TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Twenty-year-old Matt Kuo (郭品希) could not have asked for a more difficult leading man role for his big screen debut, a film about teen romance that begins with a suicide and tackles difficult issues such as homosexuality and substance abuse.
Complicating his acting challenge is the fact he is in every scene in the movie, often interacting with an imaginary character, the ghost of his gay lover. Despite being a first-time actor, Kuo proves he is more than up for the challenge in the film “See You,” (為我辦一場西式的喪禮) which opened in Taiwan on Oct. 25 and continues to run in local theaters.
Kuo encountered many milestones he may choose to forget during the one-month film shoot. The first was smoking, which required him to consume one pack during a day of shooting smoking scenes for his role as a freshman high school student. The second was his first-ever kiss, a kiss with his male co-star.
“Before this, I had not even kissed my girlfriend. We dated for about six weeks but broke it off because we thought we were more like friends than boyfriend and girlfriend."
He describes himself as open to new relationships now that he is no longer emotionally entangled. As for smoking, Kuo said he had to smoke two packs a day, and it messed up his throat. “I do not ever want to smoke again.“
While a newcomer to love, Kuo’s previous acting experience was as a student at Xue Xue Institute, an experimental high school with about 100 students in Taipei. During his three years in the program, he was able to enroll on a film program that enabled him to write scripts, act in short videos, and collaborate with other like-minded students.
This experience prepared him for the challenge of winning the leading man role, which would include five auditions. With the backing of Central Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC), the film has been promoted throughout Taiwan and abroad.
A Road Not Taken
Before accepting the role, Kuo had planned to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Looking back on his decision to put off this offer for overseas study, Kuo believes he has made the right choice as he is fully committed to acting.
He now studies film at Shih Hsin University and has also wrapped up production on a made-for-television film, “The Bite of Dolphins,” (海豚之惡) which is also set in a Taiwan high school.
When he is not acting he does coursework, which includes writing essays on films and making short films. “In class, we talk about the dynamics of making film, fro character development to frame compositions to ultimately bringing them to fruition.”
Kuo says he has learned a lot as an actor, and every time he watches “See You,” he is reminded of shots that were missed or other obstacles that hampered the production.
“It was a really well-written script, which drew me in and kept me involved as it was from a first-person point of view.”
According to his experience, Kuo believes the film realistically portrays the plight of teenagers living in northern Taiwan. “I think it was realistic, as I have many friends that are gay, with some being open and some being closeted, and not opening themselves up.”
As for teen suicide, Kuo also believes the film's depiction is quite accurate. Recently, Kuo says one of his high school classmates died under suspicious circumstances. He says the topic is often deemed taboo and never discussed amongst friends or school officials.
Kuo said the script accurately portrayed the life of gay teenagers as the scriptwriter, a 35-year-old male, You Shann-jiun (游善鈞) drew much of the detail from his observation and character research.
Representing Taiwan Cinema
When asked to describe how audiences will react to the film, Kuo puts “See You” somewhere between popular cinema and art house film. “It has an old Taiwanese movie vibe with a lot of long shots and a singular director vision.”
If some of the script is ambiguous for audiences, this is intentional, as the director and scriptwriter were comfortable with ambiguity. In any case, the collaborative team behind the film (writer, producer) was already in production on a follow-up film.
“There’s a saying that everything is planned by the universe. I believe in destiny, and maybe it was serendipity that got me into the film industry and kept me from going to the US.”
A book has recently been released in conjunction with the film, which Kuo describes as an “extended version” of the film with photos and scenes that did not make the final film. Also, the theme song for the film “Speak It Out” from local rock act Accuse 5 (告五人) has proven popular on YouTube and other social media platforms.
Those considering suicide should immediately call the Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center at 1925 or Taiwan Lifeline International at 1995 (English and Mandarin services available). Foreign residents can call the Community Services Center's emergency hotline at 02-2836-8134 during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday) and at 0932-594-578 after-hours.
