The musical short film “Masterpiece Mommy,” starring Chinese singer-songwriter Lia Du, has been selected for the Short Cuts program at the 49th annual Toronto International Film Festival.
The film, which was shot in London over four days, marks Du's first international acting experience outside China.
Directed and written by Dorothy Sing Chang, “Masterpiece Mommy” follows a girl named Justine (Doe) as she accompanies her mother to a mammogram appointment.
“While in the waiting room, Justine’s inner world begins to shift, leading her to question her deepest desires and the sharp edges of her bond with her mother, ultimately revealing the real reason behind their strained relationship,” reads the story synopsis.
In her first short narrative film, Sing Chang wanted to “create new images” not associated with musicals.
“It's about mother and daughter, but I don't see it as an emotional work,” says Seng Chang. diverse“I'm not very interested in sentimentality. I saw this setting as a way to push the imagination forward.”
The film was shot by cinematographer Maximilian Bittner, and features a soundtrack by Sebastian Gainsborough. The lyrics were written by Sing Chang and the film's score composer, Alex Miniello. The song “Masterpiece Mommy” was produced by Iconoclast.
Ahead of the premiere of “Masterpiece Mommy’s” at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, Sing Chang and Do share exclusive details with diverse About the short musical film.
What is the inspiration behind “Masterpiece Mommy”?
Dorothy Singh Chang: The desire arose when I saw a mammogram. It's a very strange image – the breasts are flat – and that this image carries information about death, it seemed like a kind of surrealist work. And the desire to turn it into a musical work was because the machine made these sounds that were very rhythmic and melodic – like a song. So it was really strange and had this spirit.
How did you two connect to make the film? Did you know each other before filming “Masterpiece Mommy”?
sings Chang: I think Asian casts were not common for this type of film, so it was interesting to add some new images to this type of film. Leah was the first person I thought of when I decided the cast should be Asian, and we had a mutual friend.
Leah, what attracted you to this project?
Leah Do: Honestly, I think what really drew me to Dorothy was — as a person, not just as a director. I remember getting on a call with her once our mutual friend connected us, and it was about five hours. And we just talked. I mean, we talked about “Masterpiece Mommy,” but we also talked about other things, and I think we really connected as people.
How did you prepare for the singing scene?
Do: Dorothy and I rehearsed the scenes several times before filming, and one very important observation – or something that really made an impression – was that Dorothy didn't want me to focus on singing the songs as a singer. It was definitely more emotional than trying to get those notes right, and so with that in mind, I think what was more important in those scenes was the movement and the acting.
Sing Chang: The basic idea was that it didn't have to sound like something out of Disney. The way everyone sang had to be functional, so it was fun to work with the other actors – and I don't say that in a bad way – I think it was fortunate that they were not able to pronounce very well. Especially the mother in the first song; she can't pronounce correctly, and the nurse. We really liked that, and we didn't try to correct it.
The songs themselves are so weird. The melody can become Disney-like very quickly, so it was cool that most of them couldn't be sung. Also, in terms of continuity, I think it was important that Leah didn't sing it. Well – that kind of singer.
What were some of the challenges you faced while working on this film? And what did you learn from this experience?
sings Chang: I feel like I'm still understanding what I've learned, other than the boring production side. It's my first short film, so this was my first time directing actors. I felt like an impostor because directing actors is something I'm not used to, so I felt like I was pretending to play this role as a director.
Do: Musically, it was about letting go of a certain way of singing, and that was definitely one of the adjustments I had to make. Another thing is that I had just finished filming a TV series in China. I had been working on that for four months, and then I went to London and worked with Dorothy, and it was a completely different dynamic; it was a completely different approach to acting.
This was my first time working with a crew that wasn't Chinese or in China, so I definitely learned a lot from that just observing how different crews work and how different directors work.
Dorothy, do you see yourself expanding “Masterpiece Mommy” into a feature film?
Sing Chang: I think the story and songs are suitable for a short project. I want to make a feature film, but I think it's unlikely to be a musical.
This conversation has been edited and condensed.
