The film and entertainment industry is a global colossus, generating billions of dollars annually while shaping cultural narratives. As we tread further into the 21st century, the industry has reached an inflection point, grappling with the need for broader representation and stories that mirror the multiplicity of human experiences. With the advent of streaming platforms and an ever-diversifying audience, storytellers have a new responsibility—giving a voice to the voiceless, while continually pushing the envelope in terms of thematic material and character depth.
Enter Vee Saieh. An alumnus of the distinguished University of Southern California, Saieh is no stranger to the tools and techniques that make a narrative compelling. Her career, an eclectic blend of horror, fantasy, and emotional drama, is a narrative of success in its own right. Best known for her award-winning work on “Noche del Infierno” and “ASIA A,” Saieh’s storytelling prowess lies in her ability to delve deep into the emotional and psychological intricacies of her characters. A recipient of multiple accolades including Best Fantasy Film at the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival for “Noche del Infierno” and two Sloan grants—among other awards—for “ASIA A,” Saieh is cementing her place as a formidable talent in a competitive industry.
Our exclusive interview with Vee Saieh shed light on how she approaches short projects as “stepping stones to greater success.” For Saieh, the triumph of “ASIA A” as a short film was not a final destination but a launching pad for deeper exploration. From its humble beginnings as a short, the film underwent a transformation into a feature-length project, offering an even more nuanced look into the life of a rising basketball star dealing with a spinal cord injury. The success of this expanded version corroborates Saieh’s adaptability and skill in crafting profound narratives from abridged versions.
Saieh’s penchant for storytelling isn’t confined to a single genre or narrative structure; it’s rooted in the themes she chooses to explore. Whether it’s the deeply embedded Latinx identity in “Noche del Infierno” or the exploration of grief in “ASIA A,” her work is marked by a rare sensitivity and awareness. And it’s not just about telling a story; it’s about telling the right kind of story, one that elevates underrepresented communities and voices. Her storytelling goes beyond merely creating diverse characters; it’s about injecting life into them, making them relatable, flawed, and most importantly, real.
In an era demanding more from its storytellers, Vee Saieh has not only accepted the challenge but has also surpassed expectations. She continues to redefine what’s possible in the world of storytelling, proving that the true power of cinema lies in its ability to connect us all, regardless of our background or life experiences. As she sets her sights on new projects like “IRON LUNG” and “LA FAMILIA,” the industry and audiences alike wait in anticipation, keen to see which boundaries she’ll push next.
Vee, let’s dive right in. Can you succinctly describe the central theme or message behind “ASIA A”? What was it about this story that made it irresistible for you to delve into?
The short, ASIA A, is about a rising college basketball star who suffers a spinal cord injury and must redefine himself as an athlete, a boyfriend, and a man. While the story was borne out of the director’s own experiences with a spinal cord injury, what drew me to the narrative was the protagonist’s own grief and his struggle processing it.
Grief is a frequent theme in my work (though I’d be hard-pressed to explain why!). For this project, however, not only was it my connection to the story, but also a way to make it more accessible to a wider audience. Grief, after all, is universal.
Having studied at prestigious institutions like USC, how do you believe your academic background influenced or shaped the narrative of “ASIA A”?
My time at USC was wonderful. The diversity of their faculty and courses means you invariably receive a well-rounded education on all things storytelling. One of my favorite courses was “Scene Writing” where we studied the different kinds of scenes and got granular about what made them work.
It was especially helpful for ASIA A as, oftentimes, when you have to educate the audience on a subject, it becomes a balancing act between being poignant and clear, but not so clear that people can see behind the curtain. In a way, screenwriting is the act of creating a manufactured reality, and my time at USC helped me finesse that balance.
Let’s get to the heart of it. Can you walk us through the journey of “ASIA A” from its inception as an idea to its realization as a successful short film? What were the most challenging and rewarding moments?
