A Book Talk scene on campus.

Book Talk

A FILM BY GRACE SUNNY SUN

Book Talk is an upcoming short film based on a story by #1 New York Times-bestselling author R. F. Kuang (Yellowface, Babel, Katabasis, Poppy War trilogy, and the forthcoming Taipei Story) and directed by Grace Sun, recent Artist-in-Residence at Harvard University's Signet Society of Arts & Letters.

IN POST-PRODUCTION

Book Talk is an upcoming short film based on a story by #1 New York Times-bestselling author R. F. Kuang (Yellowface, Babel, Katabasis, Poppy War trilogy, and the forthcoming Taipei Story) and directed by Grace Sun, recent Artist-in-Residence at Harvard University's Signet Society of Arts & Letters.

The film follows Jessie Li, a student and aspiring writer, who's been chosen to assist Lydia Chen, her literary icon, during a book talk on campus. A biting coming-of-age story, Book Talk examines what it means to represent a community, and what we owe to those who see themselves in us.

SUPPORT THE FILM

Behind the Scenes

Film crew staging an outdoor scene between two performers on a tree-lined campus walkway.
An outdoor scene is staged on campus with camera, lighting and sound teams in position.
Book Talk cast and crew gathered beside lights and a cinema camera outdoors.
Cast and crew gather around the camera setup between takes.
Performer wearing headphones beside a cinema camera during an outdoor film shoot.
A performer waits beside the camera and monitor during the exterior shoot.
Shelf of books used as research and visual references for Book Talk.
Books and screenwriting references collected during development.
Wall-mounted production board with a calendar, film references and story images.
A development board combines production dates, reference images and story material.
Notebook of handwritten film notes beside a camera and production materials.
Handwritten production notes rest beside the tools used to document the shoot.
Large Book Talk cast and crew group portrait in an auditorium.
The cast and crew together inside the auditorium after production.
On-set monitor displaying a performer in front of bookshelves.
A monitor frames a performer during the auditorium sequence.
Performers and crew rehearsing among rows of auditorium seats.
The auditorium is prepared for the book-talk scene.
Crew working around a cinema camera and lighting equipment in an auditorium.
Camera and lighting are adjusted between auditorium takes.
Grace Sun smiling and holding the Book Talk slate in an auditorium.
Grace Sun with the Book Talk slate on set.
Lydia Chen author poster and table arrangement inside the Book Talk location.
The Lydia Chen book-talk display becomes part of the production environment.
Two performers talking while makeup is applied in a dressing room.
A quiet makeup-room exchange before filming.
Three Book Talk team members posing together in an auditorium.
Three members of the Book Talk team together after an auditorium setup.
Two women reading together in front of shelves in a Book Talk Polaroid.
A Polaroid from the project archive.
Three women hugging and laughing in a candid Book Talk Polaroid.
A candid Polaroid preserves a celebratory moment from the production.
Two women walking together through a green campus setting.
The campus walk-and-talk sequence in production.
Camera crew filming two women outside a stone library building.
An exterior scene framed against the library entrance.

Credits

Crew

Grace Sun

Co-writer, Director & Producer

Caitlin Machak

Cinematographer

Christine Yi

Gold House General Partner, Creative Equity Fund

Yena Im

Production Intern

R. F. Kuang

Original story

Lisa Myers

Production Designer

Maiya Jannah

Production Coordinator

Elle Xing

Producer

Sandy Siu

Costume Designer

Cynthia Liu

Behind-the-scenes Photographer