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Whom It May Concern: Ka Shen’s Journey
Star: Nancy Kwan Narrators Include: Nancy Kwan, Ka Keung Kwan, Brian Jamieson, Norbert Meisel, Joan Chen, France Nuyen, Ross Hagen, Robert E. Sparks, Ted Thomas and Vivian Wu Director/Scriptwriter; Brian Jamieson Documentary Red Wind Productions Rating: Not rated but could be PG 13 Running Length: 104 minutes Screened at Kansas International Film Festival (KIFF) Oct. 3, 2010 Nancy Kwan has forged ahead in the film industry as a lone Asian woman for most of her life. Actually, her name is Ka Shen Kwan and she was born in 1939 in Hong Kong to an English mother and Chinese father. The “journey” part of the film is not only Nancy Kwan’s journey to success in the film industry, but her journey to a kind of peace after the death of her son from AIDS in his early thirties. The film is made up of two parts. One half is Nancy Kwan-actress and the other half is Nancy Kwan-grieving mother. The Kwan’s were wealthy and lived in large homes with servants and private schools. Nancy’s parents were divorced with Nancy was a child and she rarely saw her mother until later in her life. Nancy’s father was the stable force in her life. Childhood was spent hiding in China during the Japanese invasion and later her father became a translator and helped to rescue downed American airmen. Nancy attended the Mary Knoll Convent School and had a talent and interest in ballet which she studied for many years. Nancy Kwan emerges in 1960. Nancy auditioned for “The World of Suzie Wong," also starring William Holden. She got the role and soon was making headlines for being the first Asian woman to have a leading film role in American films. Quite a break-through, considering up to the point---and also past---American actors portrayed Asian characters in film (reference Marlon Brando in “Teahouse of the August Moon” or Jennifer Jones in “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.”) Soon after the success of “Suzie Wong,” came “Flower Drug Song” where Nancy Kwan could dance, sing and show her comic talent. Filmmaker/Director Brian Jamieson sprinkles the film with interviews from Nancy’s family and friends. There is footage of her acting roles and family time with her late son, Bernhard Pock. We follow Nancy through the years, a marriage, the birth of a son, a second marriage, the role of film producer and a third marriage. Life takes a dramatic turn when tragedy is in the family and the film shows how this affects Nancy’s life. The narrators have too much praise for an actor’s accomplishments in this film and it seems as though every new person introduced says basically the same thing---talent and beauty. To Whom It May Concern: Ka Shen’s Journey was shot while Nancy explored the ruins of Angkor Wat, now a place of religious enlightenment. As Nancy walks through the ruins in a day, her life is seen in flashback, also. The film is well-photographed with family scenes and film footage. Nancy paved the way for many Asian leading ladies, including France Nuyen, Myoshi Umecki and Joan Chen. Copyright 2010 Marie Asner
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