Directed by Stanley J. Orzel (‘4 Assassins', 2012), ‘Lost for Words’ (2013) is a lyrical love story between an American ex-Marine ‘Michael’ (Sean Faris) and a Chinese ballerina ‘Anna’ (Grace Huang) amidst the varying and vast backdrop of Hong Kong. ‘Lost for Words’ held its world premier in March at the 37th Hong Kong International Film Festival and its U.S. premier in April at the 16th Sonoma International Film Festival.

I interviewed director Stanley Orzel after his US premier. Here is what he had to say:

ME: When did you begin to develop this film? Was it a labor of love over many years or something that took off rather fast?

STANLEY: Given the amount of effort it takes to make one, every film is a labor of love. With “Lost for Words”, we started pre-production in November 2011 and began principal photography on January 2, 2012. Having lived and worked in Hong Kong for so many years, the idea of filming a love story in Hong Kong was very attractive to me.

ME: Is the film inspired by real events or fictional?

STANLEY: The film is purely fictional. As with any creative endeavor, one does use certain things that are drawn from one’s life. Personal influences are bound to slip in, but it isn’t autobiographical.

ME: Someone said 'Hong Kong is like NY on steroids'. How do you feel about the city and the energy it has, which you so beautifully captured in your film?

STANLEY: Hong Kong is a character in the film… a key one. Most Hong Kong action films tend to be shot in dirty back alleys and gritty warehouses. This film is my opportunity to showcase the diverse landscape and the beauty of Hong Kong, which often goes unnoticed or gets forgotten.

ME: You shot all around the city. How difficult was it to shoot? And is HK difficult in getting permits to shoot on location?

STANLEY: Hong Kong is known for its efficiency and high energy. Getting permits were not difficult at all. Location filming was a huge challenge due to crowd control issues and traffic congestion.

ME: There is a beautiful shot in the air while the lovers are on a gondola near the big Buddha. How did you pull that off?

STANLEY: Originally I planned to shoot the scene live in a real glass bottom cable car as it scaled the mountain. We worked everything out and then, a couple days before shooting, the entire cable car service was shut down for repairs. Not wanting to relocate or lose the scene, we shot Sean and Grace in the real glass bottom cable car using green screen in the cable car hanger. We returned to shoot the background plates two months later in an open cage. That was very daunting… exposed to the wind and weather, going up and down for what seemed like forever. Our great VFX team at Rogue State then combined those elements. The final image of the big Buddha was filmed from a helicopter.

ME: How did you go about finding your Michael and Anna? They are perfectly cast by the way.

STANLEY: Sean was our first choice from the start. We met in LA after he read the script and he was on board immediately. Finding Anna was another matter. We struggled between casting a dancer who might be able to act, versus finding an actor who might be able to learn to dance. Grace Huang initially came in to audition for the role of “Mei Mei”. The moment we saw the sparkle in her eyes, we knew we had found our Anna. She embarked on a journey to transform herself to be a dancer over the course of two months. Sean and Grace met for the first time at the table read, only a few days before the first day of filming. I think the fact that they were strangers to begin with and gradually got to know each other worked well for the film - as it was between Anna and Michael. My goal is to explore the process of meeting someone and falling in love.

ME: Can you share your best experience while making the film? And the worst?

STANLEY: It’s been a great experience from beginning to end. Everyone, both cast and crew, just seemed to click. We were all in this adventure together. This made for a great shoot. The only real adversity was the unpredictable weather. And with that, you just have to roll with it; make it work to your advantage… and be flexible.

ME: Can you explain the politics you depict in the film when Anna's family is at church and are raided by police? And why is Michael deported?

STANLEY: My intention is not to make a political statement. It is after all a romantic tale. But as in life and love, relationships are fragile and are easily imperiled by unpredictable outside forces. In this film the trigger is the fight inside the church. Michael is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

ME: What was it like to have your film premier in Sonoma?

STANLEY: It was fantastic. Incredibly special … Seeing our film exhibited at a majestic 1930’s movie palace like the Sebastiani Theatre to a near capacity crowd of close to 300 people. Just great. Plus I think everyone enjoyed the show. What more could a director ask for?

ME: What is next for you? Will it be another film in Hong Kong?

STANLEY: My next project is “Blackout” - a noir action thriller to be shot in Hong Kong.

Interview by Vanessa McMahon

See the website for ‘Lost for Words’ (2013): http://www.lostforwords-movie.com/