director's statement

Why Father John?

First of all, this is the archetypal hero’s quest. A flawed hero is thrust out into the greater world where he faces and overcomes great challenges. He also learns about himself, faces his faults, grows stronger and then brings this knowledge, maturity, and strength back home to solve problems there. Father John does all this in a delightfully fresh new way.

When I came across this script, I immediately saw the potential for Shanghai as the backdrop for a neo-noir spy tale. The signature Shanghai architecture, the shikumen-style housing blocks, are twisted mazes of narrow alleys that leave you turned about and confused or facing a dead end. That also reflects the traditional lives and personal relations in the communities along those longtang lanes. Famed Chinese writer Wang AnYi said that in these neighborhoods, truth, lies, and dark deeds all vanish into the mist.

With many recent films showing off views of Shanghai's famous riverfront with the iconic Pearl Tower or the neon lights and international fashion brands of Nanjing Rd, I wanted to see a film that went deeper into the 'real' Shanghai I have come to know and love. This city is an ocean teeming with the endless ebb and flow of humanity.

There are some incredibly rich and vibrant views of Shanghai here that add depth and texture to this story. From the dingy back alleys and the dilapidated dwellings to the fresh new neighborhoods of the new class of upwardly mobile professionals, Shanghai is the ideal backdrop for this drama.

I also was intrigued by exploring the conflict within John. Spies have to do some dark things that you would only expect from confidence men, thieves, or murderers. The biggest difference is that spies can pretend to themselves that the good reason behind their deeds, the service toward their country, makes it ok.

John’s way of maintaining his identity and self-respect in this environment is to take on the role of nice guy almost to a fault. He tries to make an orderly world in his office where he can dot the “I”s and cross the “T”s and everything will be alright. In a world of shoot-from-the-hip rule-breakers, John tries to follow the rules and a personal code of ethics. He quite effectively carved out this niche for himself in London where, under a business cover, he could play the well respected man about town. But John has been lying to himself about his nice, perfect life and about the darker side of his own nature.

When he is thrust into Shanghai, his life turns upside down. In London, John kept a perfectly ordered life, while in Shanghai, everything is unsure. He is out of his element and not only are the people in his new office wary of him, there is also a traitor in their midst.

A Chinese support worker at the office and Yuri, a shadowy figure who rescues John from a mugging, seem to be his only friends. He does not know anyone he can trust, but he has to learn quickly if he is going to survive, because his predecessor did not.

Richard Trombly
Director/Producer