Love Letter to Asian Women
An intimate glimpse into the life of a Taiwanese drag queen
Directed by Min Soo Park
Words by Katie Celia
Directed by Min Soo Park, Love Letter to Asian Women takes us into New York City's dynamic drag scene, where identity and art converge. This documentary dives into the complexity of the person behind the stage persona - offering an intimate glimpse into the life of Felicia Oh, a Taiwanese drag queen redefining the contours of Asian femininity. Through Felicia’s vibrant performances we witness how stereotypes are dismantled and reimagined into expressions of individuality.
Love Letter to Asian Women portrays a deeper side to drag than most are aware of. What inspired you to create this documentary and can you share with us how you set out to showcase the strength of empowerment, art, and community shared by drag performers?
My initial question was: who is behind this eccentric person on stage? I wanted to explore the person behind the drag. I wanted to capture something that feels quintessentially New York, where anyone can become anything they want to be. Later on, we found out that there is a very tightly knit community of Asian Drag Queens in NYC, so it was natural to expand to highlight the community as well.
The cinematography and editing effectively highlight the contrasts between Felicia Oh's on-stage persona and Eric Chuang’s off-stage life. How did you approach these visual and editorial decisions to balance and emphasise the dual aspects of identity? What were your goals in showcasing these differences?
When my producer, Ted Kim, and I met with Eric for the first time for coffee, we were surprised by how reserved he is when he’s not in drag. It was fascinating to see his personality change so dramatically. One time, we filmed Eric putting on drag makeup, and when he became Felicia, it was like a whole different person. Felicia felt much stronger and more decisive than Eric. So, we opted for a lot of match cuts to emphasize the transition.
Lighting plays a crucial role in setting the mood and tone of the documentary. How did you implement different lighting angles and colours to reflect the various facets of Felicia's identity and performances?
I didn’t want to create a documentary where we follow the subject around 24/7 hoping something would happen. Instead, we carefully planned out each shot and angle to reflect Felicia's story. We went on location scouts and planned out how we would light each scene and I think that helped elevate the visuals.
Null Pattern's music score adds a certain lightness and almost celestial feel to the film. How did you collaborate with Pattern to create a sound design that complements the visual elements and themes of the film?
Null Pattern is our friend and Ted had worked with her before. We thought she’d be a great fit for the electronic ambient music we were going for. She created this beautiful soundscape that fits the film perfectly. She did an amazing job.
“I found my connection through Felicia’s story and that’s the beautiful part: finding a connection in a completely different person.”
Can you share any challenges you faced in ensuring the documentary's narrative flowed seamlessly while covering such multifaceted themes?
One of the biggest challenges was scheduling the shoot around Felicia’s availability and coordinating the crew accordingly. Running a shoot on a limited budget is always tough. We also wanted to shoot at Red Pavilion, where Felicia performs regularly as Red Lantern. That was something we had to figure out so we shot them a video in return for using the space. A lot of friends helped out, and I am very grateful for their support.
How did your partnership with Felicia Oh begin? Can you give us some insights into the collaborative process during the making of the film? How did her input shape the final product?
I remember Felicia saying when we first reached out to her, she thought, “What do these two straight guys want?” Neither Ted nor I knew much about the scene. We just asked if Felicia could meet with us. Initially, I could tell she was a bit skeptical. That’s why every time we scheduled a meeting with her, we made sure to have updates and I tried to make Felicia feel as comfortable as possible. In the end, it wasn’t about how much we knew about drag—I found my connection through Felicia’s story and that’s the beautiful part: finding a connection in a completely different person.
What do you hope viewers take away from Love Letter to Asian Women, especially regarding their perceptions of drag and Asian femininity, and how do you see your filmmaking evolving in the future with any new stories you are eager to tell?
I hope people can see Eric/Felicia as a person rather than just a character and be able to find a connection to the story.
Production Company Souvenir
Starring Eric Chuang / Felicia Oh
Director Min Soo Park
Producer Ted Kim
DoP Fengze Liang
Editor Santiago Figueira W.
Music Score Null Pattern