By JASON R. WALLACH
THE SADNESS is one of the greatest genre films of the last twenty years. It is a torrential force of nature that is both beautiful and grotesque. The hype that preceded the film is by no means hyperbole; It is extremely violent, gory, transgressive, shocking and even panic-inducing. It is challenging, but there’s more to The Sadness than its gruesome set pieces.
The film is also hauntingly relevant on a global scale, especially to those of us in the United States, as the politicizing of a deadly virus is something we recently suffered through and still are to a lesser extent. Whether by death or by political polarization, there are those of us who legitimately witnessed the confusing and unpleasant transformation of friends, associates and loved ones. On one hand, THE SADNESS serves as an extreme and figurative magnification of such tragedy and insanity. On the other hand, it warrants further examination as a testament to the aggression and darkness of human nature lying dormant and simply awaiting release.
In THE SADNESS, a virus mutates, decimating the limbic system of the human brain, the area that controls emotional behaviors such as fear, rage and anxiety. Director Rob Jabbaz has said that the film’s Alvin Virus essentially makes the worst possible versions of themselves. There are scenes in this film in which the audience encounters characters both pre and post-infection. While often jarring, the latter are somehow understandable and even, dare I say, strangely relatable. The film reveals how one can be personally freed by infection, released from the constraints of civilized society and even find strength in it. The disease’s symptoms are easily dismissed by most as inhumanity despite simply being a part of human nature.
The conflict of good vs. evil s a concept that dominates religion, philosophy, mythology, and history. THE SADNESS puts that on display in the most immersive and frantic of ways. It is this struggle that is clearly fleshed out through the film’s performances, which are startlingly honest. The depth of emotion depicted is rich, amplifying all aspects of the human condition – especially, the darker ones. This is the substance of the film. THE SADNESS truly locked me in and held my attention throughout its hour and 39 minutes of madness.
Tzu-Chiang Wang (who plays the unforgettably sinister and menacing businessman), Yin-Ru Chen ( the tragic and terrifying Molly), Tsai Chen Yi (the restaurant cook from one of the film’s shocking early sequences) and special effects artist Victor Chiang of IF SFX Art Maker recently sat down with Rue Morgue to discuss this shocking (and shockingly relevant) horror hit.
PART I: An Introduction to the Cast of THE SADNESS
How long have you been acting and what interested you in doing so?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: My father was a soldier who followed Chiang Kai-shek to Taiwan. He retired from the military shortly after he arrived in Taiwan, married my mother and ran a laundry store to keep the family warm and dry. When graduating from elementary school, I wanted to go to military school instead of junior high, though my father wouldn’t allow me to do so. He asked me to finish my education from high school to college so that I would be able to take over the business of the laundry store.
Due to Taiwan’s recruitment policy, I served in the Marine Corps for 3 years. That kind of experience qualified me as a bodyguard for more than ten years. I didn’t think of becoming an actor at that time. In 2000, owing to a friend’s recommendation, I participated in the filming of a commercial. I started this part-time job as an amateur from then on — I have finished nearly 100 commercials in those 10 years. In 2010, there was a director who offered me [the opportunity] to perform in a TV series. I didn’t accept it at that time, but the seed sprouted in my mind. After discussing it with my wife, I decided to quit my main job and become a full-time actor at the age of 42.
Yin-Ru Chen: [2022] is my sixth year as an actor. Discovering acting was an episode in my life and was a fascinating surprise. Fate and destiny have always led me to the path of being an actor, and I was fortunate to discover the performing arts. At first, when I was in college, a senior working in an acting agency asked me if I wanted to perform in a music video and so I did. Advertising, drama, film, stage plays, and some fashion magazine jobs followed. I am trying to challenge myself and learn more because no matter how many physical and psychological difficulties I might face, I believe that they can be overcome, and I am happy to face them.
