Li Lu - Director THERE IS A NEW WORLD SOMEWHERE

 

 LI LU

“I wanted to make a film that focuses on powerful stillness, unafraid to linger on the precious moments of pause in one’s life.” 

A woman’s journey to self-identity is at the core of the new film, THERE IS A NEW WORLD SOMEWHERE, from director/writer Li Lu.

Premiering at the Los Angeles Pacific Asian Film Festival on April 26th, the film marks the feature-length debut for Lu, who gained some pretty serious momentum for her earlier short films, AUTUMN and BEFORE THE FLOOD.

THERE IS A NEW WORLD SOMEWHERE stars Agnes Bruckner as woman who tosses caution aside and allows herself to be swept away by a stranger, played by Maurice Compte. As the path their traveling grows darker, she must find her own strength and discover her place in the world.

Now that her own journey as a filmmaker is off to a solid start, Li Lu found some time for an interview:

What made you want to share this story?

LL: Our story is a reflection of the timeless struggle of the creative powers within us. It aims to capture not only the thrill of love and adventure, but also intense moments of introspection. This is a journey of a young woman who has just started on her path of creation. In this age where immediacy pervades every facet of our lives, it is hard for the 20-something to gain the patience to nurture his or her own selfhood. As a reaction to our frenzied culture, I wanted to make a film that focuses on powerful stillness, unafraid to linger on the precious moments of pause in one’s life.

THERE IS A NEW WORLD SOMEWHERE

Any hidden meaning behind the title or where did it stem from?

LL: The title has layers of meaning that reflect the interior and exterior journey of our characters. The term “New World” can be used to describe someone entering a new phase of life, or a new opportunity that has revealed itself. It can also be used to describe the ecstasy of wanderlust when exploring a new place. So, the title is meant to say that there will always be new worlds ahead – roads to travel on, experiences to be shared, and private moments of awe to reflect upon one’s life.

Also, “There Is a New World Somewhere” is the opening lyric from the folk song “I’ll Never Find Another You,” by the quartet The Seekers. It’s a love song, and has a sweet, melancholic feel that has inspired the tone of the film.

Tell us about the casting process on the film.

LL: We had two amazing casting directors on our film, Scott David and Lisa Zambetti. We saw a huge pool of actors that fit our age range, and saw talent from all different ethnicities and backgrounds. Talent was paramount. Out of the actors that we saw, Agnes and Maurice were the strongest and had the most connection to our story.

Agnes Bruckner_Maurice Compte

Did you originally set out to make a visually rich film or was that something that developed along the way?

LL: Our visual design is a huge anchor to our film. We are proud of its strong tone and feel. Cinematographer Igor Kropotov and I worked extensively to create our lookbook for the film. We passed each other films and photographers that we admired and even took trips to places like Strand Books on Broadway to pour over art and photography books to find the strongest references that spoke to us. Both of us come from a photography background, and we had long conversations about how to build visual narratives that enhanced the story and character arcs in the film.

You shot much of the film on the road in the South, what was that like?

LL: Shooting in the South was incredible. We shot most of the film in and around the greater New Orleans area. We captured the magic of the French Quarter and the beautiful groves of live oak trees in Audubon Park. We also shot in the outlying towns of Ponchatoula, LaPlace, and Slidell to replicate the dusty roads and towns in between here and nowhere. The local communities were so kind to us, and that Southern hospitality is something we hope to embody in our film. In addition to New Orleans, we shot further photography in Austin, TX; Atlanta, GA; and Nashville, TN to supplement the differing landscapes in each stop of the roadtrip.

Agnes Bruckner_Maurice Compte in THERE IS A NEW WORLD SOMEWHERE

Overall, what’s been the biggest surprise for you as a filmmaker?

LL: The biggest surprise I’ve faced as a filmmaker is a pleasant one: it’s surprising how much we can do on our own. Now, with the internet, our toolkit is bottomless. We hosted two successful crowdfunding campaigns on Seed&Spark (http://www.seedandspark.com/studio/there-new-world-somewhere), an incredible platform built exclusively for filmmakers. This gave us the jolt to start the whole process. During all stages of production, we’ve used online resources to educate ourselves about whatever we didn’t understand, find crew and locations, and promote our film to our desired audiences all at the same time. The internet is an endless, evolving textbook. Everyone should use it to its maximum potential!

What’s next for the film and you?

LL: This is our first festival, so we are looking forward to embarking on an exciting festival run. We hope this film can be shared to audiences all around the world, because we feel that anyone who’s tried to express anything creative can relate to the struggles in our film.

As for me, I am developing my second feature about a Chinese woman living in the height of the Gold Rush in Montana and Idaho the late 1800s, and am attached to another feature that will be shot in Beijing. Here’s to the roads ahead!

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