Slanted’sscathing commentary on racism and beauty standards won the audience over at the festival.
SHIRLEY CHEN: Let’s go!
Many, many questions about the concept.
Image via SXSW
WANG: The concept came about back in 2021.
That afternoon it kind of just brought about a bunch of feelings I had growing up in Australia.
WANG: I love satire.
Image by Photagonist
I love Ruben Ostlund.
That was the main reason.
First feature, high hopes you’re gonna go on to direct many more.
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MAITREYI RAMAKRISHNAN: This is the best question I think we’ve gotten so far.
I love this question.
CHEN: I feel like we always inadvertently answer it without it being directly asked of us.
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RAMAKRISHNAN: Now, we get to be explicit and unapologetic about it.
I was like, “This is a really bold swing, and we’re saying a lot.”
I was like, “I don’t know, Amy.
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I’m kind of nervous about doing something like this.”
And she said, “Well, that’s good.
Why is that a problem?Isn’t that kind of the point?
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To be controversial, to start a conversation?”
I was like, “Damn!”
Love me a woman who proves me wrong.
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Love me an Amy Wang!
Add that at the end of the film or something like that?"
I really appreciate that because not all directors do that.
Don’t do it."
You feel why she does that because, with Amy, she meets everybody where they’re at.
That’s regardless of if that’s the actor or the crew or the hair and makeup, whoever.
I think that’s perfect, the perfect tone for a movie like this.
Then I think, as well, Amy is such a silly spirit.
Her family is awesome.
Her parents are awesome.
AMELIE ZILBER: I would like to say that Amy is incredibly warm and incredibly compassionate.
I would work with you 100 more times if I could.
WANG: I paid everybody to say this.
CHEN: Not enough!
FANG DU: Amy’s so process-driven, and I love that about her.
We shot the film in four and a half weeks.
She may not tell us what she wants, right?
As an actor, it is incredibly empowering, and I can do my craft.
I’ll let you give flowers right back to your cast now.
I think about this all the time.
What is something about these four in particular that brought something new out ofyouas a director?
WANG: Oh my god,somuch.
Every single person added so much to their own scenes, their own character.
Literally, Amelie,somuch of the comedy was you.
She improvised so much.
Then, Maitreyi, oh my god, the scene by the lockers was her idea.
Even the expansion at the end.
RAMAKRISHNAN: I was so happy that you added that nugget.
I was like, “Oh my gosh, Amy took it!”
Yet again, I wasn’t even in that scene.
She did so much work on the character,somany notes.
I remember your binder.
CHEN: I had a binder for my character.
WANG: Then Fang, I mean everything that you brought.
The final monologue that you had was written by you.
Each person added so much to the script.
I love hearing these answers so much.
I have to let you go soon.
WANG: Oh gosh, so much.
Trevor is a dear friend from many, many years ago.
Honestly, he was the guy who emailed me telling me he was looking for ideas.
I pitched himSlantedjust as a logline at the beginning.
He loved it, and then he brought it to Mark and then Mark loved it, as well.
Then, Mark helped get it financed.
Trevor was there creatively throughout the whole thing.
Both of them were incredible, and I could not have done this without them.
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