THE INTERROGATION, 13min,. Canada, Drama
Directed by Zenghiok Ng
Kai’s war against social LGBTQ discrimination, a journey of internal redemption for themselves.

https://www.hiokpictures.com/projects/theinterrogation

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The famous Canadian actor Eliot Page came out as a trans man in late 2020. At the time, many of us were happy for him and we were proud of him for taking the step. But there were still people from a conservative background putting out conspiracies, stating that LGBTQ+ people coming out in general are lying because they want attention and just riding the "trend of being gay", suggesting that LGBTQ+ people are getting an unfair advantage, which is the total opposite of reality. Suffering from constant invalidation and depression, I also wanted to shine a light on how the phobia of LGBTQ+ could negatively impact the ones directed.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I had the spark moment about a story in this direction in January 2021 and I slowly put together a script for the next 8 months. We finished shooting in November and finished post-production in April 2022.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Gay sh*t

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Like any film in production, we encountered many issues including locations, schedule and casting. The biggest obstacle is probably casting, our main actor dropped out due to a life emergency, and we weren't able to fill the last role we needed until 16 hours before the first day of the shoot.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

This film has a lot of plot points but we have been very careful and selective about what we show on screen, I was worried that we did it with too much subtlety that the audience wouldn't be able to understand the story.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I first encountered filmmaking in high school theater class, we were assigned to make a film together with a camera from the school and iMovie.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Probably Tron: Legacy, I really enjoy the cinematography and music.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I would say giving the applicants who haven't selected at least a one-sentence explanation, such as "the length was too long for our program", or "your film didn't fit our theme of the year" etc.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I enjoy how the platform simplified and centralized the process of submitting and communication.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Pho :DDD

Only the good ones though.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I'm currently developing a film about films, in disguise as an action short.