7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964) with Ellen Poon and Tym Buacharern | Academy Museum

On November 13, 2022, in the Ted Mann Theater, the museum screened 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964) for Oscar® Sundays and the Academy’s limited series Hollywood Chinese: The First 100 Years, programmed by filmmaker and author Arthur Dong.
Before the screening, Dong highlighted the work of Chinese American artist and sculptor Wah Ming Chang, who served on the team that created the film’s Oscar-nominated special visual effects. Dong also discussed makeup artist William Tuttle, who was awarded an honorary Oscar for his makeup work on the film, yellowface included.
Following the introduction, Dong spoke with visual effects artist Ellen Poon and makeup artist Tym Buacharern about _7 Faces of Dr. Lao_, how they viewed the work of Chang and Tuttle from both a technical and cultural perspective, and how to approach controversial films from the past.
Academy Museum film programming supported by the Richard Roth Foundation.
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The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the largest museum in the United States devoted to the arts, sciences, and artists of moviemaking. Global in outlook and grounded in the unparalleled collections and expertise of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Museum offers exceptional exhibitions, screenings, and programs that illuminate the world of cinema for film lovers of all ages.
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[@brianholly3555]

It’s astonishing to me that no one so much as mentioned the source material.

[@cwbrooks5329]

But "Dr. Lao" changes races. No matter what human plays him, he is going to have to adopt the characteristics of another race. If a Chinese actor played "Dr. Lao" he would have had to do "European Face." Are we now at a place where we are so regimented by ethnic/gender ideology that no actor can play anything but their own familial background? The actress who played Maria in the last version of West Side Story was half Columbian/half Polish and not one bit Puerto Rican. Was that okay? How far do we want to go with this? Can only gay actors play gay parts? Well, then can only straight actors play straight parts? Do we want to exclude anyone gay from playing anyone straight? I don't mean to be disrespectful to the speaker or to anyone else. I'm just wondering how we navigate such a nebulous territory.

[@phillipallen3468]

It's rather fascinating to me how people forget what film and theatre are all about. It's called "acting". That means that anyone can take on any part and play any role, any race, any sex, any age, anything. That's why make up was invented/developed. And now, with digital make up, anyone can play anyTHING. Any actor could conceivably play an animated chair or car, anything, provided the script is well written. That's why it's called ACTING.