Thursday 15 August 2019

into the realm of Bruce Lee

The month of August has started, and so have the new projects for the second half of 2019. Now I'm deep in the world of Bruce Lee (reading his writings, watching some of his films, listening to the soundtracks) for the documentary by Bao Nguyen an American director, also one of the producers who came during the post-production time to help finalise Ròm and get it off the ground.
The documentary will focus on the years when Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong. At first, when Bao asked me, I wasn't sure I'd be the right person for this kind of project. Bruce Lee is such a legend that I was wondering what and how my music would fit in. Bao seemed to think that I could, because he wanted to focus on his inner struggles as an Asian actor in the 60's America. 
I knew Bao had a very good visual sense, that it could be interesting now to tell that kind of story. Still it took me some time to make up my mind. Bao had mentioned certain things that put me off a little: the use of songs like My Way - apparently a Bruce Lee's favourite,  how he wanted to capture the aound and flavour of the area. Once again, I thought, if he wants that why does he ask me?
Then the challenge appealed to me. "Why not?" as I would often say. 
On the second week of June, Huy organised a get together for the Ròm team after I finished my work on Thưa mẹ con đi. I was sitting next to Bao so I told him that I would be interested in working on his Bruce Lee project. He seemed a little embarrassed. "It's just that since you said you weren't sure you wanted to do it, I asked my friend Goh to write the score" he explained. Goh was a friend of Bao's and had worked with him on his short documentary projects.
"Could you both do an arrangement of My Way, then the producers and I could decide between the two of you." he added. I didn't quite like the idea of auditionning for it, but I understood that saying yes to me would put him in a tricky situation with Goh, so I suggested that we both would write the score together. "Brilliant idea!!" Bao was overjoyed and relieved. 
I never did any arrangement of My Way, but there's already one first piece in the making...


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