Interview Larry Yang and Vivian Dawson of Sorry I Love You

Article by Candace Lee
Photo credit Jia He

Based on the popular 2004 Korean drama, I’m Sorry I Love You, Sorry I Love You tells the story of a man who undergoes arduous struggles placed upon him as a child abandoned at birth as searches for his family and a place of belonging. Directed by Larry Yang starring actors Vivian Dawson, Swan Wen, Wesley Wong and Jade Lin, Sorry I Love You was featured at the 4th New York Chinese Film Festival, becoming a step towards bettering and forming international connections with the Chinese community.

AsianInNY got the opportunity to do a Q&A session with the director and cast of Sorry I Love You.

AsianInNY: How does it feel to portray such a young style and concept, in terms of how this Korean drama was remade for more contemporary times?

Dawson: I don’t have much experience with the old style, but for me this experience was very rewarding and fascinating: a real departure from what I usually do.

AsianInNY: What was your experience like working on the set of Sorry I Love You?

Dawson: From my own personal experience, I feel as if I really grew as an actor. The director, Larry Yang, has a background in acting and he would coach me on how to properly express what the character was going through, especially during the emotionally demanding scenes. My thanks go to him for having the film turn out as well as it did.

AsianInNY: Was there anything in particular in the scenes that you could personally relate to?

Dawson: When first arriving on the set, it took a little time for me to get into character and to swallow everything my character had experienced, but after a while it was as if I became Walker, all his troubles became my own. That was my first time acting, and watching the film for the first time here, it really felt like I was watching my life on screen, with all the struggles of reconnecting with his long-lost sister and estranged mother. But, I actually don’t have a sister. It was nice to have one through this movie.

Lin: For me personally, it helped that I actually have a brother in real life. Eventually, through acting, Walker, and by extension, Dawson, became my brother.

AsianInNY: In the future, as a director, will you film different genres?

Yang: Yes, I wholeheartedly plan to. All directors are different, but I like to explore and experience new things all the time. Until I find a genre I really like and be completely devoted to, I plan to continue exploring.

AsianInNY: Why did you use the same ending as the Korean drama, I’m Sorry I Love You?

Yang: Through this film, we are paying homage to the old classic. We literally copied the ending from the drama as a way to remember the old series, a way of showing respect to what it portrayed and the original themes, which is why it was largely unchanged.

AsianInNY: What was your first project as a director?

Yang: My career as a director began six years ago as a young aspiring director with no experience whatsoever. I had sold a script to someone, and later, I changed my mind and wanted to buy it back so I could film it myself. My mother emptied her bank account, in which she had $50,000 saved up, a large amount at the time, enough to fund a feature film in China, and she gave it to me without batting an eye. From that point, she was the start of my career; she became my main supporter, for a boy who started out as an economic student, then studied to be an actor and finally arrived here, in New York, as a director. I’m here, all thanks to my mother, and now I bring this film back for you.

Thank you to Larry Yang, Vivian Dawson, and Jade Lin, for taking the time out of their busy schedule to meet with us. It was a pleasure meeting everyone.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out our movie review of Sorry I Love you.

Director: Larry Yang
Male Lead (Wu He) – Vivian Dawson
Female Lead (En Sai) – Swan Wen/Wen Jian Ting
Female Supporting Character (Jule) – Jade Lin

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