December 26, 2024 – A new film that delves into the trials of life, with a particular focus on Hmong culture, has made its Central Californian debut in our small town.
Bitterroot is a multilayered narrative that premiered at Sierra Vista Cinemas on December 26, inviting Clovis and Fresno film fanatics to experience its intricate storytelling.
They kicked off the event with a film screening, followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew.
“I like to tell people that Bitterroot is kind of like an onion – you have to peel so many layers to figure out what the meaning is,” explained Producer and Production Designer YEEJ.
The film centers on Wa Yang, a 40-year-old recent divorcee taking care of his sick mother and trying to push through the issues he faces. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Missoula, Montana, the story highlights a vibrant and deeply rooted Hmong community.
YEEJ spoke about the film’s relevance to an American audience, despite its focus on the Hmong community, through its conflicts and overall themes. He stated, “I hope that people can find something to relate to because at the end of the day, I think it’s just a very human story.”
Qu Kue, who portrays Yang’s mother Song, found a deep connection with her character as they both share the experience of being single mothers.
In the film, Song chooses not to remarry after the death of her husband. This is typically expected of women in Hmong culture, resulting in her being a societal outcast and excluded from community gatherings.
“I don’t think people realize how hard [that] is on their children,” Kue explained, speaking to Yang’s experience growing up without a father figure in the film. “So I learned a lot too, just being in my role, [about] how to grow, and how to really see our generation in America here is different from where we came from.”
Director Vera Brunner-Sung, though she is not part of the Hmong community herself, displayed respect for the Hmong culture in writing the film. She sought the advice of Hmong people in writing the storyline and researched the culture to ensure she portrayed it with accuracy.
“We just wanted people to know what the story is about, know who the characters are, and basically build this trust from the community and have their input on the script,” YEEJ stated, speaking to this unique aspect of Brunner-Sung’s directing of the film.
He added, “I think that the script has molded into what it is now because of the Missoula Hmong community and their love and their trust that they put upon Vera and the entire production team.”
Brunner-Sung’s devotion to incorporating the Hmong community in her film direction is evident in several aspects, such as the dialogue. Kue mentioned that, initially, the script felt too mechanical to authentically capture the speech patterns of Hmong and Hmong Americans.
Kue stated that Brunner-Sung’s openness to changing the script displayed her respect for the culture, resulting in a higher sense of admiration of the director.
She stated, “We went through a lot of writing and rewriting several times in a lot of meetings and we finally got it the way it is now, but the one thing I love about Vera…is that she’s very open. She’s very open to how we work into our characters.”
After years of building this storyline and working with these characters, they brought the film to life, taking it across the country to Montana, New York City, and throughout California.
The Hmong community showed up in multitudes at these screenings, eager to see their culture prominently displayed on the big screen.
“We listen and we trust each other,” YEEJ spoke about his crew during the Q&A Thursday evening. “Because without the Hmong elders to guide us through this process, we couldn’t have done this right.”
Kue also recalled during the Q&A some of her favorite moments from filming. She, along with YEEJ, expressed a hope that even though they would not be working on the same film anymore as the rest of their castmates, they would continue to stay in touch throughout the years.
They look forward to bringing the film to Sacramento in the months ahead and sharing the beloved film with more people throughout the nation.
Those interested in supporting the film or finding out about more screenings can follow them on Instagram at @bitterroot_film or on Facebook at Bitterroot – Feature Film.