture 4:11

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

The idea for the film started off as a commentary on Dr. Kevorkian and assisted death but it soon changed after I saw a documentary on the Cultural Revolution in China during Mao Zedong's rule.  In the film, a young Chinese girl had put a red armband around Chairman Mao's arm instantly became famous and latter infamous for that act.  Hearing her story gave me the idea to reinterpret the fable of the Tortoise and Hare Race with a Maoist twist.   I also wanted the film to feel like a children's book read and animated for the PBS program “Reading Rainbow.”

2. How long did the production process take?

On and off for a couple of months.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

I didn't know quite how to execute the animation until Chad Dravk read the script and wanted to animate the film for me.  He wound up doing much more.  From recording the audio, to compositing the artwork, along with even making a schedule that he made me keep to, I don't know if I could have made the film without him.

4. What was your favorite memory from creating the film?

When I first saw the composite and animation of the artwork with the edited audio.  After watching it the first time I knew the animation and writing worked as a pretty good film.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what do you hope they take away from the experience?

Well, hopefully they like the film but really I want the viewers to start thinking about, and even questioning, the situations put upon the common person by the folks who are in power.

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

Lots of positive reactions.  Most thought that it was sad that the turtle got eaten.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?

If you plan on making a genre film, with not much money, you better make it good.  Hollywood churns out enough crappy genre films as it is.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on.

Don't know yet.  Looks like I might move to Wingate, NC to live on a chicken farm.  So you'll just have to wait and see…

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?

Apparently some producers think that it's cheaper to make a film here than Romania. Some of the wages and shooting conditions on these films border on sweat shop labor.  There is a need for better-funded films by local filmmakers to make this industry a successful industry year after year.  We don't need big budget productions coming in and raping the land and resources. Nor do we need the low budget productions doing the same with labor and work conditions.