Yang, a British actor who appeared in 2023’s Rebel Moon, was deeply committed to the role, jumping on a plane to work on an Oklahoma farm in a bid to
Yang, a British actor who appeared in 2023’s Rebel Moon, was deeply committed to the role, jumping on a plane to work on an Oklahoma farm in a bid to better understand Chau’s upbringing. He also traveled abroad, just as Chau did, to understand his character’s deep desire for adventure. “I think the prolonged period of trying to get this film up to production really helped us,” says Lin. “It was really amazing, because I felt like he was living it at that point.”
In the end, Lin realized that the production would have to grow bigger to capture Chau’s global adventures (which Chau chronicled on his Instagram account and in his journal entries). Lin ended up filming for 38 days, cramming in shoots across Thailand, the UK, Iceland, India, and central California. “It ended up requiring my crews from around the world on all these films to come in and really help me bring it to life,” he says. In the end, Last Days merges Chau’s early experiences on intimate, character-driven indie films with his ability to create powerful visuals from unique global settings that he honed on his blockbusters.
At the center of the story remains Chau’s relationship with his father, Patrick, played in the film by Ken Leung. Lin says working on Last Days has made him not only a better filmmaker, but a better father. “I feel like as a parent I’m always doing things wrong,” says Lin, whose son is now 15. “You don’t want him to feel pain, so you’re always trying to impart wisdom. But what I’m learning is that they’re just not going to be ready until they’re ready.”
Sundance has been a pivotal part of Lin’s journey, ever since he arrived at the festival as a 30-year-old with his debut Better Luck Tomorrow—which critic Roger Ebert famously defended from a heckler. Now 53, Lin admits not that much has changed. “I like to think that I’m more mature and I feel different. But talking to you now, I feel like I’m a kid again, because when you care and you want to connect with people, you become vulnerable. That’s the thing about being a filmmaker,” says Lin. “As much as I don’t like it, I’m glad I still have that.”
This feature is part of Awards Insider’s exclusive Sundance 2025 coverage.
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