When I came onboard the project, the director already had a draft and was looking for a writer to take over. In some ways, it felt like I tore up the floorboards of the story as I flipped many elements upside down, including turning a mentor character into an anti-mentor—a character that shows you what not to do.
The most challenging aspect was, perhaps, striking that balance between drama and reality as we wanted to be as scientifically accurate as possible. The most rewarding moment wasn’t a moment, per se, but rather the creative partnership with the director that resulted from that one short. We now have a second produced short with another in preproduction and three feature projects in the works.
The emotional depth of “ASIA A” is one of its standout features. How did you approach crafting such a deeply resonating narrative in a concise format?
I think there is a common misconception that a profound story is a big story, in other words, that somewhere in the narrative, someone has to die or declare their undying love. But this isn’t true. Emotional depth isn’t proportional to the size of the story, and even the smallest of moments can move you. And that is my approach to short films—creating big stories out of small moments.
For ASIA A, the entire narrative leads up to the protagonist making a simple decision that would define how he would face his injury. The focus was not on trying to show his entire journey, but rather magnifying that first step and letting the audience know he would eventually be okay.
Given the accolades and feedback “ASIA A” received as a short, how did this feedback play a role in its evolution and your decision to expand it into a feature film?
The reception the ASIA A short got was tremendous—from making it to the semi-finals of the Student Academy Awards to winning the Jury Prize at the DGA Student Awards to all the messages of love and support we received from people who were moved by the film. It really reaffirmed our sense that there was a larger story to explore and, more importantly, that there was an audience for it.
We knew, however, that with a larger story, we also had a higher degree of responsibility to do right by the narrative as well as the disability community. And while we had done a fair deal of research for the short, we expanded our efforts exponentially, consulting with physical therapists, interviewing people living with a spinal cord injury, and even playing wheelchair basketball ourselves, to name a few. In short, we were heartened by the reception the short got but also acutely aware that the feature would be an ambitious project.
As the lead writer of “ASIA A,” you had a holistic vision for the story. How did you ensure that every element, from casting to cinematography, aligned with your narrative vision?
Heh, well, as the writer, you never have ultimate say on these things. However, there are a couple of things you can do so that the final product retains as much of your story as possible. First, you need to make your story bulletproof so that there is no real need to change things beyond the demands of production—sort of, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
However, there are times the director will want changes to better align the story with their artistic sensibilities, and these changes will either happen on the page or later on set (and often without you). In these cases, you’re better off making the changes on the page, filtering them through your own pen, so even though you’re supporting the director’s creative vision, the story still retains your personal voice
“ASIA A” delves deep into intricate themes and offers a voice to underrepresented stories. How important is it for you to shed light on such narratives and why?
It is immensely important for me to highlight underrepresented communities. It’s why I don’t just tell diverse stories, but also stories with diverse characters who don’t need an accompanying subplot to justify their inclusion—because we exist.
I know what it’s like to grow up not seeing yourself represented in the media or having your representation reduced to stereotypes. And the latter is why it’s not enough to simply have representation in front of the camera. We need representation behind the camera as well to inject that authenticity. We need more diverse creators. And that’s what’s really special about ASIA A. Because it’s emotionally inspired by the director’s own life, the story possesses a nuance and sensibility that is impossible to fake
Given the success and impact of “ASIA A” as a short film, do you see yourself exploring similar themes or narratives in future projects? What’s next on the horizon for you?
That’s a great question. Andrew and I are actually working together on a new project that tackles the themes of caretaking and disability. It’s called IRON LUNG, and it explores the relationship between a woman struck with post-polio syndrome and her sister, who’s also her caretaker. I know it sounds like a drama, but it’s actually a contained survival thriller—and that’s about as much as I can say! We’re in preproduction and hoping to shoot the short soon. I’ve also begun exploring a feature version of it.
Aside from that, my latest short, LA FAMILIA, is currently in post-production and should hit the festival circuit early next year. It’s a tense, slow-burn horror I developed as part of Film Independent’s Project Involve.
