Small Is Beautiful

Patrick Wang, San Francisco CA. 12/5/12

Patrick Wang has proven that it doesn’t take a blockbuster budget to produce a film of true beauty. Wang, former economist, present filmmaker, had very specific ideas for IN THE FAMILY, and he  wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to realizing his vision. Not from potential backers who found little of interest in his story of a gay father taking legal action to keep the son he’s raised since the boy’s birth after his partner, the child’s biological father, dies.  Not from the well-meaning cinematographer who offered advice about the conventional way of doing things.  Not from film festivals and distributors who were put off by the film’s deliberate, contemplative style that juxtaposes its intense emotions creating a quiet but visceral tension.  As writer, director, and co-star of his debut feature film, Wang has done the unexpected on many levels with his  keen sense of visual storytelling.  While the film itself is a poignant, serious exercise, the man himself demonstrated a wicked sense of humor, the kind of humor that kept him going when things seemed most hopeless, and that allowed him to create a story rooted in optimism and hope rather than anger and cynicism. You can listen to Wang describe the process from beginning to end, as well as how singer/songwriter Chip Taylor went from being a muse to a collaborator by clicking here.