DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM Writer-director Eric Byler discusses his digital film, "Charlotte Sometimes," with Jacqueline Kim, who plays the role of Darcy. It has already won awards at three mainland film festivals.

Moanalua grad
scores big with erotic
slice-of-life tale

'Charlotte Sometimes' An "Indie Scene USA" section of the Hawaii International Film Festival Show time: 6:30 p.m. tomorrow Place: Signature Dole Cannery Tickets: $7

By Gary C.W. Chun
gchun@starbulletin.com

Something interesting happened to filmmaker Eric Byler en route to making a film here called "Kealoha: The Loved One." The Moanalua High graduate left to study film at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, then moved to Los Angeles and was going nowhere fast trying to develop his film -- a coming-of-age story about a native Hawaiian girl -- with fellow islander Robert Shinso Ito. So he decided to shoot a different movie "for the price of a used car" on digital video.

He filmed in the hip Silverlake area over several weeks, finishing in June. The resulting "Charlotte Sometimes" has been an award-winning entrant at the Austin, Texas, South by Southwest Film Festival, the Florida Film Festival and the San Diego Asian Film Festival, and is a bit of a milestone for Byler, digital cinema and Asian-American film in general.

Film critic Roger Ebert, who saw the film's initial screening Monday, was impressed enough to invite him and Kim to dinner that night (with his high school friends and others in tow). Ebert's vocal support for Byer's film, expressed at his own seminar, has boosted ticket sales for tomorrow's screening.

Byler's small, slice-of-life love story has a delicious erotic undercurrent. In it, a reclusive, well-read man becomes involved in a complicated relationship with his sexy friend and neighbor, and a mysterious woman who ingratiates herself with him, his friend and her hapa boyfriend.

"Charlotte Sometimes" is also one of the best-looking examples of the burgeoning digital medium and, more important, it features a strong Asian-American cast, ably directed by the Caucasian-Chinese Byler. (He's helped by cinematographer Rob Humphreys, Michael Brook's music score and singer-songwriter Cody Chestnutt.)

"This film was made possible -- and made better -- with the advent of the digital medium," he said last week on the grounds of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, joined by cast member Jacqueline Kim. "I also laid a framework for multiple endings in this character-driven drama."

As the actors grew into their roles, he would change bits of the script, letting them know in private so the other actors would be forced to improvise during shooting.

"I wanted to get the audience to watch this movie with the same degree of intensity and attention as they would in 'decoding' people in real life -- so there is no tearful Act 2 in the movie or an omniscient voice-over conveniently providing additional exposition."

Byler wanted to stay clear of sociopolitical commentary as well with the possible exception of the neighborhood bar scene in which a Caucasian guy hits on one of the female protagonists.

"As Asian Americans, I think we spend too much time reacting to misrepresentations of our history and culture in the media," he said. "For me as an artist, I'm not interested in doing 'diversity marketing.' I want the characters in my films to be accepted for what they are, like white people. I derive my films from life.

"I don't believe I have to address stereotypes or have a 'fight the power' agenda -- it's not true for African Americans or Latinos or, for that matter, Asian Americans. I think we've earned just as much right to tell our stories from the inside out."

"Charlotte Sometimes" (the title taken from a popular Cure song, which Kim sings effectively over the closing credits) represents a technical breakthrough in digital cinema, using the latest cutting-edge technology.

"The film print combines digital video with high-definition color timing, using the Ari Laser that allows digital video to be blown up with very little loss of resolution," Byler said.

But it's not that this film is bursting with color, although the contrast between natural and saturated color is marked and important in setting the moody atmosphere of the story. Kim, Michael Idemoto, Eugenia Yuan and Matt Westmore play their respective characters as close to real as can be, with Kim giving a particularly fine, understated performance as the film's instigator.

"I'm definitely the catalyst," said Kim, "for making the shift in this love triangle. It's like the game of poker, where I come in as the best player and I get everybody else to show their hand, while I'm unable to reveal my own. It's like putting salt on a slug, but it's not because my character Darcy is masochistic, she's just -- curious.

"And before Eric's film, I hadn't seen an intense character drama with Asian Americans."

"When audiences see this film," said Byler, "they always compare it to European and Asian new-wave films, when, in fact, the roots of it are based right here in the U.S. It's based on those subtle and restrained American films from the '70s, like 'Five Easy Pieces,' 'Carnal Knowledge' and the early films of Robert Altman."

While promoting "Charlotte Sometimes," Byler continues fund raising for "Kealoha: The Loved One." He's also working on adapting the Shawn Wong novel "American Knees" for the big screen, as well as working on his first mainstream script.

Hawai'i International Film Festival When: Through Sunday on Oahu Schedules: Pick up copies at Dole Signature Theatres and at Starbucks and Blockbuster locations; Theaters: Signature Dole Cannery, the Doris Duke at the Academy, Consolidated's Waikiki Twins 2 theater and Blaisdell Center Tickets: Per film, $7 general; $6 (children, military, students and 62 and older); $1 discount for matinees Call: 528-4433 Neighbor islands When: Friday through Nov. 10 Locations: Kauai Community College Performing Arts Center (808-823-8444); Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Castle Theatre, Maui Community College Ka Lama No. 103 and Ritz-Carlton Kapalua (808-573-4242); Kaunakakai School on Molokai (808-553-3455); and University of Hawaii at Hilo Campus Center, Palace Theatre and Keauhou Cinema on the Big Island (808-969-9412 in East Hawaii and 808-322-2323 in West Hawaii) HIFF Web site

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