Directed by Benjamin Wong
Synopsis:
Daniel Li (Lawrence Kao), a struggling father, finds himself without options, money, or a home. In a desperate bid to secure his daughter Colette’s future, Daniel unwittingly accepts a chilling role — becoming Death itself. As he undergoes a haunting physical transformation, he learns that anything he touches will perish. Daniel adapts to this cursed experience, shrouding every inch of his skin and setting rigid boundaries for Colette’s safety, all while working to undo his fate. When a Child Protection Services Officer takes an interest in Colette’s situation, and she discovers the truth about Daniel, their world unravels.
Review
BA premiered at the Cinequest Festival on March 13th, 2024. Written and directed by award-winning creative director now-turned-filmmaker Benjamin Wong and producer Elizabeth Ai, BA is a riveting piece to watch. Starring Lawrence Kao (CW’s “Walker: Independence, Netflix’s “Wu Assassins: Fistful of Vengeance”), Kao plays single father Daniel Li, a once-prominent hip-hop dancer. After an injury and loss of work, Daniel and his daughter Colette (Kai Cech) face eviction. When plans to stay with relatives fall through, Daniel is faced now with him and Colette truly homeless.
When he finds an abandoned duffle bag in an empty parking lot, he looks inside to find a note that says “Upon acquisition of this payment you agree to the eternal profession.” Seeing another compartment he lifts it to reveal a pile of money with another card. Desperate to ensure Colette has a good future, Daniel grabs the box and duffle bag and starts to take off. Sadly, Daniel learns the eternal profession is playing Death itself. And he must pay back 11 times he has taken. All who see him will see him as Death and any creature he touches dies, which he learns the hard way on the family dog.
Shrouding himself with the clothes he has, he and Colette adapt to their new life. Colette wonders why she cannot see or even touch her father.
Every night Daniel must play Death each soul he is to take seared into his skin. Daniel does manage to befriend a half-blind shopkeeper named Sonny played by the magnificent Michael Paul Chan (CBS: Major Crimes).
Daniel’s life gets more complicated when a Child Protection Services officer (Shelli Boone) is alerted to Daniel and Colette’s odd situation.
BA grips you from the opening scene letting you know you are in for a treat thanks to the ominous music of Greg Bernall and Chris Upton, which plays also somberly throughout Daniel’s nighttime wanderings.
Written during the pandemic while Wong was raising his own, child parenthood is an observant theme in this supernatural drama. In flashbacks, we see vaguely why Collette’s mother left with Daniel stating some people aren’t cut out for parenthood. At least that is the excuse Daniel gives. When Daniel later comes to that exact same crossroads, when Sonny sternly says “A daughter needs her Father.” A statement never rang truer to my heart.
Wong delivers a wonderful film addressing the hardships of being a parent. As a former single mom myself (Married now) there were times I thought my child would be better off without me, but the pain of that thought and the agonizing strength you have to muster to stay. To be there for that child. BA hits home with a deeper meaning if you pay attention as it mixes reality with fantasy leaving you entertained and searching your soul after you watch.
This leads to why BA is so riveting. Lawrence Kao and Kai Cech are stunning together as Father and Daughter. The best parts of the film are when they are on screen together. Their interaction is so sweet I caught myself smiling every time they had a scene together. Their portrayal of a father-daughter relationship on screen is truly remarkable. Father-daughter relationships can be challenging to convey on screen in my opinion. Kao and Cech succeed in creating a believable dynamic between them that resonates with the audience.
My overall rating is 10 out of 10
ABOUT BENJAMIN WONG, Director, Writer
Benjamin Wong is an award-winning creative director turned filmmaker. Benjamin has directed a variety of video and animation campaigns for Smithsonian, MTV, and AT&T, and received numerous Webby and Addy awards. He has studied acting with East West Players and has been a member of the Cold Tofu improv team. After taking a pause from directing to focus on writing, raising a family, and developing a line of visual storytelling apps, Benjamin is back directing his first feature film. Inspired by his experience being othered as an Asian American during the pandemic while raising a child, Ba is a genre-bending film that intertwines fantasy and reality.
ABOUT ELIZABETH AI, Producer
Elizabeth Ai is an Emmy award-winning director and producer creating independent narrative documentary and commercial content for companies such as National Geographic, ESPN, and VICE. She produced longitudinal feature documentary, DIRTY HANDS: THE ART & CRIMES OF DAVID CHOE, a portrait of the titled artist after his release from solitary confinement from a Tokyo prison and before his meteoric rise in the art world (dir. Harry Kim, 2008). In 2011 she produced a foreign language feature narrative in Vietnam, SAIGON ELECTRIC, a coming-of-age love story in the world of breakdancing (dir. Stephane Gauger). A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM, a feature documentary she wrote and produced, premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, explores the personal impact of wage theft and exploitation of the only visible women in the NFL (dir. Yu Gu). Since 2012, she’s been directing and producing longitudinal documentary, IN THE SHADOW OF THE HILLS, about the effects of modernity, tourism, and climate change on the women of indigenous tribes in the Himalayan foothills of Sapa, Vietnam. While Elizabeth worked at VICE’s food vertical, MUNCHIES, she created, produced, and directed two pilots that went to series: SEX+FOOD (2015) and BONG APPETIT (2014), the latter went to broadcast on VICELAND. She’s a fellow of Berlin Talent Campus, Film Independent, National Association of Latino of Independent Producers, Points North Institute, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. She received her B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Southern California.
ABOUT CINEQUEST FESTIVAL
Cinequest, an acclaimed film festival, celebrates innovation and creativity in the world of cinema. By showcasing exceptional films and providing a platform for filmmakers to connect with their audience, Cinequest has become a hub for groundbreaking cinematic experiences.
Learn more at Cinequest BA and IMDb