Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
With his latest movie, “Blue Bayou,” award-winning filmmaker Justin Chon (“Gook,” “Ms. Purple”) explores the plight of Antonio LeBlanc, a New Orleans man who was adopted as a baby and is facing deportation, due to his lack of U.S. citizenship. Based on the real-life cases of adults who literally were sent back to “where they came from,” the movie had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, before its September 17, 2021 theatrical release.
“One of my objectives in filmmaking is to bring empathy and understanding to our community,” said “Blue Bayou” writer, director and star, Justin Chon.
Once “Seoul Searching” gets past the caricatures, the story delves into the deeper meaning of what it means to be Korean in societies that view you as a perpetual foreigner. Though the film concentrates on Korean Americans, two of the more memorable characters are Korean teens raised in Germany (Klaus, played by Teo Yoo) and Mexico (Esteban Ahn’s Sergio).
“Artificial” actress Tiffany Chu says, “I like to see travel as a way to learn, understand, gain a new mindset and see things from a different perspective through the people, food, music and culture I encounter. We are all the same, just from different places with different experiences. It humbles and inspires me.”