While this year’s Cannes Film Festival brought many exciting films to the forefront, one of the most exciting rests inJustin Chon’sBlue Bayou. The film tells the story of Antonio (Chon), a Korean-American raised in Louisiana, and his struggles in starting his own family amidst the severe prejudices he faces. Aside from starring, Chon also has written and directed the film, which has hit theaters this weekend.
Blue Bayoulooks to tackle several themes, from the life of individuals who are adopted to those who find themselves as outcasts in the United States. As a newfeaturetteshows, Antonio finds himself pulled between these two identities, though his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander) serves as the glue that keeps life for himself, his step-daughter, and his daughter-to-be together. A looming threat of deportation to Korea forces him to confront these ideas and challenges, a difficult task as he was left behind by his mother at a young age.
According to Chon:
“In ‘Blue Bayou,’ I really wanted to make a film about a Korean-American adoptee, and show a father in the face of adversity, trying to figure out a way to keep his family together. What he’s really fighting for in the film is his family. Even though he’s been so damaged, he’s trying to stay in the United States.”
Related:Alicia Vikander and Justin Chon Star in First Trailer for Immigration Drama ‘Blue Bayou’
Chon’s film marks the contunuing progression of Asian-American stories in modern cinema, with films likeCrazy Rich AsiansandShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringscreating other steps along that ladder. However, a film likeBlue Bayouis even more refreshing as the story has important relevance to the everyday experiences and pressures several Asian individuals feel throughout this country. Chon himself has also come forward and expressed his ability to tellmore intimate and personal stories, as opposed to the more VFX-laden (though also relevant and recognized) works of directors likeJames Wan,Justin Lin, andJon M. Chu.
The plot forBlue Bayouis as follows:
“An official selection of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival from award-winning writer/director Justin Chon, “Blue Bayou” is the moving and timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future. Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou, is married to the love of his life Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and step-dad to their beloved daughter Jessie. Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past when he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home.”
Blue Bayouis currently available in theaters. Check out the film’s featurette below:
