Collegiate Times

CT:

Was your mother supportive of the film?

RP:

She was, you know, in a lot of ways a very typical Asian mother in that she, like all parents, wants what is best for me, but she didn't want me to struggle ... so when I wanted to be a filmmaker we clashed heads a lot.

She wasn't exposed to the film industry and didn't really understand what it was, and she thought that freelance meant unemployed - which in a lot of cases it does (laughs) but you know, not all the time.

But I think after awhile ... seeing how passionate I was about filmmaking and being able to do what I do, especially with films with a greater social consciousness, which is very important to me, I think she finally understood.

CT:

How did you come in contact with (Mai-Anh), who you follow in the film?

RP:

Mai-Anh came to me by way of one of the three plastic surgeons I interviewed for the film. She was a true gift and she, in my opinion, was very courageous to go through this process and share with me and the audience her experience of growing up feeling other and ostracized and battling with her Asian sense of identity as an Asian-American, as a woman, so I really lucked out in finding her.

... A lot of people at the end of the film point their fingers and say she is superficial for getting plastic surgery ... branding her or labeling her, but I am quick to defend her because it takes a lot of courage to admit to insecurities we all feel regardless of what our backgrounds are and do it in a public manner without wanting to get her 15 seconds of fame but to help other Asian-Americans think about things in a different way and non-Asians be able to understand her experience growing up here.

CT:

What was her response to the film?

RP:

It's interesting; to this day she hasn't seen the film. She wasn't really that interested because this period in her life she was going through a large transition. ... It was tumultuous and she has since moved on. Watching the film would be a reminder of that particularly difficult transition in her life.

... I would be really curious to see what her response would be, but it's daunting to be shown a completely objective portrayal of what somebody else thinks you are.

I'm not sure I would want to see it if I were in her shoes.

CT:

People constantly point fingers at the media and males having the "ideal image of a woman," but what do you think is the biggest influence on people for cosmetic surgery today?

RP:

I think to blame it solely on one is a mistake. I think that certainly, the power of media and pop culture is undeniable and insidious and the types of airbrushed and surreal photos we see in glossy magazines is inescapable and it does have an effect.

But to blame it solely on one thing would be like saying all the violence in youth is from video games.

...Is it a factor? Certainly. But it is not the sole cause. It has to do with many different factors that go into a personal choice and aesthetic in how someone perceives oneself.

CT:

What parting advice do you have for Asian-American women or any women in our community when dealing with personal identity issues?

RP:

We all must demand from ourselves a high level of self-awareness. ... It is very easy to judge other people, and I have learned that everyone has his or her own story.

Particularly among women, we need support, we need to feel empowered by one another, and we need a sense of community. Judging other women by what they wear or what we think they are can lead down a very dangerous path.

...You can find a sense of community where you don't expect it if you have self-awareness and are open to other people.

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