I participated in my first “Taipei Fringe Festival” theater performance, “The Acting Lesson of Life.” I was able to convey the story of the character on the stage while affecting the relationship between the audience and myself, which made me very happy. Surprisingly, that was the first time I was seriously thinking I want to be an actor who can tell a good story. Therefore, to be an actor is to be a good person. This … is my attitude towards all acting work.
Tsai Chen Yi: My first exposure to acting was around 2000. At that time, I was a junior high school student. I had the opportunity to participate in my school’s class drama competition and got good recognition. Later, I went out to participate in the competition on behalf of my school and won the award. I really started thinking about entering the field of drama around 2004. At that time, I was thinking about my future direction when facing the big school exam. I remembered the memory of participating in the competition. Acting was probably the only thing I liked and was interested in at that time, so later on, I majored in drama and theatre. However, it was after 2014 that I really devoted myself to becoming a full-time actor.
How did you become involved with The Sadness? How did you react to reading the script? What made you want to be a part of this project?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: I’m friends with David Barker, a producer of THE SADNESS. We have worked together several times on his commercials and he recommended me to Rob Jabbaz. When we first met, I didn’t know which role Rob wanted me to play. He explained the outline of the story to me and hoped I could bring up my opinions about the Businessman. I liked the plot of this story very much. After the infection, the evil in people’s hearts has maximized, and the restrictions of morality have gone.
I was wondering what these people would be like after becoming infected, and I brought that up to Rob. Are they acting like zombies or are they more likely acting as human beings? I selfishly hoped the latter. Gladly, we two saw eye to eye. And then, we talked about the role, setting and the language that the Businessman used with extremely unbearable style. Rob asked me to give him the state of the Businessman when the virus attacked – from standing still to running wildly. At that moment, I looked down for a few minutes to brew the evilness inside me. Then I looked up, my eyes and the corners of my mouth all released evil and a sinister smile, the terrifying rhythm of running wildly in an instant. Rob sensed the feel of the Businessman. From Rob’s expression, I reckoned that I did it!
Yin-Ru Chen: I am an actor with a special body type in the Taiwanese market. In Taiwan, there are some stereotypes about large-sized actors, so there are not many opportunities to participate in auditions. Therefore, when I received an opportunity to audition for the role of Molly I took it. I was very excited when it came to the content. The story was a very fresh and bold subject matter. The script was an eye-opener for me from the very beginning. After all, very few people in Taiwan make films with such bloody content. For me, it is a new path for Taiwanese films. Along the way, I respected and believed in the choices the actors made in their performances and found encouragement.
Before sharing my next thoughts, I would like to say that I don’t consider Molly a character. I think a character is a person, and I am a fragment of the character’s life and perform in that space.
At first, I did some homework on Molly. What kind of person would she be before this story? What does she like? What does she dislike? What are her beliefs? Like when I meet a friend, I want to get to know the person. And in looking for the connection between Molly and myself, I found out that she is in my heart, which is a very magical thing. On the day of the audition, I chose to wear clothes with darker colors that were not easy to be seen. I deliberately did not wear any makeup so that I could appear in the simplest way because Molly is a person in society and she exists. At that point, I knew Molly was there, and I was who the director was looking for; I was pretty sure.
I believe that there must be good and evil in everyone, but whether I have the courage to show “evil,” there must be a kind of good idea behind this evil. I just wanted to show everyone that Molly is a brave woman. At the same time, as an actor, this was a very big challenge to play a person with two different personalities in the same story.
Tsai Chen Yi: At first, Lian Yi-Jie, the casting director of the film, contacted me for an audition. We had worked together many times in commercials before that. Actually, at the beginning, I auditioned for Businessman – the role played by Tzu-Chiang Wang. Later, it was probably due to a change in the character or other reasons which I don’t know, I was invited to [play the restaurant cook], but Tzu-Chiang Wang was indeed the best candidate to portray the Businessman.
[THE SADNESS] is the first time I came into contact with a script written in English. Although there is a Chinese translation attached to it, I spent more time than I usually do in getting used to the script and indulging myself in the script. By the time I finished reading the full script, I still didn’t quite understand the concept … of the story. I just thought, “It’s crazy! Can it really be shown in Taiwan? Will the audience be willing to pay for it?” After watching the test film arranged by the crew before the film was released, the madness of the film has increased even more than I imagined when I read the script at the beginning.
