Do This: Steamy Film ‘Spa Night’ Opens At Metrograph
"A portrait of forbidden sexual awakening set in the nocturnal world of spas and karaoke bars."
August 19, 2016
Beginning Friday August 19, Metrograph will present the exclusive New York theatrical engagement of Spa Night.
Andrew Ahn’s remarkably assured debut feature is a portrait of forbidden sexual awakening set in the nocturnal world of spas and karaoke bars in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. Variety’s Peter Debruge said, “Spa Night serves as an homage to the sacrifices first-generation immigrants made in order that their children could achieve their full potential in the States, expanding the concept of ‘pride’ far beyond its protagonist’s gay identity.”
We had the opportunity to ask Ahn a few questions regarding racism against Asian men in the gay community, working with Sundance, the use of language in the film, and justhow personal the film’s narrative is.
Alexander Kacala: As a gay Asian-American, how do your identities intersect and how is this story a representation of that intersection?
Andrew Ahn: My Asian-American identity is very tied to my sense of family; I am the most Korean when I am with my family, eating Korean food, or participating in a Korean ritual. For this reason, my Koreanness is very heteronormative. It is defined by a traditional family structure with one man, one woman, and children. Because of this, my gay identity and Asian-American identity often feel at odds; they are mutually exclusive. In SPA NIGHT, my main character feels this dissonance. He is afraid that he cannot live up to his parents hopes and dreams for him if he is gay. It’s different from what they want and expect.
Tell me a little about the racism you observe in the gay community against Asian men.
Of course, as a gay Asian-American man, I have heard other gay men say “no Asians.” As obnoxious as it is, I feel like I can deal with it. If they don’t want me, I don’t want them! For me, the more troubling issue is that gay culture is so often defined by whiteness. It ignores people of color narratives and intersectionality; if you explore this intersectionality, you would discover pressing issues that have been ignored by the queer community like homelessness and suicide. Ultimately, I hope the queer community understands that we are a diverse group of human beings.
What it was like for you to develop the project with the Sundance Institute and present the film at Sundance?
I was very fortunate to have the support of the Sundance Institute while making Spa Night. After going through the Screenwriter’s Lab in 2013, I had the Sundance stamp of approval that made it much easier to find investors, collaborators, cast, and crew. The institute also put me in touch with amazing mentors who would offer creative feedback on the story. It was an invaluable resource. Presenting the film at Sundance was such an honor. Sundance gives American independent films the highest platform. Intimate films like mine get more attention and press. I think this is really wonderful.
What have audience’s reaction been to the film thus far? What about in Korea?
The audience reaction has been very positive! I’ve talked to a lot of audience members about the film; they’ve been very supportive. It was the same in Korea; we screened at the Jeonju International Film Festival in April. I was nervous because Korea is definitely a conservative culture, but I was surprised at how many young queer Korean-Americans came up to talk to me. I think I have been blessed by the festival bubble; I am expecting some push back during the theatrical, but I feel prepared and confident for those conversations.
How did you integrate your personal story or experiences into the film?
David and I are very different characters; he’s introverted, an only child, and struggling to figure out his educational goals. I’m extroverted, have an older brother, and went to college. That said, emotionally, I feel very similar to David. Many of his thoughts and feelings are mine. I did lift experiences from my life to put into Spa Night, like certain spa encounters and certain family observations. There’s a moment when David takes a toothpick out of his dad’s mouth; that’s something that I did for my dad. It felt really appropriate to put into the film, because it showed how much David cares for his parents. And, of course, I visited the spa!
Talk about the use of language in the film. What it was like to do a film with a lot of Korean dialogue in Los Angeles? How hard or easy was it to integrate the Spanish dialogue into the narrative?
It was definitely a struggle for me to direct a film with dialogue in Korean. My Korean is all right, but not good enough to direct actors. I had to rely on my producer and DP Ki Jin Kim, as well as my other actors to really help me articulate myself. I’m glad I did this because the film reflects an authenticity to my own experience.
David’s language ability really binds him to his parents. His mom and dad are reliant on him to translate things; he remains close to them because he speaks Korean. It’s very much a sign of his closeness to his Korean identity. The decision to integrate Spanish was easy; Los Angeles is such a multicultural city. It made sense to me that David could speak Spanish. Fortunately, actor Joe Seo speaks it pretty well!
How do you hope this film impacts audiences?
I really hope that audiences will watch this and feel like their sense of humanity has expanded; they got to know someone and what he’s struggling with. All of us struggle to balance different aspects of who we are, all in the effort to live a more holistic life. I think this is what David is struggling with and it’s nice to know that we aren’t alone in this struggle.
Andrew Ahn is a Korean American filmmaker born and raised in Los Angeles. His feature film ‘Spa Night’ premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was one of RogerEbert.com’s Best Films of Sundance 2016. The film is opening theatrically in New York starting August 19th at the Metrograph and in Los Angeles starting August 26th at the Sundance Sunset Cinemas.
