NARRATIVE SHORT
APRIL 23, 2021
USA | 18 minutes | 2019
ONLINE PREMIERE
Action, fantasy, adventure short film directed by Sarah Kim
Starring Peter Sudarso, Yoshi Sudarso
The Monkey Prince and the Flower Maiden
When the love of his life is captured by an evil Queen, a half Monkey God Prince shunned by society goes on a journey to save her and along the way he learns to accept himself.
Interview
CineAsian Films (CAF): This was such a fun and thrilling adventure with a stellar cast! What inspired you to make this film?
Sarah Kim: Aww thank you so much! My biggest inspiration stemmed from my love for video games, specifically the Final Fantasy series. I love the idea of a protagonist going on a journey and creating new friendships along the way. I also wanted to focus on my Asian American identity and to create a modern fantasy where I can see myself represented in this fun fantastical world. Of course this would never be made possible without the push and support of my actors/friends, Yoshi and Peter Sudarso. We’ve been friends for 10 years and shared a common love for video games and martial arts films, so its exciting to bring our dreams to life!
CAF: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during production?
Kim: Filming everything in 6 days! I think one of the fun challenging parts of filmmaking is figuring out your shooting schedule in the time allotted for production and being mindful that your cast/crew gets enough time to rest. 3 of those 6 days were scheduled night shoots and it can get very tiring for everyone, but I was blessed with a dedicated cast/crew who really supported and believed in this project.
CAF: How long did it take to choreograph and train for all of the exciting fight scenes?
Kim: I worked with a fantastic Stunt Coordinator/Choreographer, Malay Kim, who would shoot pre-vis for each fight scene. We would discuss the character’s intentions of each fight and incorporate their weapons/personalities into their movement. I want to say we probably spent two weeks teaching and rehearsing the choreographed movements with the actors along with having stunt doubles.
CAF: Are you working on anything new and exciting?
Kim: I am currently working on a web series focusing on Asian American women. I strongly feel that Asian American women are oftentimes misrepresented in media and often compared to our sisters in the mainland. I want to strongly emphasized the lives of 2nd generation plus Asian American women and the stereotypes we must face. There is a huge difference between Asian ideals versus American ideals and I want to highlight on those difference and how they shape us as women in our society. For example, Asian American women are generally expected to become doctors, get married in their early 20s, and have babies yet we are not allowed to date. How are we suppose to get married if we are not allowed to date? Just one of the many aspects I want to focus on. I hope you all will stay tuned!
The Monkey Prince and the Flower Maiden is one of the many great projects shared with CineAsian Films through our submissions process. If you’d like to join them, submit your film.
Credits
Director, Writer, Producer: Sarah Kim
Producers: Raeann Cooper, Vishal Munsif
Cinematographer: Oscar Martinez
Editor: Clark Zhu
Music: Alexander Shesha
Also featuring: Lyena Kang, Aria Song, Jessika Van, Osric Chau
CineAsian Films 