As far as I know, this is a type of film that no one has ever tried in Taiwan before, and it is also the first time I have had the opportunity to get in touch with an international filming team composed of excellent people from different countries. No matter what the final result of this film is, I hope to have the opportunity to participate in it and grasp such a valuable experience.
PART II: Practical Make-up Effects: The Artist
How did IF SFX Art Maker become involved in The Sadness?
Victor Chiang: We were asked by Rob Jabbaz to join THE SADNESS. He saw our work on the internet, and he said that he thought we were the best special effects makeup studio in Taiwan. Hearing this sentence from a strange foreigner made us very happy. After knowing each other for a year, suddenly one day, he enthusiastically told us that he was going to make a movie and wanted to designate our shop to participate in the production of this movie.
Taking a more realistic approach to makeup and prosthetics, what was your process for working with Rob Jabbaz in terms of design?
Victor Chiang: In terms of executive production design, the director already had the character design concepts he wanted such as “Crazy Old Woman,” “Businessman,” etc. He first let us understand the design draft and conceptual elements he drew, and then we went to actually make his original designs. In addition, the director hoped that we could create realistic injuries to the human body, so we went to find a lot of information about related accidents and put them in the design so that the pain of the victim looked and felt real.
When you first read the script, what was your first impression? What made you want to create a project with practical effects?
Victor Chiang: When I saw the script for the first time, I was surprised at first because it describes a lot of torture scenes, and it is very delicate. I wondered if this theme could be filmed in Taiwan because it’s a relatively conservative country. But Rob was insistent that our shop handle the makeup effects work for the film, and we did.
Do you tend to use foam latex or silicone? Which of these two materials is used the most in the film?
Victor Chiang: We use a lot of silicone prostheses and makeup in this film because we want to produce a large number of simulated human state effects. The silicone is lighter and more realistic, and the actors will be relatively relaxed and natural in their performances with it.
How many prosthetic applications did the old woman in the restaurant require? What are they? She still really creeps me out! And that poor cook!
Victor Chiang: We spent a lot of time thinking about the creation of this character because this is one of the director’s favorite characters. We used a lot of [prosthetics] on him such as head, forehead, upper and lower eyelids, hands and nails. The old woman also had custom-made teeth, wigs and contact lenses.
In addition, the chef is also quite special because the director wants to slowly see the wound beneath the surface blisters after pulling at the outer layer. We needed to make fake skins with two effects in the same position with a precise design that allowed the actor to tear [it away] easily without damaging the wound inside.
Which scenes and effects are you most satisfied with, and why do you like these in particular?
Victor Chiang: Our favorite scene effect is the MRT station scene. It uses all our blood-spraying mechanism skills in every shot, so we designed many interesting blood-spraying mechanisms such as a blood cannon and blood rain. In addition, the multiple visual effects in a single shot are also very challenging – the umbrella is inserted into the eye and the knife is inserted into the neck to spurt blood. We had to make a real prosthetic head behind the eyeball. After the umbrella is inserted into the eye, the eyeball cannot block the blood and clear fluid and must flow out at the same time. With the neck wound, the blood cannon we used sprayed a lot of blood on the ceiling. The shot is quite spectacular. I especially like these two effects.
I’d say the subway scene is one of the greatest I’ve seen in a long time!
Victor Chiang: I’m very happy that you like this scene because this is the one that the director put the most attention into. It is also the scene that we spent the most time designing because many instantaneous injury effects needed to be produced in very few minutes of screen time. This involved the need for early access to the set to stage them. Many related designs are in place, after all, and many effects are difficult to restore after execution. In our eyes, this scene is the feeling of instantly pulling people living normal lives into hell.
