After watching Dave Boyle’s “White on Rice” comedy film about the trials and tribulations of a quirky 40 year old divorcee, I had the opportunity to briefly interview him about the making of White on Rice:

LT: What got you interested in making a film such as White on Rice that focuses mainly on Asian Americans? Does your previous movie, Big Dreams Little Tokyo, have any influence in White on Rice?

DB: My previous film “Big Dreams Little Tokyo” was based loosely on observations I made while learning to speak Japanese as an LDS missionary in Australia. That film concerned cultural identity and the nature of language a culture in a very direct way. However, “White on Rice” is a comedy that just happens to star Asian/Asian American actors in the leading roles.

The reason I went in that direction was that I met so many talented actors while making “Big Dreams” that I wanted to do something with them in the leading roles. Hiroshi Watanabe had a small part in that film, and I thought he was amazing. I also worked with Mio Takada, James Kyson Lee and several other cast members who eventually made it into “White on Rice” as well.

LT: The actors in the movie seem to fit their characters’ personalities really well. How did you end up choosing them?

As I mentioned, meeting and working with Hiroshi was part of what made this project happen. He was the first person cast. Mio and James also fell into place pretty fast since I knew them previously.

I met Lynn Chen and Joy Osmanski through James, and they brought so much to their characters in the audition process that casting them was a no-brainer. Lynn and Hiroshi have such interesting chemistry. She’s so cold to him in the film, and yet you buy that he’d just keep on pursuing her.

I like working with the same crowd over and over, so many of the supporting roles are filled out with other actors I worked with on “Big Dreams Little Tokyo.” Pepe Serna from “Scarface” showed up in both films as did my friend Dane Allred.

LT: What kind of obstacles did you encounter while writing and directing the film?

Filmmaking sometimes seems like nothing but obstacles. It is difficult to put together reliable financing for a film that is not from an easily marketable genre. I feel really fortunate that we were able to make the film at all.

Shooting the film was very physically demanding on everyone. We shot during the summertime, so it was very hot. It’s funny what an effect the temperature has on morale. I keep swearing I’ll never shoot in the summer again, but it just keeps ending up that way.

LT: What are your future plans as a director or screen writer? Do you plan on continuing to focus on Asian American comedies or will you venture into new genres?

I’ll venture into new genres, but I always like to continue working with my friends from previous movies. I had a great time with the cast members of “White on Rice” and hope they’d like to work with me again too.

Film opens today in select theaters. For more information, please visit the official site here.