Interview: Sing J. Lee – The Accidental Getaway Driver

Winner of the Directing Award in the U.S. Dramatic Competition (see video), and renowned for his work in commercials and video clips, filmmaker Sing J. Lee masterfully extracts the essence from an incredible true story, tuning into the humanity in a situation-ship that should never took place. Predominantly set in a nocturnal world, the genre-blending debut The Accidental Getaway Driver is a nuanced and playful mix that feels well-thought-out in its concept, yet its open-ended and philosophical approach imbues it with a sense of unpredictability, making it a multi-night experience that feels less constrained by a rigid plot.

In our interview, I referred to Sing J. Lee as a Hong Kong by blood, Manchester by birth, American by design and Vietnamese in spirit mishmash and this notion extends itself to the overall DNA of the feature – as it boards universal human condition themes reflected best in a character set that represents different nationalities. In Park City we chatted about the original source material, some of the visuals choices he made in framing the relationships, the particular soft and weighty tone of the film.