Film: 'Charlotte Sometimes'

Many women have a "plutonic" male friend that is "like a brother." But can men and women just be friends without any attraction at all?

This is just one of the issues addressed in the film, "Charlotte Sometimes." The independent film features two couples who struggle with tangled friendship, love and deception. Michael (Michael Idemoto), a Japanese American auto mechanic, hides his love for his friend Lori (Eugenia Yuan) but also falls for Darcy (Jacqueline Kim), an unconventional and uninhibited writer.

In a recent review, Post film critic Desson Howe describes the film as an inner chess game among lovers or would-be lovers... governed by the impulsive urges of the heart and all the attendant feelings, confessions, lies and deceptions (Post, Aug. 22).

Filmmaker Eric Byler will be online Friday, Aug. 22 at 2 p.m. ET, to talk about the film.

Byler has also directed "Kenji's Faith" which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to win six festival awards, as well as a nomination at The Student Academy Awards sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His current projects include "American Knees" based on the Shawn Wong novel, "Kealoha: The Beloved" and Showtime's new series, "infidelity."

"Charlotte Sometimes" received two 2003 Independent Spirit Award nominations and won "Audience Award for First Films Narrative" at the South by Southwest Film Festival, "Special Jury Award for Narrative Filmmaking" at the Florida Film Festival and "Best Dramatic Feature" at the San Diego Asian Film Festival. The film will be aired on the Sundance Channel in the fall season.

"Charlotte Sometimes" opens Aug. 22 in Washington, D.C. at The Avalon Theatre and is currently playing nationwide.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Eric Byler: Hi folks, I'm getting started on your questions. Here the website if I'm too slow for you!

Official Website for Charlotte Sometimes

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New York, N.Y.: Is there any reason why the film is named after a Cure song? Or was that just a coincidence?

Eric Byler: regarding the cure song:

I'm a big fan of the cure, had named the character "charlotte" but didn't think to call it "charlotte sometimes" until I looked at the song book Virgin Megastore and said, wow it really fits the story...

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New York, N.Y.: I don't mean to turn this into an online dating forum, but after speaking to several women over the past two weeks after seeing "Charlotte Sometimes" and discussing our own relationship woes, we all came to the conclusion that the physical aspects of a relationship between a man and a woman are mostly a secondary desire for women and a neccessity for men. This is nothing new to us. However, adding sex to a relationship often makes couples closer and able to talk about deeper issues. Is sex neccessary for a relationship to gain emotional ties, or is it simply a false sense of closeness that keeps people together long after the compatability has fizzled out? It seems as with Michael, that the best way to have an intimate relationship with someone without involving sex is to get emotionally involved with someone who's already attached.

Eric Byler: Dang, that's some deep thinking. I guess the film is exploring which is more important: sex without love or love without sex.

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Washington, D.C.: When you were casting for this film, did you look only at Asian/Asian-American actors for all the lead roles? Did you write the story with Asian-Americans in mind or was that just how the casting turned out? Would the story have turned out differently if there were Caucasians or African-Americans in the lead roles, especially since the role of "Michael" is a passive, quiet guy - stereotypes inherently associated with Asian males.

Eric Byler: since I'm half white also, I guess it made sense to studio producer types to ask me to cast white people and make the film more marketable. I once thought of Noah Taylor as "Michael" who I think could have pulled off some of what Michael Idemoto accomplished -- without needing the stereotype of Asian men being quiet. But the film is utlimately much more about what is real than what is perceived, so stereotypes are a non issue for this film anyway.

Talked about this some in this interview:

Entertainment Insiders inteviews Eric Byler

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Los Angeles, Calif.: I have not seen your movie, yet it touches on an interesting topic. I have found that it is indeed possible for men and women to develop a close relationship without physical attraction. Yet, what happens when one party becomes physically attracted to the other over time, and the other does not reciprocate? Does your movie address this theme?

Eric Byler: yes, this is a topic that interests me a lot. it's only interesting though if both people are compassionate and care about the others feelings. like, if a woman has a crush on me, but i don't feel the same way, i'm worried about how she feels, and try not to hurt her feelings, but then end up getting myself in trouble. there's a girl in the film that does this...

in my experience, there isn't so much a development over time, it usually happens at the start or never. if you need eight years to convince someone they love you, maybe they aren't the right person for you? well, what do I know... forget I said that.

