Alex Tune-Xia Showcases A Lesson In Queer Driving: Interview

In Actually Good Driver, which debuted on the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Movie Pageant, an Asian American mother (Keiko Agena) teaches her grown-up youngster (Alex Tune-Xia) how you can drive, forcing each of them to confront the barely harmful job at hand whereas resurfacing tensions between them prior to now. Tune-Xia, who wrote, directed and stars within the quick movie, additionally has credit writing for TV reveals similar to Rick and Morty, Exploding Kittens and The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon. Right here, the filmmaker talks about their inspirations and the making of their first quick movie.

DEADLINE: Are you able to discuss a bit about your filmmaking journey? What impressed you to return to this area? I do know you may have a background in comedy. 

ALEX SONG-XIA: That is my first quick movie as a director. However as an actor/author, I got here up by means of comedy in New York. It’s not what my mother and father needed to occur, however I used to be at all times drawn to performing as a child, however I by no means actually obtained the possibility to pursue it till transferring to New York for school. With the liberty of residing in New York, I began going to UCB, the Upright Residents Brigade and did weekly reveals, signed up for improv courses, and located no matter day jobs that might assist me pay for it. I then began working as a comedy author and getting performing jobs, however largely working for different folks. This was my first time directing one thing that I wrote. 

DEADLINE: The premise of the quick is pretty easy on the floor. It’s a couple of driving lesson, however then it really unfolds into this confrontation about acceptance in having already come out of the closet. Plus, as if that wasn’t already remedy sufficient for this character, you’ve added a dialog about poisonous relationships and studying self-worth on high of that. Are you able to discuss the way you arrived at this concept of the quick movie and the way the themes unfolded all through? 

SONG-XIA: I’ve began joking at movie festivals that this quick is completely made up and non-autobiographical, however clearly, it’s fairly autobiographical. It’s primarily based on my mother instructing me how you can drive as an grownup after forgetting that the explanation I by no means realized as a teen was as a result of I got here out, and she or he form of freaked out and didn’t let me discover ways to drive. And for years and years, I joked that she additionally forgot I got here out, and I needed to re-come out to her at 26. However by means of engaged on this movie and with the opposite actor, Keiko Agena, she would ask me questions concerning the mother character. And I spotted that my very own mother didn’t a lot as overlook as I realized how you can deceive her and date males and attempt to be who she needed me to be. Then, I used to be additionally very drawn to the concept of not telling a coming-out story however form of what occurs after, particularly coming from a household that doesn’t actually like to speak about issues. 

DEADLINE: I thought of that too after I was watching. How fascinating is it that it’s not a normal coming-out scene: your character had already come out previous to the beginning of the movie. Do you suppose that we want extra tales targeted extra on the aftermath? The place do you land on queer storytelling lately? 

SONG-XIA: I really feel equally as I do with different underrepresented tales we’re seeing the place it’s like, I don’t suppose we’re on the quota for popping out tales or no matter tales, however I believe perhaps now there’s a cultural understanding of it a little bit bit extra. And it’s fascinating to get to see the step previous that and that the bottom actuality is already that this has occurred and simply see the characters reside their lives after that.

DEADLINE: What’s one thing you’ve realized about your self by way of writing for fictional TV reveals and late-night TV reveals and now making your personal quick movie? 

SONG-XIA: It’s been fascinating being the one who makes all the choices. I’m very pleased to provide you with as many jokes as many selections for someone else. Nevertheless it’s been fascinating [while working on the short film] when everybody has to take a look at you and be like, “OK, which one is it?” And I’ve been slowly understanding that I did have an opinion all alongside, and I do have an opinion, however I simply had spent so lengthy being like, “Yeah, no matter all people else needs.” And there’s a time and place to serve another person’s imaginative and prescient but additionally with the ability to simply get nearer to listening to that voice that I didn’t know I had in my head of, “Oh, that is what I’m drawn to” or “That is what I’m seeing for [the vision].” 

DEADLINE: What sort of media are you consuming proper now? 

SONG-XIA: I simply watched the TV present The Finish of the F***ing World on Netflix for the primary time. I cherished it. I cherished the darkish humor and even the little aspect characters that might have wealthy lives that added to the humor and the depth of the scene, even when it wasn’t about them. I’ve additionally been watching the newest season of Hacks. I additionally watched this documentary referred to as Elevate about this ballet program that provides scholarships to youngsters in housing shelters. I actually appreciated that. 

DEADLINE: In what methods do you suppose you relate or don’t relate to your character? It seems like, from what you’ve already mentioned, you relate fairly rattling effectively to your character? 

SONG-XIA: It was cool to me that by means of the rehearsal course of with Keiko, to have the ability to write a fuller character for the mother. And a lot of it’s introduced forth by her efficiency as effectively. And I believe that basically helped me perceive the angle from each side a little bit higher than simply my very own model of the story. When it comes to relating, I do suppose each characters are a little bit bit braver variations of whoever the real-life variations of these characters are. 

DEADLINE: What would you want audiences to consider after they watch Actually Good Driver? 

SONG-XIA: That as a lot as there’s queer tales that form of give attention to the ache of [the experience], I like with the ability to finish on a little bit little bit of a hopeful notice that even when not every part was fastened or solved that day, that the 2 characters are on a hopeful path. 

DEADLINE: What’s subsequent for you? 

SONG-XIA: I’m on the present season of Dimension 20: By no means Cease Blowing Up on Dropout TV and I’m simply engaged on writing a characteristic.  

[This interview has been edited for length and clarity]