To Whom It May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey

Ka Shen Kwan was born in Hong Kong in 1939, the daughter of a Chinese architect and a Scottish model. Ka Shen was a gifted dancer and vocalist, and was studying at London's prestigious Royal Ballet School when she was spotted by noted movie producer Ray Stark. Stark was looking for a fresh new talent to star in a film adaptation of Richard Mason's novel The World Of Suzie Wong,... (read more) and he was had a hunch eighteen-year-old Ka Shen was the sort of woman he was looking for. After several screen tests, Ka Shen won the role of Suzie Wong, and took the stage name Nancy Kwan. The World Of Suzie Wong earned Kwan an Academy Award nomination and made her an overnight star; at a time when most Asian actors were stuck playing demeaning, stereotyped roles (and many roles for Asians were played by Caucasian actors in make-up), Kwan became one of Hollywood's first Asian stars and a big-screen sex symbol. Kwan's next picture was a box-office smash, a screen version of the hit Broadway musical Flower Drum Song, and Kwan worked steadily in major studio productions through the 1960s. In 1972, Kwan moved back to Hong Kong to look after her ailing father and ended up staying ten years, continuing to act while also launching a new career as a producer. Filmmaker Brian Jamieson offers an intimate look as Nancy Kwan's private and professional lives in the documentary To Whom It May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey, which features extensive interviews with Kwan as well as Sandra Allen, Joan Chen, France Nuyen and Vivian Wu. The film received its world premiere at the 2010 Cinequest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Director(s):

Brian Jamieson

Writer(s):

Brian Jamieson

Producer(s):

Brian Jamieson

Categories:

Documentary, Special Interest