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New York, N.Y.: I've seen the film and was wondering...did you make any conscious desicions in casting Asian American actors of different Asian decent?

Eric Byler: it just happened that way. i'm Chinese so I thought of Michael (the lead) as Chinese, and Lori as Chinese also, because she was the second character I created. after meeting Jacqueline Kim, I started writing the role of Darcy for her -- and Jacqueline is Korean.

at auditions, I saw actors from any and all Asian/Pacific backgrounds. the reason Michael became Japanese instead is that a Japanese American actor won the part. Lori ended up Chinese American, very much the way I imagined her, except Eugenia's performance added a certain vulnerability and foregiveable-ness that was more touching and actually more charming than I expected while writing. Michael ended up very different because Michael Idemoto is such an enigma. I still don't fully understand the character we created together!

Matt Westmore is half Asian like me. I was hoping I could find an actor who was half Asian for that role (Justin). But I didn't want to limit myself because there are so few Hapas (half Asians) in the business. The casting sheet said "any race, prefer interracial Asian" which is exactly what caught Matt's eye. Lucky for me.

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Washington, D.C.: How long did it take you to write this and I was wondering why you felt the need to write something Asian American versus a mainstream or multi-ethnic piece? Why the niche, is it important?

Eric Byler: i'm not a mainstream artist, always was a weirdo.... always made the less obvious choices, in life and in art.

i wanted to tell a story about the people i know best, and care about the most. the fact that it's not mainstream -- i guess not as likely to get mainstream attention -- didn't deter me. i never thought that it would go this far, or that it would matter about niches... i just wanted to tell my story.

it wouldn't have been worth all that hard work to end up with a film that is shaped by what the widest possible majority of people look for in a movie. those movies don't appeal to me as a viewer, so of course they don't appeal to me as a filmmaker.

also, i'll admit to a certain allegiance to the asian american community. particularly the arts community who supported me right off the bat when i graduated from college (Wesleyan University in Connecticut). their cause was a noble one, and I took it on too at an early age (22 or so). you know the cause right: to take command of the way Asian Americans are portrayed in films and TV, to tell our own stories. i took on that responsibility, even though my initial inspiration was artistic, not political.

the film I made in college, that sort of put me on the map was called "Kenji's Faith." About a little boy who dares himself to go in the street for the first time (despite the tar monster he sees in his imagination waiting to devour him). Any boy could play that role, but I cast an Asian boy because the boy represents me. my films are personal films... it's self-expression.

it's so simple really. isn't it?

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Vienna, Va.: So as a half Asian or hapa, did you identify with Justin's character the most? Was it difficult or easier to promote your film because of your mixed ethnicity?

Eric Byler: Yes, I'm Hapa and proud of it! My Mother is Chinese American and my father is European Mixed. Mom's family has been in the U.S. more generations than Dad's (=

I identify with Michael the most. Just like most people who watch the film (even women, even non-Asians, even Hapas).

It's always hard to market a film. really hard if you don't have any money to spend on it. it might have been easier if I were full Asian, or at least had an Asian name like my Hapa filmmaker buddy Greg Pak (Robot Stories).

But I'm not complaining. The confusion my name and my appearance has caused in the APA community is leading to a lot of discussions we've been needing to have for a long time.

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Harrisburg, Pa.: What would you like audiences to gain or take away for themselves after viewing your movie?

Eric Byler: hmmm, that question seems to come up more often when the story has ethnic people in it. but the truth is there is no lesson, or moral, or educational value -- at least not in my intended artistic approach.

the creed and the aim for me and my collaborators was "be honest and reveal"

I guess I'd like people to watch the film and say, wow, that was really real.

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Lyme, Conn.: Have you another project or plans for another project? If so, what you or will you be working on next?

Eric Byler: I'm so busy right now, it's insane. My immediate project is writing a television dramatic series called "Infidelity." A few months ago, actor/producer/director Peter Horton (remember him from 30 something?) called me to see if I'd like to pitch him a story for the series he's doing for Showtime. He'd seen "charlotte sometimes" and liked it a lot. I asked him is Asian okay? And he said Asian is good. It's a show with four different story lines, all created and written by different writers. The others had been hired and none were people of color, I guess, and none were writing about people of color. Anyway, I pitched a story about an Asian American man soon to be married to a Caucasian woman. Their lives change when the man's younger sister shows up unexpectedly to live with them for the summer. There is a strange attraction between the brother and sister, and we learn that they were adopted seperately by Caucasian parents, and were very close as children. The question of the series will be: could it be that these two were fated to find eachother, and to be lovers or soul mates, but in a cruel twist, they found each other indeed, but as brother and sister. This sort of plays in the brother/sister thing we sometimes have going on in the Asian American dating scene. Like when our Asian sisters won't date us because they only think of us as a brother!!!

