Kulap Vilaysack is an actor/writer/comedian who you might know from her popular podcast "Who Charted?" (She was also on this hilarious Message to the Producers of Hawaii Five-0.) I'm a fan.
Kulap is peeling back the layers of her personal story and directing her first feature documentary, Origin Story, exploring her tangled family tree to find out who she is. She describes is as "a feature-length, international quest with stops in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Laos to meet the biological father I never knew."
She's currently in the middle of a crowdfunding campaign to finish the film, and asking for help via Indiegogo. Here's the official trailer:
Here's some more info on the film:
In my directorial debut, I explore my tangled family tree to find out who I am. When I was 14, I took my father’s side in an argument and my mother replied, "Why are you defending him? He's not your real dad." Twenty years later, I'm finally ready to learn what that means.
Origin Story is a feature-length, international quest with stops in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Laos to meet the biological father I never knew. On the road, unforeseen revelations strike as hilarious or heartbreaking, rarely in between. An avid comic book reader with a vigilante character named after me in the DC Comics universe, I must summon the courage of Katharsis, because each question is another step out on a limb.
Origin Story is a deeply personal but universally relevant tale of immigration, conflict, addiction, and personal responsibility. Interviewees in the film include my extended family, husband Scott Aukerman, and close friends like Sarah Silverman, Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael and Howard Kremer.
I am highly intrigued to see how her story unfolds. The goal is to raise $110,000 by September 19, with funds going towards post-production, future shoots, music/score and original artwork.
For further information, and to make a donation, head over to Indiegogo.
