Jian Ping's column
Gratitude
Gratitude
By Jian Ping
As we enter December, the last month of the year and in the midst of the holiday season, I
tend to get into a reflective mood and feel grateful for the many good things that have taken
place during the year. For me, this year was particularly special because of the production of the
feature-length documentary film based on my book Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China.
When my book was first published in 2008, I began to give talks at bookstores, libraries and
book clubs. Quite a few readers pointed out that the book was full of strong visual images, and
asked if I would like to turn it into a film. I thanked them and laughed. It seemed to me that the
idea of a film based on my book would remain in the domain of wishful thinking.
Then in 2009, Ellis, a dear friend and fellow author, turned the wish into reality. He brought
my book to the attention of director Susan Morgan Cooper at the Palm Spring International
Festival, where Susan’s latest documentary An Unlikely Weapon: the Addie Adams Story was
shown. Ellis really liked her film. He approached Susan and gave her a copy of Mulberry Child,
saying she had her next project laid out for her. I thanked Ellis when he told me of the encounter,
but doubted if he would ever hear from Susan again. A few weeks later, to my great surprise,
As we enter December, the last month of the year and in the midst of the holiday season, I
tend to get into a reflective mood and feel grateful for the many good things that have taken
place during the year. For me, this year was particularly special because of the production of the
feature-length documentary film based on my book Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China.
When my book was first published in 2008, I began to give talks at bookstores, libraries and
book clubs. Quite a few readers pointed out that the book was full of strong visual images, and
asked if I would like to turn it into a film. I thanked them and laughed. It seemed to me that the
idea of a film based on my book would remain in the domain of wishful thinking.
Then in 2009, Ellis, a dear friend and fellow author, turned the wish into reality. He brought
my book to the attention of director Susan Morgan Cooper at the Palm Spring International
Festival, where Susan’s latest documentary An Unlikely Weapon: the Addie Adams Story was
shown. Ellis really liked her film. He approached Susan and gave her a copy of Mulberry Child,
saying she had her next project laid out for her. I thanked Ellis when he told me of the encounter,
but doubted if he would ever hear from Susan again. A few weeks later, to my great surprise,
| Jian Ping |
Susan called him and was enthusiastic about the film project!
Thus commenced a year of excitement. In January 2010, Susan started
working on the “manuscript” of the film, and in early April, a production crew,
including Susan, her cinematographer Quyen, Quyen’s two assistants Alex and
Matt, plus a sound recordist, visited Chicago. The shooting started with interviews
of my daughter Lisa and me and scenes of our life today in this beautiful city. Then
in late April and early May, we went to China, capturing the historical markers of the
Cultural Revolution on film and interviewing my mother and my sisters. In 12 days,
we covered four cities and shot dozens of hours of footage. With the help of a few
local friends and family members, everything went well in China. We ended up
with more material than we had expected.
Then Susan returned to Los Angeles. As she worked with her editor Sean to
comb through the mountains of footage, she also started casting actors for
several reenacted scenes. I looked at photos from the casting call from a distance,
and solicited the help of friends in L.A. to refer candidates to Susan for the roles of
my family members. Before long, a cast was assembled. It took a while for Susan
to find the right six-year-old girl to play me, but eventually she found one little girl
she was happy with. I began to see stills from the production, but never actual
footage. Susan would not budge on my plea to view some of the raw takes.
“If nothing else, I can be a technical advisor for the authenticity of the setting
and clothing,” I reasoned with her.
“You are a writer,” Susan said. “Do you share your drafts with your readers?”
I adore Susan. She is passionate about the project and can work like a demon in
the production process. When we were in China, she often made us work late into
the night.
Thus commenced a year of excitement. In January 2010, Susan started
working on the “manuscript” of the film, and in early April, a production crew,
including Susan, her cinematographer Quyen, Quyen’s two assistants Alex and
Matt, plus a sound recordist, visited Chicago. The shooting started with interviews
of my daughter Lisa and me and scenes of our life today in this beautiful city. Then
in late April and early May, we went to China, capturing the historical markers of the
Cultural Revolution on film and interviewing my mother and my sisters. In 12 days,
we covered four cities and shot dozens of hours of footage. With the help of a few
local friends and family members, everything went well in China. We ended up
with more material than we had expected.
Then Susan returned to Los Angeles. As she worked with her editor Sean to
comb through the mountains of footage, she also started casting actors for
several reenacted scenes. I looked at photos from the casting call from a distance,
and solicited the help of friends in L.A. to refer candidates to Susan for the roles of
my family members. Before long, a cast was assembled. It took a while for Susan
to find the right six-year-old girl to play me, but eventually she found one little girl
she was happy with. I began to see stills from the production, but never actual
footage. Susan would not budge on my plea to view some of the raw takes.
“If nothing else, I can be a technical advisor for the authenticity of the setting
and clothing,” I reasoned with her.
“You are a writer,” Susan said. “Do you share your drafts with your readers?”
I adore Susan. She is passionate about the project and can work like a demon in
the production process. When we were in China, she often made us work late into
the night.
long shot of my mother. I was mesmerized, and so was my producer. Susan sat in the back of the room and observed our
reaction. There was a moment of silence when the screen went dark. Then we simultaneously applauded. We watched it again,
and once more, and we clapped our hands enthusiastically. I had a bad cold at the time and Susan had been keeping a
distance from me. But when the light was turned on and I extended my arms to her, she readily hugged me.
“I love it, Susan,” I said.
“You are the most important judge,” Susan said. “I’m so happy you like it.” She held me tightly in her arms.
Later that day, when Susan showed the “teaser” to Kim, a PR agent we were interviewing for the film, I noticed that Kim
moved to the edge of the sofa seconds after the footage appeared on the computer screen, and when the last image faded,
along with the music, Kim was dabbing the corners of her eyes.
“It’s very moving!” Kim said. “I’d love to represent it.”
Now back in Chicago, images of the “teaser” keep coming to mind. I feel confident that Susan will present a personal and
touching story on the screen. I can hardly wait for the arrival of January 2011, when she will have the rough cut of the film ready
and the final trailer finished.
Thinking back on this eventful year and the development of the film project, I feel so grateful to many friends, colleagues and
readers. Without the belief and support of Ellis, no matter how “visual” Mulberry Child might be, the film would never have made
the leap from an idea to a real project. Without the commitment and dedication of Susan and her wonderful production team, the
film would not have materialized, much less right on schedule. And without the support of many friends and readers, I would not
have felt so inspired and connected with so many people.
reaction. There was a moment of silence when the screen went dark. Then we simultaneously applauded. We watched it again,
and once more, and we clapped our hands enthusiastically. I had a bad cold at the time and Susan had been keeping a
distance from me. But when the light was turned on and I extended my arms to her, she readily hugged me.
“I love it, Susan,” I said.
“You are the most important judge,” Susan said. “I’m so happy you like it.” She held me tightly in her arms.
Later that day, when Susan showed the “teaser” to Kim, a PR agent we were interviewing for the film, I noticed that Kim
moved to the edge of the sofa seconds after the footage appeared on the computer screen, and when the last image faded,
along with the music, Kim was dabbing the corners of her eyes.
“It’s very moving!” Kim said. “I’d love to represent it.”
Now back in Chicago, images of the “teaser” keep coming to mind. I feel confident that Susan will present a personal and
touching story on the screen. I can hardly wait for the arrival of January 2011, when she will have the rough cut of the film ready
and the final trailer finished.
Thinking back on this eventful year and the development of the film project, I feel so grateful to many friends, colleagues and
readers. Without the belief and support of Ellis, no matter how “visual” Mulberry Child might be, the film would never have made
the leap from an idea to a real project. Without the commitment and dedication of Susan and her wonderful production team, the
film would not have materialized, much less right on schedule. And without the support of many friends and readers, I would not
have felt so inspired and connected with so many people.
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Reenacted scene of Nainai, Father and me.
Jian Ping is author of “Mulberry Child: A Memoir of China. “ For more
information, visit www.moraquest.com or www.mulberrychild.com. Jian
Ping’s blog, which she keeps with a couple of other authors, is at www.
smearedtype.com.
information, visit www.moraquest.com or www.mulberrychild.com. Jian
Ping’s blog, which she keeps with a couple of other authors, is at www.
smearedtype.com.
Director Susan and Cinematographer Quyen at
work in China.
work in China.
This year, the spring was very chilly in Beijing and Changchun. When we were hungry and cold and
longed to settle into a warm restaurant for a hearty meal, Susan continued to shout, “One more round,”
whether it was on the Great Wall, in the dark before Tiananmen Gate, or on the roof of a peasant’s house
in Baicheng. She showed so much energy and dedication that she left us with no choice but to follow. I
like her as a person and enjoy working with her on a professional level. But she is a perfectionist and
insists on not showing footage to anyone until the rough cut.
“You’ll have your chance to give your input then,” she kept saying.
So during a recent trip my producer and I made to Los Angeles, we were anxious and excited to
review a rough cut of the trailer that Susan had agreed to show us. Susan warned us it was not really a
trailer—she called it a “teaser,” a four-minute episode that would be further edited and revised as the
trailer.
I held my breath as Susan darkened her office and turned on the large monitor on her desk. The
close up of my face that first shot up on the screen made me cringe. I was relieved when the scene
quickly changed to Lisa, followed by various reenacted images and historical footage, and ended with a
longed to settle into a warm restaurant for a hearty meal, Susan continued to shout, “One more round,”
whether it was on the Great Wall, in the dark before Tiananmen Gate, or on the roof of a peasant’s house
in Baicheng. She showed so much energy and dedication that she left us with no choice but to follow. I
like her as a person and enjoy working with her on a professional level. But she is a perfectionist and
insists on not showing footage to anyone until the rough cut.
“You’ll have your chance to give your input then,” she kept saying.
So during a recent trip my producer and I made to Los Angeles, we were anxious and excited to
review a rough cut of the trailer that Susan had agreed to show us. Susan warned us it was not really a
trailer—she called it a “teaser,” a four-minute episode that would be further edited and revised as the
trailer.
I held my breath as Susan darkened her office and turned on the large monitor on her desk. The
close up of my face that first shot up on the screen made me cringe. I was relieved when the scene
quickly changed to Lisa, followed by various reenacted images and historical footage, and ended with a
| Susan interviewing me in Chicago. |
It has indeed been a great year. In addition working on the
film, which I consider the chance of a lifetime, I visited China
for a second time and was able to spend time with my mother,
who is 83 now, and my sisters. During this second trip, I was
also able to pay a tribute to Nainai, my grandmother, kneeling
down in front of her grave in her home village and telling her
how much I loved her and would continue to do so the rest of
my life.
Of course, there was sadness and loss in this year as
well. Liz, a close friend and former colleague, lost her battle
with ovarian cancer. She was young, very talented and full of
energy and courage. Her loss made me even more aware of
the appreciation we should all feel, just for being here, able to
pursue our dreams and enjoy our life.
Hurray for the last month of the year and here’s to the
beginning of the next exciting one!