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Interview with Bai Ling
Petty Cash
Bai Ling on her character and joining the production:
Our director, who wrote the script, has an idea of who she is, and I jump in at basically the last minute from traveling all over the world, and not really sure going in. I hadn't slept for three days and I think that pretty much tells you the character. She's kind of lost, and looking for the purpose and her meaning in life. And also I think something that I can bring to her is a moment of joy in life. Whatever she does, and she is there to find that joy, to celebrate, and being alive. No matter how much she's hiding, no matter how much she's suffering.
Bai Ling on Acting:
The camera like I said before is like a ghost, a really pure eye. I think an audience is very intelligent, ahead of us, very smart, very intelligent, they see through and see the truth. And they want the truth. I never learned acting in my life, I never prepare, I have a general idea, I know my lines , I live in the moment. When you see this film, Petty Cash, you will see all of them are really raw performances. It is the first time. And the director- we don't even know each other, but he trusts me. And I appreciated that, because that gave me a safety net and ground to play and I can be really, really who I am as a performer. To give my best. I like the first time I'm doing or saying the lines. The camera is so truthful that if you lie, you're going to lie bigger on the screen. If you are truthful, more powerful and more magical.
Bai Ling looks back on the production
Thinking back, it was like a wonderful dream, crazy fun shooting, An adventure that I was taking in Milk Town I call it, Milwaukee. When I come here I'm very vulnerable because I don't know anybody, jumping into a film that already done pretty much everything. I never met the director, or D.P, or anybody. So I'm dressed very revealingly, and opened my spirit, my mind, my body, and my emotion to total strangers and in front of the camera..I always consider the camera like a ghost, very sharp, sees through your eyes, to your heart, to your soul. So basically I'm naked there, but somehow when I finished I found love, friends and warmth around me. So they had my back, I just didn't know it. I felt like I lived here. I don't know the people around here, but I feel like I know them. I can trust them. And I feel that I had a great experience here. A gift for me because I love what I do and I think I'm lucky.