FINALLY a few frames to commemorate the unforgettable journey that was Dìdi. When I look back through these stills, I’m reminded of the brilliant friends who brought them to life, especially @seanswang@clopezestrada@valerieeee101 and Josh, one of the best camera and G&E teams I’ve ever had the privilege of working with led by @williamdauel@faux_rust and @stouppaloop as well as a miracle-working art department under @hanrui_wang_ , colorist @kaitlynbattistelli and so, so many others.
+ a bonus pic at Bar Veloce in East Village during DocNYC, moments after Sean got the call from @sundanceorg
A few final thoughts and thank yous to tie a bow on the beautifully unlikely whirlwind this little film has led us on over the past year…
When Sean first told his grandmas we wanted to make a film about them, they said what most elderly people would: “No one wants to watch a film about us. We’re old and ugly.” We ourselves had no plan and few expectations when we began shooting, except for to hopefully make Năi Nai & Wài Pó feel seen and loved, and to sort of freeze their spirits in time for posterity like a cinematic home video. If Năi Nai & Wài Pó had been right—if you had told us then that the film would never find an audience except for ourselves and Sean’s future kids—we probably would have still made it.
We couldn’t have dreamt then just how seen and loved this experience would make the grandmas feel. We had no idea how universally the film would resonate with audiences. We couldn’t have predicted that Năi Nai & Wài Pó would become “the newest Disney princesses,” and we might have only joked that they’d one day walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards.
Thank you to every festival that programmed the film, every friend, filmmaker, and film lover who watched and supported us over the past year, to the small army at Disney+ who believed wholeheartedly and went to great lengths to lift our movie up, and of course, to the Academy.
Call your grandma
Somehow left out my single favorite frame of the shoot.
This is James. He’s personally rescued over a thousand dogs off the streets and out of abandoned buildings like this one.
First look at our doc Land of Lost Toys, an exploration of the stray dog epidemic in Detroit through a mosaic of perspectives, from overflowing shelters to rescue volunteers to backyard breeders and the dogs themselves. Directed by @nickstach
Leaving the nest is a defining moment in a young man’s life, but the euphoria of newfound independence doesn’t come without just a bit of homesickness. Our latest #vimeostaffpick Premiere “You Know Where to Find Me,” directed by @samdavis is a must watch. We loved the naturalistic, seemingly unscripted dialogue that captured the relationship between mother and son in such a heartfelt way. The full short is linked in our bio.
@raykazehtabchi@reef.oldberg@madewithtrust
You Know Where to Find Me, an unscripted experiment with a bunch of my favorite people, shot in my home state at the best time of year, willed into existence by @raykaz@reef.oldberg and @_faylyn and carried by @graysondeeney . Swipe for fond memories courtesy of Reef. Screening 6/21 at @psfilmfest .