The application we applied the most is blood. We usually design the texture and color of blood for different film types … We made hundreds of gallons of blood for this film, so the blood we designed and produced for this film is very important … It feels heavy and sticky, and it will feel heavy when it flows out from the machine and it will run thick when sprayed because this is more in line with the overall concept of the story. As long as you see blood, it will make the audience despair heavily.
PART III: Practical Make-up Effects: The Actors
Was this your first experience with makeup appliances?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: I had never experienced wearing prosthetic makeup like this before until Rob chose me. It took three hours or so to apply the whole makeup before shooting. I also needed another two hours to remove it completely after work. In order to feature the virus infection, I had to wear special all-black contact lenses. Those contact lenses are not like the ones we usually wear; They are customized. The lenses are much bigger than the regular ones because they covered half of my eyes and can only be worn for three to four hours – at most – in a day. Since it was my first time to go through this, I didn’t take it too seriously on my first day. Trying to save some time, I wore them for about 8 hours to get my part done.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get them off my eyes when I called it a day. The technician tried many ways to get them off of my eyes. I felt great pain at that moment. I went to my eye doctor the next day. He said the force of getting the contact lenses out was too hard so my corneas got hurt. He warned me that I need to be very careful about those “not-friendly-for-eyeballs props.” After the not-so-good experience, I was cautiously aware of the time I was allowed to wear those quite uncomfortable contact lenses, which made the shooting time longer each day. But don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. On the contrary, this rather special experience made me more grateful for having the opportunity to be part of the film. Little did I know how much effort it would take to make this film.
Yin-Ru Chen: This is the first time I have experienced special makeup and it is a very interesting process. Because of the professional special makeup team, I can focus on the performance with more peace of mind. I don’t have to worry about the fake skin being damaged because it’s very solid. Although I had to work two hours earlier than others every day, I often fall asleep in the makeup chair. Once, my skin felt tingly because of the appliance on my face all day long; the special makeup artist chose to remove it and let my skin relax. Thank you very much, IF SFX Art Maker for taking good care of the actors.
Tsai Chen Yi: In fact, this is not the first time I was in prosthetic makeup to participate in a performance, and even for Taiwanese actors, my experience in this area is extremely rich. However, this is my first experience of using a lot of “disgusting” materials on my face. Before the actual shooting, we participated in the makeup trial and rehearsal arranged by the crew, wearing makeup to simulate the way of performance during the actual shooting and testing some performances or actions. The entire film production process was very rigorous from the pre-rehearsal to the actual shooting on the set. It takes a lot of time to put on makeup each time.
The physical feeling during the makeup and shooting process is actually quite uncomfortable, but this experience is very valuable and interesting.
PART IV: The Restaurant Scene
What was it like filming the scene where you were attacked in the restaurant?
Tsai Chen Yi: First of all, I’m going to be hit on the head by the metal mesh basket for French fries. The metal mesh basket had to be stuck on my head for a short period of time and not bounce off immediately so that the camera can smoothly capture what you see in the still image of me with fries stuck in my hair, hot oil drenching my face and screaming in pain. The size of the metal basket was a bit small, and at first, there was no way to get it stuck on my head, so we repeated it several times. My scalp was slightly scratched, and the liquid we used to replace the hot oil ran into my eyes, nostrils and mouth. So I was really in a lot of pain, and I retched a few times because I felt sick, and my throat was inflamed and hoarse for nearly a week after screaming too much.
How did you prepare for this scene?
Tsai Chen Yi: All I really needed to prepare was to maintain the health of my vocal cords. [Laughs] During the rehearsal, the director expressed his hope that the performance he wished to see was a scream of extreme pain. During the shooting, the director also constantly reminded me, “Screams!” “Screams!” “More screams!” So I prepared that scene with two completely different performances, one at the dialogue interaction with the hero at the beginning and the other was the reaction after being attacked.
Was it fun having your face peeled off?
