JULY/AUGUST 2000
Cross-Cultural Focus for Irish-Canadian Filmmaker
www.celtic-connection.com
Page 9
By MAURA McCAY VANCOUVER - Michael Parker, the director, writer and producer of a new movie now being filmed in Vancouver, is part of British Columbia's growing film industry.
I recently spoke to Parker on set and he discussed his Irish-Canadian heritage and his debut feature film, which is the first co-production between Hong Kong and Canada to receive Telefilm Canada funding.
Lunch With Charles is a cross-cultural project drawing on Parker's Irish background, along with his experience in the Asian film industry.
It was after working in Hong Kong that he met his wife and business partner Shan Tarn. Together, they formed a company and have produced a Chinese language film festival in Vancouver for two consecutive years.
Along with a stellar cast, which includes pop music sensation Bif Naked as a Celtic singer, the local Juno Award-winning Celtic band The Paperboys are featured in Lunch With Charles, as a group called The Standing Stones.
Parker said the joint production model is very attractive for filmmakers, especially he said, "for Canada, because of the limited financing we can bring to the table. I think it is definitely a strength for Canada to move forward in all sorts of new national co-productions. The difficulty in some respects is to find the story that is appropriate for both cultures or countries and finding the right language, and so on."
"I would be interested in doing filming or co-producing with Ireland. It's quite exciting what's going on over there now."
The collaboration has worked well for the production of Lunch With Charles, since the story, while quintessentially Canadian, follows the journey of two couples in crisis who cross paths and cultures on a fated journey to Banff.
Although the story is Vancouver-based, Parker says, "there is a large Asian community here, so it is quite a natural story in that sense. I don't feel that we are forcing anything too much. It is also a romantic comedy essentially, so we have licence there to play with, but it can be a challenge.
"In our case, we are lucky because most people who come from Hong
Kong speak some English, so even in our characters, it is believable that everybody is speaking English, whereas it might not always be the case."
Both of Michael Parker's parents were born in Ireland and immigrated to Canada. Although his father passed away when he was only eight years old, he recalls his father's love for Canada.
He said, "My father came over with very romantic ideals. He always dreamed of settling in the foothills of Alberta, listening to Western music and enjoying life. I know that he felt a certain sense of freedom away from the traditions of Ireland and so on. And, it's interesting that I have a similar longing for Ireland, which is probably quite common."
While still a young boy, Michael returned to live in Ireland with his family for awhile and he attended school there.
He recalls that period saying, "I remember, people would come up to me in the courtyard and say 'say something.... just say anything', and then of course, they would laugh as soon as I said anything. It was an interesting experience to feel very Canadian and American.
Another distinctive cultural observation Michael finds interesting is the connection his wife has with her community, while the Irish tend to assimilate into the Canadian mosaic.
He said, "I find it interesting that my wife, who is from Hong Kong, is part of a very strong local Chi-
MICHAEL PARKER on set of his new film Lunch With Charles now filming in the Vancouver area.
nese community which she is very connected with. She feels very much at home here.
"While, in many respects, I know very few people like me whose parents are from Ireland, apart from one cousin who is living here now and has the same background as I do.
One strong Irish connection Michael would like to pursue is the desire to work on an Irish-Canadian co-production.
He has travelled to Ireland with his family and he said, "I would love to do a project with Ireland
at some point. I would be interested in doing filming or co-producing with Ireland. It's quite exciting what's going on over there now. There certainly is a boom and the last time we visited, we were exploring doing a documentary."
Perhaps Parker's next joint production will be an Irish-Canadian production, where he will have an opportunity to explore his Celtic heritage and satisfy his yearning for Ireland. In the meantime, watch for the Canadian release of Lunch With Charles this December.
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