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San Diego, Calif.: First off, loved the film. Very real! Alive!

What kind of stuff do you have in the works for the future?

Eric Byler: The OTHER thing that's stressing me out is my follow-up to "charlotte sometimes" in the feature department. It is based on Shawn Wong's groundbreaking novel AMERICAN KNEES (1995) and will likely have the same title. I was telephoned last night by my manager that financing seems to be in place and they are talking about shooting in November! I don't know if I could get ready in time for November, but it would be nice to get going soon.

I wrote the screen adaptation during post production of "charlotte sometimes." It was my first job for hire in Hollywood. The writing fee could have gotten me out of poverty (I'd sacrificed a lot to make "charlotte") but I spent it two days after they paid me!

I got the check on June 1st 2002, and on June 3rd 2002 I wrote a check for slightly more than that amount to Alpha Cine Labs in Seattle to make the 35 mm print of "charlotte sometimes" that was a one-of-a-kind original for eight months while I traveled the festival circuit literally carrying the film cans on me because I was too afraid to send it down the luggage chute.

The print ended up being a good investment. One of the festival awards, Roger Ebert's review, and the Independent Spirit Awards are just a few of the lucky things that would not have happened if the film existed only in an unfisished form.

Also, the folks who hired me to write the screen adaptation of American Knees then hired me to direct it as well (but not until after the Spirit Award nominations).

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San Diego, Calif.: Hi Eric,
Did you have in mind the end of the story when you began writing or did you come up with it after you started?

Eric Byler: my rule of thumb is to have a plan but not be married to it. through collaboration, artists sometimes discover things that transcend anything one could possibly "plan" for. this approach is welcomed by actors, cinemtographers, production designers, and composers (those are the ones I collaborated with most on "charlotte") because they know they reach deep inside for inspiration -- without the fear that what's deep inside them might not be right for me.

I tore up the last ten pages of the script after 2 days of shooting and announced to the cast and crew that were going to continue shooting without knowing the end of the story!

this proved to be a nice turn of events, because in many of the scenes, actors had no way of knowing what lied ahead for their characters -- just as we do not know our future in real life. this is rare in film production -- because money is involved, it's impossible to be flexible like this. but since we were shooting this for the price of a used car anyway, and since I was my own boss, we just shot out the schedule and took five days off, and came back and shot the ending after I'd written it.

The final scene of the film was not delivered to the actors until they arrived on set that day to shoot it.

It included an improvised love scene that was shot but not included in the film.

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Norman, Okla.: From Roger Ebert's review, it does not seem like the movie is about Asian Americans but rather about people.

I can certainly relate to it. "I" am ALWAYS the woman's "brother." Many years ago when I was living in Ohio, I had a neighbor who was constantly beaten by her boyfriend. After each beating, she'd come to me, and then go get beaten again. Police would not file charges unless she approved. I had to move due to work. I'm not sure what eventually happened to her but I hope she's okay.

Anyway, I digress. I would think if I saw this movie, I could see parallels.

The problem is Oklahoma is not exactly an art-house meca. Will it be a while before I can see the movie in Oklahoma?

Thank you.

Eric Byler: Wow, I hope your friend is okay. Curious: did you love her, or were you just being a friend to her in return?

the DVD and video of "charlotte sometimes" has been sold for national distribution to companies like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, so by the fall, you'll be able to find it there.

Also, both "charlotte sometimes" and my short film "Kenji's Faith" will be broadcast on The Sundance Channel this fall.

Email me at Eric@CharlotteSometimesTheMovie.com and I'll send you a heads up when the DVD comes out.

The DVD will have:

Hour long Q/A session moderated by Roger Ebert at Roger Ebert's film festival -- with me, Michael Idemoto, and Jacqueline Kim and one of the producers.

Behind the scenes, bloopers, omitted scenes.

Two commentary tracks. One has me with Michael and Eugenia. One has me with Jacqueline and Matt.