Tsai Chen Yi: What people don’t know is that the scene of peeling off my face was supposed to take only one day to shoot, and it turned out to be two days. The director was not very satisfied with the scene after the first day of shooting, so he decided to have me come back the next day to shoot the scene again. So I appeared the next day, put on that makeup again and this time the director grabbed my face with his own hands. Actually, when I was watching the movie in the theater, I wasn’t entirely sure if the hand grabbing me in the picture was another actor’s or the director’s! [Laughs]. So maybe people who watch it will find it interesting. I personally didn’t find it interesting at all at that moment. [Laughs]
PART V: The MRT (Subway) Scene
In the film, the Businessman is more focused than most of the other infected people. I feel like that stems from the rejection by Kat and then Molly taking her seat and being a substitute or even disappointment for him. What are your thoughts on this observation?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: Your observation is very keen! Kat was the person that the Businessman cared about most and was eager to set up an emotional conversation with before the infection. Somehow, he was loathed by Kat. Therefore, she gave up her seat to the innocent Molly, causing the Businessman’s disappointment and frustration. As a result, it triggered the Businessman’s extremity of villainy and evilness.
Yin-Ru Chen: I think it’s a kind of jealousy that comes from human nature. Originally, the Businessman wanted to pursue Kat, but he was rejected. As a result, Kat grabbed Molly and ran away. The Businessman became the discarded person. He felt dissatisfied and resentful, so he became jealous of Molly and wanted to humiliate her.
Your performance as the Businessman incorporates nuances in facial expressions, body language, posture and voice changes and inflection. Were these aspects of the Businessman important to you in your portrayal?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: Yes, Rob envisioned the Businessman as a loser who has trouble making contact with people. I built up everything about the character based on that. In order to show the difference before and after the infection, I have to specifically present every detail – body movements, facial expressions and the tone of the language – of the Businessman, head to toe, in and out. I put all my efforts into it! For the first time, I felt a wonderful feeling of being reluctant to say goodbye to the role after the movie finished.
Yin-Ru, your character, Molly, who is rather shy and seems to be socially awkward, only later gains strength through her trauma. How did you channel this character to bring her into the film? Was Molly a difficult role for you? Was the role personally relevant to you?
Yin-Ru Chen: Molly was indeed a difficult role for me. She needed to achieve maximum contrast, but I always believe that there must be people with the opposite personality in their hearts. For me, I change my breathing and the muscles that are used less forcefully, which is how I began to show Molly’s trauma. I think she is a person who is immersed in her own world. During the filming, I sat alone in the corner of the set, which allowed me to be away from others. I was able to keep a steady and calm heart and meet every surprise that belongs to the character brought by the story.
Molly is very much like me when I was a child. I used to be afraid of my appearance and body shape, and I was timid to get along with others. I often thought of the worst, thinking that I would not be hurt, but deep down, I still longed for kindness and happiness. Now, I have confidence in myself; I can be brave to be myself.
The thing I fear the most about Molly is anything about “giving up.” The scene with Kat in the tunnel is the first time I’ve had an “actor’s magic moment,” forgetting that I’m filming and forgetting the crew on set. I only had the unknown in front of me and Kat beside me. I grabbed Kat’s hand and said, “You go! Please give up on me!”
PART VI: The Hospital (That Scene)
How did you prepare for the eye injury scene in the hospital? How did you channel your emotions into that scene? Did you both discuss the scene first?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: In this scene, the Businessman severely sexually assaults Molly in an unbelievable way and used extremely filthy and insulting language. It was the moment that Molly has the greatest fear. On the day of the shooting, I told Yin-Ru to trust me and focus on whatever the Businessman said. “Do feel it and react to whatever the Businessman does to you,” I said to her. At that time, I put myself into the role and let it carry me away. I asked Rob to allow me not to rehearse but shoot the scene directly. I also told the cinematographer beforehand that I would move spontaneously. After Rob called, “Action,” as you can see in the movie, the Businessman’s animal-like, raw sexual desire is set free at the sight of Molly’s wounded eye. Rob was satisfied with this scene.
