Ang Lee

On October 11, Director Ang Lee was honored at an event held in the Guild’s Los Angeles Theater. Presented by the Asian American Committee (AAC), the evening feted the remarkable career of the director whose films defy the boundaries of genre, period and subject.  

In 2001, Lee made history by becoming the first minority to win the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  Five years later, he became the first to win the “Best Director” Oscar® with Brokeback Mountain which also earned him his second DGA Award. 

Lee was welcomed by DGA President Taylor Hackford, 75th Anniversary chair Michael Apted, and AAC Co-Chair Lisa Chu. Hackford told the capacity crowd that the truthfulness and integrity of Lee’s films give “credit and class” to the Guild.  

Preceding the panel discussion, editor Tim Squyers spoke about working on all but one of Lee’s films; and in pre-recorded videos, writer/producer James Schamus — Lee’s longtime collaborator and friend — and Oscar®-winning actress Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) extended their congratulations to Lee for being recognized by the DGA as a game-changer.  

 

Kevin Tancharoen and Henry Chan

AAC Co-Chair emeritus and event moderator Henry Chan welcomed Lee to the stage, where he was joined by directors Shawn Ku (Beautiful Boy) Karyn Kusama (Girlfight) and Kevin Tancharoen (Fame). Chan explained that the AAC’s inaugural event in 2001 was a screening of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and a Q&A with Lee, making it fitting that they honor him a decade later as part of the 75^th Anniversary celebrations.  

“I am so proud to be a part of this organization and to be part of this tradition,” Lee said. “Thank you, DGA.” 

To fuel the discussion, the panel chose clips from Lee’s early Chinese-language films Eat Drink Man Woman and The Wedding Banquet; his later works Sense and Sensibility, The Ice Storm, and Lust, Caution; and his DGA Award-winners Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain.   

 

Shawn Ku and Karyn Kusama

Lee explained that those early films, made for a mainstream Taiwanese audience, contain a lot of quintessential Taiwanese emotions. “I was pouring my heart out [in those scenes],” said Lee, revealing that certain moments in Wedding Banquet were even semi-autobiographical.

Shawn Ku observed the repressed emotions in Sense and Sensibility and The Ice Storm are reoccurring, compelling themes in Lee’s films. “People always ask me,” said Lee, “‘how did you, a Chinese director, do those English films.’ Well, for a Chinese director to do a film about repressed English people it’s actually kind of easy. James Schamus calls Sense and Sensibility my ‘most Chinese’ film.”

Still Lee admitted there was a lot of trepidation going into Sense and Sensibility. “There was so much pressure. I couldn’t speak the language and had to give direction to these brilliant English actors. Then I realized that I didn’t have to know everything. I just needed to know the good from the bad. That’s my job.”  

When Kusama asked if he saw himself as having a particular style, Lee answered, “No. If you have to think about style, then you don’t have a style. What you do is put the camera where your heart is.”  

 

Lisa Chu and Ang Lee

Tancharoen’s clips were from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Lee admitted that making Crouching Tiger was like getting to live out his childhood fantasy. “I’d had two flops in a row…. So I went back to China and suddenly I felt fresh.”  

Lee rounded out the evening by speaking about his approach in directing. “With performance, you’re touching the truth. We’re all faking it in life. The irony of life is that with performance, that’s when you actually reach truth. We can only touch each other truthfully in the dark, through a camera.”

Lisa Chu joined the guest of honor onstage and presented him with a gift of a crystal trophy to express the AAC’s appreciation for his work. Visibly touched, Lee closed the evening with a sincere ‘thank you’ to the Committee, the DGA itself and to the audience.