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Maryland: Do you think with "Better Luck Tomorrow" and "Charlotte Sometimes" playing in big theaters, that Asian American film has come a long way? Or do you think we still have a long ways to go? How do yours and Justin Lin's films measure up to the popular "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and Jet Li/Chow Yun Fat/Jackie Chan martial arts films?

Eric Byler: I think we've come a long way, yes. Most importantly we're making good films and people are going to see them. I'm encouraged by BLT, "charlotte," and films like "Robot Stories" and the award-winning short film "Barrier Device" because all of them are about something OTHER than being Asian Pacific American. This is an important topic, don't get me wrong, but as artists, we need to remember that we have something more to offer than our ethnicity for public consumption. This will free future Asian Pacific American directors to tell the story that's inside them, not the story they think mainstream or APA audiences want to hear.

The best stories are inspired by something more profound than ethnicity training for white people (=

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New York, N.Y.: How difficult were the sex scenes to film for the actors and for you?

Did you need to give serious thought to how explicit they were going to be?

Eric Byler: Yeah, I was pretty freaked out about shooting those scenes. I'd done it once before, so I had a little experience.

Ultimately sex scenes are only a part of character development. That's what they were in this film. A lot happens to these people during the sex scenes. It's not just a musical montage trying to look all ideal and romantic. It's character development, it's plot, it's action. When you direct the actors in terms of action, it becomes easier, and sex becomes only part of the scene, not the focus of it.

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Somewhere, USA: Why do you refer to "white people" when you are half white yourself? I think terms like these cause more polarization.

Eric Byler: Sorry. I put a smiley face there to let you know I meant no ill will. sorry sorry.

yes, I'm half white and proud of my European heritage, and European American lineage.

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New York, N.Y.: Spike Lee and Bill Cosby are known for hiring mostly black actors and crews to aid with ratial imbalances in the industry. Do you see yourself with filling this role in the Asian market due to the fact that Asians are not often depicted or employed in mainstream media?

Eric Byler: in front of the camera, yes, you will see primarily Asians and Pacific Islanders in my films.

behind the camera, i will take Bill and Spike's approach into consideration, but also you have to hire the best people you can get... and maybe use race as a minor consideration, sometimes.

on charlotte sometimes, the editor, the production designer, and the make-up artist I hired were all APA.

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San Francisco, Calif.: I see a lot of Caucasian guys dating Asian women out here. I try not to be judgemental, and ultimately I know it's all about individuals, not racial politics. But clearly it bothers a lot of Asian guys. Do you think it bothers Asian guys more than the reverse case, Caucasian women dating Asian guys (bothering Asian women)? Why?

Eric Byler: dang, good question. i've talked a lot about this. in fact the actual content of the film has at times been overshadowed by issues of interracial dating and interracial sex. Even though everyone in this film is Asian, three of the contestants (= are full Asian and two are Hapa.

www.CharlotteSometimesTheMovie.com/cast.html

which gets some people up in arms.

To answer your question, women are somewhat less possessive I think than men are when it comes to dating outside the race. Although, I've run into some African American women with some strong feelings about the subject...

Why? I think we have racism and sexism both at play here. Men feel a sort of primal sense of ownership toward women of their own race. It's natural. Not neccessarily ugly unless we allow it to govern our words and actions without forethought.

This is an essay I wrote in response to some who responded negatively to the film vis a vis sex and race.

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Arlington, Va.: How long did it take you to write the script and how hard was it for you to get funding and into the film festival circuit?

Eric Byler: when no one's willing to invest in your script, you just keep reworking it. sometimes because you think changes will help get people interested. sometimes because you just can't help it. i spent about five years writing this film, i guess six if you include post production and production (I wrote scenes during production, and then wrote new scenes during editing which were filmed months later -- including the popular Car With No Engine scene).

It was very hard to raise the money from people who were inside the industry. In fact, I never got a dime until the movie was shot and edited.

The original financing came from my parents, my uncles, and me (my credit cards actually-- I was flat broke when I STARTED this adventure.

Getting into film festivals in another hurdle.

Getting distribution is more than a hurdle. It's a 50 story building and all you've got is a pogo stick.

We were very fortunate with this one.

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washingtonpost.com: In the film, you didn't focus so much on identity being the main theme as many ethnic independent films do. Can you comment on this? Also, what is your opinion of films such as "Bend It Like Beckham" and "Better Luck Tomorrow" out in the mainstream circuit.