Yin-Ru Chen: Tzu-Chiang didn’t discuss it with me before shooting this scene. We deliberately kept our distance and maintained a strange relationship so that I understood he hoped that we could bring the most authentic performance to this scene. Although I cried in my wheelchair immediately after the scene ended, the assistant director told me a joke hoping to ease my emotions.
Is the Businessman in the script any different from your portrayal of him? Was there a lot of collaboration with director Rob Jabbaz to find the character or was he born out of your thoughts on him?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: I was surprised and enjoyed the role of the Businessman designed by Rob. He discussed and exchanged many ideas with me. Basically, our views on the character are very close. Rob trusted me, handed me the role and gave me the freedom to play it.
For a film that contains things that people would consider inhuman, your portrayal of Molly brings a lot of humanity to the film. In a hospital scene, Molly and Kat have a moment in which you thank her for saving you. It’s a real moment and an amazing performance. How did you create such a genuine and warm space for the character in that chaos?
Yin-Ru Chen: When I was reading the script, the director wanted me to cry in this scene. He said that this was the most important scene for Molly. For this scene, I did the most homework. Here, Molly begins to believe in the existence of kindness and bravely opens her heart to face strangers. She couldn’t believe that the stranger in front of her was willing to save her and see her to safety. Earlier, from my own perspective, I wrote a letter to Molly, telling her what I wanted to say to her. So when I was shooting this scene, I took out the letter and read it. Molly saw something that only she and I knew. It was a kind of trust with the character. I think this is where I resemble the character a lot!
Tzu-Chiang, what do you think of the vulgarity toward Kat and Molly in your dialogue? I know this is an integral aspect of portraying an infected person in this film, but did you need to prepare yourself in any way? If so, how did you prepare?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: From reading the script to the actual shoot, I kept questioning Rob and tried to make sure that the Businessman was really going to use vulgar lines to Kat and Molly. Rob specifically instructed the filthier the better! To be honest, this is rather difficult for me! I used all the vocabulary I know … There are many words and phrases very insulting to women and so unbearable to hear. Because of this, many moviegoers felt extremely uncomfortable, and couldn’t accept it, which indirectly brought about negative reviews for THE SADNESS in Taiwan.
In Eastern philosophy, there seems to be an understanding and acceptance of the totality of human nature, namely light and darkness. Do you think THE SADNESS explores this dichotomy? Would you say your character explores or demonstrates this contrast?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: You are fully right about the underlying central idea of The Sadness! What I love about this story is that it explores the two sides of light and darkness; When we face the sun, there must be shadows behind us – they are never apart!
In Eastern philosophy, there is a theory of opposition and controversy about the original intention of human beings: Is human nature inherently good or inherently evil? If the law and moral constraints were abandoned, would the human be good or evil? This is also why THE SADNESS polarized the reviews, especially in Taiwan, The film challenges the audience without limits. I’m so excited that you brought up this core issue. You do see the intrinsic worth of THE SADNESS and its subversive power from within!
I worked my fingers to the bone to play the Businessman. In the last scene with the Businessman, Kat smashes his face with a fire extinguisher. Ever since I got the script, I kept thinking, “What would he say to Kat before he died?” I had been looking for the answer until the day of filming, I found out from the character’s deep heart … and completed the last line. I told Rob that I wanted to use this line, which didn’t exist in the script, to conclude the Businessman’s journey. Rob approved. I was like, “You’re as violent as I am, pervert!” I’m proud of working with the Businessman to fulfill this mission.
What are your impressions of the finished film?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: The Sadness is a very special movie. I have never played a role like the Businessman before. I like the script and the character, so I devoted all my heart to it. It took me more than three hours to put on makeup every time I did my part – not to mention the special actions, chasing, blasting, smashing and powder spraying from fire extinguishers. All of them required a lot of physical strength and mental force! Truly hard work! I’m so happy and proud of being part of the film! I thank all the cast and crew for working as a team to complete this film! I thank Rob for trusting me and giving me the chance! I thank David Barker! Getting the role gave me a terrific boost. I thank all the international friends from Germany, the United Kingdom and the U.S. for their support, love and concern! Last but not the least, I thank me! I’m the Businessman!!!
