Justin Chon does it again. The writer/director/actor continues to make his mark as an auteur with his latest feature Ms. Purple, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed Gook and the second installment of a family drama trilogy. Ms. Purple, which premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival, hits theaters this fall.
The films tells the story of siblings Kasie and Carey, who were raised and are now seemingly stuck in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the siblings continue to struggle with deep emotional wounds from the difficulty of the parental dynamic. Now, with their father on his death bed, the estranged Carey comes home to help Kasie care for him. As they reunite over their dying father, Kasie and Carey confront their shared past, attempting to mend their relationship.
The new trailer offers your first look at the film:
According to Entertainment Weekly, the film captures a snapshot of these characters' lives in Koreatown, where gentrification and societal changes have pushed so many out of the neighborhood, and Chon says those who remain can become ghosts in their own homes. Through its narrative and striking visuals, Ms. Purple asks viewers: If Kasie doesn't let go of burdensome traditions that stifle her own desires, if she doesn't expand outside of Koreatown, will she become a ghost?
"Purple is the color of mourning, mourning someone's death in Korean culture. So that's why I chose the color and named this film Ms. Purple, and her [hanbok] dress is also purple," Chon tells EW. "The dress is also the things we have to shed, that maybe not work for us in being from a different country. What do we leave behind from our old culture, and what do we take with us?"
Ms. Purple was written by Chon and Chris Dinh and stars Tiffany Chu, Teddy Lee, Octavio Pizano and James Kang. Chon also serves as producer alongside Alex Chi and Alan Pao. The movie, distributed by Oscilloscope Laboratories, will open September 6 in Los Angeles before expanding to New York City and additional markets on September 13.
More here: A Korean-American woman wrestles with family and duty in Justin Chon's Ms. Purple trailer