Eric Byler: being Hapa (half Asian) it's impossible for me to be absorbed in my ethnicity. at times as a kid, I wasn't even sure if I HAD an ethnicity. recently I had to fill out a tax form for my Showtime gig. For ethnicity there were several boxes, and it said "check one." Of course, I checked "other" as I have for many years an as so many other Hapas have for many years. It's only remarkable and worth mentioning because I thought we'd addressed this issue 10 years ago....

Anyway, ethnicity is not the focus of "charlotte sometimes" becaues I'm more interested in humanity (as other participants have noted today). When it comes to politics, I can focus on race just as much if not more than the average person (I did go to Wesleyan after all). But when it comes to art, I'm reaching deeper than that. Deeper than skin deep you know. Down there, in our hearts, different people of different races all care about the same things: love, sex, friendship, loyalty, rivalry, LIFE.

this is a movie inspired by life.

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Cleveland, Ohio: How did you get Cody Chesnutt involved in the film?

Eric Byler: Cody is a friend of a friend -- actually a friend of one of the co-Producers Brooke Dammkoehler. When I was editing the film, back before Cody hit it big, Brooke really wanted me to include his music in the film. She thought it would be a way to advance both of our careers. She introduced us at a concert, which she was filming for her documentary on Cody. In fact, I was running one of the cameras for her as a favor, and ended up shooting some footage that ended up in the film. Anyway, there was this one song "My Women, My Guitar" that really blew me away. In fact, I'd listened to hundreds of submissions (CD's by up-and-coming recording artists) looking for a song exactly like that -- something that hearkens the great singer/songwriter songs that opened classic American films like Midnight Cowboy and McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Once I heard that song, and tried it with footage we'd shot of Michael driving around (especially the blinking headlight illuminating Buddah), I knew I had to have Cody's music open the film. After that, is was only a matter of friends helping out friends. Cody was very very very cool. He came to the set and did a scene with Kimberly-Rose who plays Annie the waitress, in order to help creaate the Robert Altman ensemble realism feel. The scene didn't make the cut, but it will be on the DVD. Cody also came to composer Michael Brook's recording studio to play the guitar riff to "My Women, My Guitar" so we could mix out his voice for the whipping-the-sheets-off-of-Lori scene. He'd lost the original tracks, so he came in and just played guitar for 20 mintues and was totally nice about it. Can't say enough good things about him or his music. Thanks for asking.

www.CodyChesnuTT.com

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Washington, D.C.: How long is the film playing at the Avalon?

Eric Byler: I'm told we will hold the theater for at least two weeks. If people come out to support, we might stay longer.

By the way, I'll be there tonight 8/22 at the 5 PM, 7 PM and 9:15 shows, and tomorrow 8/23 at the 3 PM, 5 PM, 7 PM and 9:15 shows to do intros and/or Q/A's.

Buy tickets early if you're coming tonight though. Thanks.

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Eric Byler: New York, NY, thanks for the great question but it gives away too much of the story! I'll answer it privately if you like. email is: eric@CharlotteSometimesTheMovie.com

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Eric Byler: WashingtonPost.com wants to answer the second half of the question earlier. What do I think of Better Luck Tomorrow and Bend It Like Beckham.

I haven't seen Bend It yet, I know I should!!! I really enjoyed another South Asian film made outside of India... called Flavors, which is coming to film festivals and theateres hopefull soon. www.FlavorsTheMove.com

I'm sure I'll enjoy Bend It too, as I'm something of a sports nut. Good thing it's still playing (in fact we're sharing a screen with it in NYC right now, maybe I'll catch it when I get back there on Sunday).

I did see Better Luck Tomorrow. I agree with Roger Ebert that it's very accomplished. It's imporant that Asian Pacific Americans show that we can do that type of film just as well (or in this case better) than the studios or mini-majors do them. I think BLT will go a long way toward making it cool to be APA. I wish I had a film like that when I was a kid.

Did you know both BLT and "charlotte sometimes" come out on DVD and video the SAME DAY!!! And it's not too far away either.

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Eric Byler: Thanks for chatting with me everyone. This was my first time doing something like this. It was fun!

I'll leave you with all the interview links I prepared in case my mind went completely blank.

Yours,
Eric Byler


Yumi Wilson interviews Eric Byler for Hapa Issues Forum


US Asians interviews Eric Byler (includes family photos)

Race, Sex, and the "charlotte sometimes" controversy

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