(upbeat music) (dramatic music) - Welcome to TV Film.

I'm Jermaine Wells.

TV Film showcases the talents of upstate New York media makers across all genres.

And in this episode, we share drama by upstate filmmakers.

A young woman trapped in a cross-cultural contract marriage devises the ultimate plan of escape.

The Vow is directed by Charlie Sweeney.

- I was always a fan of some opera.

I'm not like this huge opera buff, but some opera I am, and I think one of the most beautiful melodies in the world is Un bel di, vedremo, which is the motif, and that's the aria from Madame Butterfly.

And this story is kind of a reverse of that because in the opera, the protagonist commits suicide at the end, so in this one we kinda reversed it, and wanted to revisit that and link that to the antagonist's obsession with Asian culture.

You know, at the time I was living in Chinatown in New York, and I still kinda have a place there and had been there for a few years and had a lotta friends who were in the film business, who were from China, Thailand, and who were experiencing a lotta that cross-cultural stuff.

So it was kinda bubbling up in my subconscious, and I had written other treatments for stories with female characters, with male characters.

Obviously with people who lived and experienced life differently from me, and I think that's part of the challenge of writing narrative anything.

And that's kind of the approach here.

This script was workshopped like I workshop any script, especially because I had a very diverse crew, and everybody saw it and everybody put their two cents in.

I worked very closely with my cinematographer, Xiaolei Gong, who's back in China.

And we knew we wanted to tell the story visually.

And we wanted to do long, choreographed takes, with camera movements synced with the blocking.

And so we worked for weeks, if not months, trying to devise a plan how we would shoot this story.

And it was important that it would be a POV story, it would be from the character's perspective.

So the viewer would get this experience that they were the character.

The great thing about filmmaking is like, there are rules but there are no rules at the same time.

It's whatever works.

It draws on everything I've done professionally up til now.

And it's a way to put it all together.

There are endless opportunities to enrich the story, and bringing collaborators in who are expert in those areas, it's just like, it's great.

It's really rewarding, and that's really the best thing about filmmaking is that you bring in all these talented people, and they believe in your vision and they turn it into something better and bigger, and they make it real.

(traffic passing) - [Thomas] I can hear you thinking, you know.

You think you can hide your thoughts from me, but you can't.

You know what?

Be frightened, it's okay to be frightened.

You have no idea what the world is like.

You think you do because you watch those shows.

That's not real.

That's not the world.

I've tried to show you.

I've tried to teach you.

(engine idling) (crickets chirping) - Right in there.

Go ahead.

Good?

Okay?

(door closing) Come on.

Right in there.

(traffic passing) (soft operatic music and singing) - Xiu?

Thomas Kane.

You must be tired from the trip.

Come.

This is your room.

I'm sure you'll like it.

(siren wailing in distance) - It's so pretty.

- It is.

- Oh look.

There's a big, white dog.

- Yes.

You like dogs?

- Yes.

I had a dog when I was a kid.

- Yes?

- Mm-hm.

- [Thomas] What was his name?

- [Xiu] Quark.

- [Thomas] The name of your dog?

- [Xiu] Yes.

- [Thomas] What was the name?

- [Xiu] Quark.

- [Thomas] Quarrel?

(Xiu laughing) - Yes, Quark.

(weathercaster chattering) - [Weathercaster] With the winds from the northwest at four miles per hour, we're currently 55 degrees.

We'll have a high of 59 degrees with the temperature dropping rapidly towards this evening.

The showers and thunder-- (water running) (plate smashing) (water running) (pieces clattering) (door closing) (soft operatic music and singing) (container clattering) (soft operatic music and singing) - Drink.

Drink it.

(operatic music and singing) Good girl.

(operatic music and singing) (water running) - Do you have something to say?

- I'm sorry.

- Sorry?

You don't look sorry.

I'm hungry.

I'm late!

Look at you, look at this.

You are so small.

You are like nothing at all.

(footsteps fading) (door opening and closing) (traffic passing) (horn honking) - Miss?

Miss?

Miss?

(traffic passing) Mr. Kane's worried about you.

- Huh?

I'm asking you a simple question!

(Xiu shrieking) Do you want a husband?

(Xiu crying) (Xiu shrieking) (Xiu crying) (doorknob rattling) (door rattling) (Xiu crying) (soft piano music) (bed creaking) (bed creaking) (bed creaking) (Thomas breathing hard) (bed creaking) (water running) (Thomas sighing) - Tomorrow.

So, after tomorrow, you move next door with me.

Do you like that?

- Yes.

- Good.

Good.

Soon, we are going to need the room.

(door closing) (music box playing softly) - I can hear you thinking, you know.

You think you can hide your thoughts from me, but you can't.

We're married now, so be happy.

Something tells me you're not happy.

What is it?

Are you afraid?

Is that it?

Oh my God, you're frightened.

(Thomas sighing) I thought we were over this.

You know what?

Be frightened, it's okay to be frightened.

You should be frightened.

Look at you.

You're small, you're frail.

That's why you need me.

You need me to take care of you.

(box lid snapping) To protect you.

You need me to keep you safe.

You have no idea what the world is like.

You think you do because you watch those shows.

That's not real.

That's not the world.

I've tried to show you.

I've tried to teach you.

And you passed, so you don't need to be afraid anymore.

You're my wife now.

Be happy.

You hear me?

Be happy.

So what would you like?

Huh?

- Nothing.

I'm happy.

- A wedding gift?

Something, there must be something you want.

What do you want?

Do you wanna take a trip, to Paris, or Rio?

Anything you'd like.

- You're going to laugh at me.

- No, I'm not gonna laugh.

Just tell me.

- I want to learn how to drive.

(crickets chirping) (operatic music and singing) (soft piano music) - Learn more about the films and filmmakers in this season of TV Film at wmht.org/tvfilm.

And be sure to connect with WMHT on social media.

I'm Jermaine Wells.

(upbeat music) (dramatic music) - [Announcer] TV Film is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.