DAUGHTER: IAN ALEXANDER ON ART & DIVERSITY ON SET
“I believe [Brother’s] paintings were originally painted by Corey Deshon who is our writer and director. But I noticed that the style is pretty similar to some abstract paintings I’ve done myself and it’s really beautiful how much emotion you can capture with just a few colors on canvas. I think the reason why brother chooses abstract painting is because he is so limited, he can’t really paint landscapes because he hasn’t gone outside that much. The only time he goes outside is in full gas mask and a protective suit in order to take care of someone who’s sick and has gone outside and it never ends well. And I think because he’s only ever felt safe and supported inside the house, his imagination is constantly running wild. His only exposure to the outside world is through the daughters that have cycled in and out.
There were so many highlights of filming Daughter for me. But the one that stands out the most is that the crew and cast had the most AAPI people that I have been around on set. So I felt like I was surrounded by my community. We had a lot of Vietnamese cast and crew and other Asian Americans, a lot of women of color on set as well. And a lot of times in Hollywood, diverse stories are being told but it may not be reflected behind the camera. It’s really refreshing and I want to see more of that. I want to see diversity in every department, that all the crew are just as diverse as in front of the camera.” -Ian Alexander
The art that Brother creates in the film plays a big role in the film, and knowing the background helps to positively demystify its part in the story. Brother doesn’t have many outlets due to Father’s strict rules, but he does have the ability to express himself through art. Canvas is a powerful medium through which to capture emotion, and so is film. Daughter cleverly makes use of both in powerful ways that are essential to the story.
Another essential element of the Daughter story is the inclusion of AAPI people on set and in front of the camera. Ian Alexander’s belief that diversity needs to be reflected in all positions throughout the industry is an extremely important message. Movies like Daughter that reach this remarkable achievement need to become the standard for filmmaking. That is the only way to tell truly genuine, authentic stories for everyone.
What do you think of our interview with Ian Alexander of Daughter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media!