THE SADNESS has very polarized reviews in Taiwan. The subject is very gender-controversial and sensory-challenging. There has never been a movie like this in Taiwan. It is conceivable and inevitable, though, that there are many negative reviews here. However, there are many friends showing their support and have encouraged us. Although the popularity in Taiwan was limited, THE SADNESS has received international attention from various film festivals in many countries and has won many awards as well. This type of movie has been developing in Europe and North America for quite some time. One can easily see lots of movies like this. Accordingly, there are more diverse and mature markets and audiences – THE SADNESS has already spoken for itself. It’s gotten positive reviews from individuals, magazines and media. Good for THE SADNESS! This is Rob’s first film on the big screen. Needless to say, he is an excellent and promising director!
Yin-Ru Chen: The evaluation of THE SADNESS in Taiwan is very polar. This was predicted before the film was released, but [the film] will definitely bring attention to Taiwan’s film industry, which is beyond doubt.
I saw director Rob Jabbaz use film and special effects to present his imagination. This is a great thing! It has indeed broken through my visual senses, maximized the blood and challenged human perception, creating more diverse film types in Taiwan.
Tsai Chen Yi: I think this film opens up a new possibility for Taiwan. After the film was released, I read many people’s thoughts and comments. Many people expressed their affirmation of the technical aspects and the attempts in trying different genres of films, and there are also some others who could not accept it due to various factors.
Personally, my feelings are very complicated, and it is difficult to simply say whether I like it or not, but it is true that the way this movie expresses things is far from my usual preference in movies. It is certain that if I could choose, I wouldn’t watch it again. [Laughs] If I have a chance, I hope to see more possibilities in human nature. After all, if the nature of all human beings is so evil, it is really difficult to have hope in life.
I know that the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan in 2020 was handled well, allowing the cast and crew to work safely during that time. Did the relevance of the story during a pandemic affect your performance on this or subsequent projects? If so, how?
Tzu-Chiang Wang: In these last years, the pandemic has changed our lifestyles and the interpersonal communication that we took for granted. These changes indeed have become the source of motivation for me in the role of the Businessman. The quarantine, the fear of contracting the disease and the instant death of severe illness worldwide as well as border closings, lockdown, keeping distance from others and the pressure of being panicked among people are all the elements playing the Businessman.
Yin-Ru Chen: While the movie has a lot to do with a pandemic, it didn’t affect my performance. My interpretation of the script is that the virus is just a medium that triggers events, mainly from human fear, as we are always afraid of our negative selves being seen.
Tsai Chen Yi: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many ongoing projects in the film and television industry were postponed or suspended. Although the current situation is slightly better than when the outbreak first occurred, the epidemic prevented work during filming and work is still carried out with great care due to the highly contagious Omicron variant. It is still difficult to carry out some plans. There are often times that a crew member got infected, so shooting had to be postponed while other team members have to quarantine themselves. This all results in upsetting the schedule, influencing the income, risking oneself at work, which also affects family and so on.
I’m rather lucky and have not been infected, though some partners who I’ve been working with have been diagnosed with the disease. However, the frequent changes in scheduling still trouble me, but I have gradually adapted to such uncertainty.
I think it’s a matter of time before I get infected, so I’m fully aware and prepared for changes. My refrigerator is always stocked with food in case of a sudden diagnosis and quarantine.
As a freelancer who is unable to work remotely, this is an era in which we cannot think too far ahead and can only focus on the present. Rather than being immersed in panic and pessimism, I think that treating changes as daily life and developing a work model and mentality that belong to the epidemic era may help us find a way to keep going.
These interviews took over a month of preparation and required extensive coordination with various entities and translators to complete. The author would like to thank Tzu-Chiang Wang, Yin-Ru Chen, Tsai Chen Yi and Victor Chiang for their gracious cooperation. Photos used with permission from Victor Chiang/IF SFX Art Maker. THE SADNESS is available now on Shudder.
