Director Amy Wang | Slanted: Why Would A Chinese Teen Want To Become White?
About this episode
Dr. Stephanie J. Wong interviews Amy Wang about her film 'Slanted', exploring themes of beauty standards and identity through the story of a Chinese teen's transformation.
Dr. Stephanie J. Wong talks with Director of Slanted , Amy Wang about the takeaways from the bold, provocative genre-bender that uses sharp satire and sci-fi horror to interrogate beauty standards, assimilation, and the cost of belonging. The film follows Joan Huang ( Shirley Chen ), a high school outsider who idolizes the popular girls and dreams of becoming prom queen, but fears the only way to win is to look like every past queen whose portraits line the school halls. When she discovers Ethnos, a mysterious cosmetic surgery clinic that turns people White, Joan undergoes the procedure and wakes up as a blonde girl ( Mckenna Grace ) seemingly destined for the crown. As her transformation brings popularity and power, it also exposes the disturbing personal and cultural cost of erasing one's identity. Highlights of the interview: How Amy drew from her own experiences to produce the movie Ways she collaborated with McKenna to portray the pain and anguish of living as Joan (Chinese) The importance of empathy and challenging social norms Slanted is hands-down the #1 must-see movie of the year and premieres in theaters on March 13th! ========================================== For more…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Stephanie J. Wong
Guest: Amy Wang
Topics covered
- beauty standards
- assimilation
- identity
- mental health
- cultural cost
- satire
- film
Keywords
- beauty standards
- assimilation
- identity
- cosmetic surgery
- film
- mental health
- cultural cost
- satire
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Slanted
More episodes of Color of Success
- Zhengyu "Z" Huang: US-China Relations
- Regina Linke Helps Children Answer Existential Questions
- Making Space with Filmmaker Christine Chang
- Neha Kumar: It's Not About What You Want To Do; It's About What You Want To Do Next!
- Maitreyi Ramakrishnan & Amelie Zilber | Slanted: What Happens When You Change Your Ethnicity to Become White?
- Miyavi: How Being Open to New Experiences Led to Starring in the Wrecking Crew
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