Hope 2012– the year of the Water Dragon– has gotten off to a great start for you and yours.
Fortune tellers say this year is going to be a life-changing year ripe for self-improvement, tackling risky projects and building wealth. Let’s hope they are right!
Since our last update, we’ve been toiling away on “El Chino”. Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve been up to.
In October, we filmed a lengthy interview with David Moss, an American matador who fought bulls in Spain during the 1960’s. Moss, now a talent agent in Los Angeles, provided priceless insight on how hard it was for a foreigner to become a successful bullfighter in Spain.
Working holidays: our way of life. While on the east coast visiting relatives in North Carolina for Thanksgiving, we drove up to Delaware to shoot an additional interview with Florence Wong Hoh, Bill’s younger sister. She and her husband George graciously let us film in their home and pour through memorabilia. A big highlight was getting to photograph some of Bill’s belongings: capote, muleta, sword and other personal effects.
At Christmas, we flew to Toronto to spend time with the Pun family, and found time to record Mina Pun (a.k.a. Mom) reading letters written to Bill by his mother in Cantonese. Mina has spent countless hours translating letters from Bill to his mother and vice versa. Thanks, Mom!
Next up for production, we’ll soon be travelling to Phoenix for interviews with Violet Toy and Shirley Toy Tung, sisters who got to know Bill quite well in Spain. We’ve also begun editing, while continuing to scan the hundreds of negatives and photos lent to us by Bill Wong’s family and friends.
We started this project in January of 2011. A year has passed, and we are still committed as ever to telling Bill Wong’s story.
Viva El Chino!!
