Summary
Relationships are tested inKatarina Zhus directorial debutBunnylovr.
The Asian-American experience is vast and constantly evolving with the times.
InBunnylovr,Chinese-American cam girl Rebecca (Zhu) is fleeting in both the virtual landscape and real life.
Image by Photagonist
Most important of all, it is an exploration of what todays world regards as genuine authenticity in relationships.
Katarina Zhu writes, directs, and stars in this Sundance standout.
PERRI NEMIROFF: I have the wonderful opportunity to welcome and congratulate the team behindBunnylovr.
So good across the board.
[To Katarina.]
Feature debut!How?
Image by Photagonist
This would not have been possible if I had not had such an amazing support system behind me.
That’s just the truth.
Would you mind giving a brief synopsis of your movie?
Image by Photagonist
ZHU: The film is about a young Chinese American cam girl.
At the same time, she’s reunited with her estranged, dying father.
Again, feature debut here.
Image by Photagonist
I want to see to it our audience gets a chance to get to know you a little bit.
I was reading about how you studied acting at Tisch.
But I loved movies growing up.
Image by Photagonist
You watch a movie, and you want to be involved in them.
The thing that you see are the actors; I didn’t even realize that screenwriting was a job.
Anyway, I went to acting school, which is where I met Rachel.
Image via Cece Chan
I also wasn’t booking anything, so even if I wanted to be in these things… We can shoot it.
I can teach you to edit it.
That’s how I transitioned more to the writing and directing.
I had a feeling you two met at NYU.
An Abrams agent came to NYU and was doing a Q&A about internships.
I remember he gave a spiel,and then he was like, Alright, any questions?
And Rachel shot up.
She was the first person.
She was like, How do you…
I would have been petrified to ask a question.
I was like, That’s so brave.She had such a clear ambition, determination, and passion.
Katarinas energy, I was like, Oh my god, she’s so cool.
She’s so beautiful and smart.
I literally was, like, loser vibes.
I thought she was so cool.
All the love to our acting school, but some people were weird.
I was like, Who’s gonna be my friend?
I wanna try and do this."
Katarinas so smart, caring, and nonjudgmental.
We connected immediately, and then we lived together.
Katarina taught me so much about being a woman, honestly.
We went through so many things together!
She introduced me to Angel Olsen, thank god.
We’ve always sent each other our art.
So, anytime I wrote a script, I would send it to Katarina.
Any time I wrote a tweet, I would be like, Is this funny?
ZHU: On the runs, she would be trying out her tweets.
SENNOTT: I would be running out of my stand-up jokes.
Katarina would come to all my shows.
When Katarina sent meBunnylovr, I had seen her shorts before.
I’d read other scripts, but I was like, This is amazing.
I would love to be a part of this in any way.
I feel like every single time we talk, I learn about another extension of your filmmaking family.
You surround yourself with the best people.
It makes me so happy.
SENNOTT: I literally would be dead without my girlfriends.
I’m not kidding you because all you have are your friends.
She’s not a gatekeeper.
She’s so generous and so willing to support in any way she can.
Clearly, I loveBunnylovr.
AUSTIN AMELIO: She really had quite a lot to do.
There was just a lot going on, and she was just cool as a cucumber the whole time.
It was empowering because you’re like, Oh yeah, we’re gonna get it.
One of the best qualities to have on a movie set, seriously.
AMELIO: The best.
So, they were doing something right, you know?
The vibe was very cool, and it did feel special.
PERRY YUNG: Everything they said, 100%.
Katarina set the vibe.
She was skillfully directing me in scenes that I thought were really generous.
So, it was amazing.
She wasn’t white-knuckling anything.
She’s very generous in that way.
I wrote something down that one of your producers, Tristan [Scott-Behrends], said in an interview.
But, ultimately, if you have the courage to do it, it makes the end product better.
ZHU: I mean, every single day.
There were just too many.
I feel like I was constantly asking.
I’m very nosy in that way.
Another follow-up I had was for you, Rachel.
Before, it was as an executive producer, and this marks your first producing credit.
SENNOTT: That means a lot for you to say that.
Her style as a director is so unique and special.
That’s a dream to keep doing that.
I remember seeing the first cut, and texting.
The opening, I really was like, “Ahh!”
I love movies, so to be able to be a part of that is really special.
When Katarina offered it, I went, That’s a really unique role to play.
Its like you’re given a job, but that job is personal.
It’s a very personal story for somebody, and you don’t want to mess that up.
It’s a really deep and difficult story to tell.
It’s difficult to tell that story.
I shed some tears when I read the script, and that’s not often.
It’s a very powerful aspect of this story.
I got the wrap signal and I can’t end this conversation without asking about the bunny.
I shouldn’t have one, I travel too much, but the bunny is adorable.
ZHU: I don’t know when my love for bunnies started.
Theyre so innocent and so kind of helpless.
I think in a similar way that Rebecca starts off sort of helpless in this way.
There was a very steep learning curve to working with the bunny.
By the end, I wanted to get a bunny.
SENNOTT: They were deeply connected.
ZHU: We were deeply connected.
SENNOTT: Katarina was, like, locked in with the bunny.
It starts to slow down.
I’m hearing it slow down, and that was really cool.
So, it was not without its challenges, but it was worth it.
But bunnies, and all animals, are adorable, so nothing they do is wrong!
ZHU: Exactly, exactly.
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