A "Wedding Banquet" (1993) Companion with NYU Film Professor Zhen Zhang

For a bonus episode this week, Emilio goes solo for a (mostly) spoiler free talk about a film he really loves, Ang Lee's "The Wedding Banquet". It was a successful and critically acclaimed independent film back when it was released in 1993, but has mostly stayed relevant as its esteemed director's international breakthrough. Yet it's a timeless film full of humor, compassion, and reflections on what we sacrifice of ourselves due to societal forces and the expectations of our families. Its enduring place in cinema history is evidenced by it being reimagined by writer/director Andrew Ahn - this remake can currently be seen in theaters nationwide. Emilio gets into what he enjoys so much about the original, shares his thoughts on the remake and how it is distinct from the original, and speaks with Professor Zhen Zhang, an NYU film professor who shared this film with him in an undergraduate seminar, about Ang Lee's original film. Professor Zhen Zhang is a film professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and the Director of the Tisch's Asian Film and Media Initiative. She has a decades long, decorated career in academia that also includes guest-curating film programs for the Film Society at Lincoln Center of Performing Arts, Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Women Make Waves Film Festival in Taipei. If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. This really helps us find new listeners and grow! Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats