vahan bedelian
VAHAN BEDELIAN: DIRECTOR OF THE K-TOWN KILLER ON BLENDING MARTIAL ARTS AND FILM
written by: Milla Nguyen
I had the opportunity to interview Vahan Bedelian, a diverse filmmaker and alum of the LMU production program. Vahan is from Irvine, California. He has a mixed cultural identity; his father is Armenian, and his mother is American. He has always known that he wanted to be a filmmaker since childhood.With the influence of his parents being music professors and musicians, he strived to have that same creative essence. As some people call it, that ‘creative spark’ in the glint of artists’ eyes. He recalled that the suburbs of Irvine felt safe and peaceful. While it is a luxury to live without danger, Vahan craved a sense of exploration and thrill in the outside world. Vahan discussed the process of making his film, The K-Town Killer. In Irvine, Vahan grew up around a large Asian American population. He would go to friends’ houses, and their families would serve him dinner, most of which consisted of various Asian dishes. He recalled how “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” and “Crazy Rich Asians” broke records in Hollywood. Seeing how his community reacted, he wanted to pay respectful homage to Asian characters. When making this film, his co-writer and co director, Healin Kweon, worked closely with Vahan. Vahan also attended the same Irvine elementary school as Donald Nam, who eventually became his film's cinematographer.
Back then, they weren’t very close because he moved away. In 2016, Vahan decided to take a trip to South Korea. He remembered by chance that Donald was living there at the time and asked if he wanted to meet up. To his surprise, Donald said yes. The pair decided to go to a bar and caught up about the last few years. Vahan describes Donald as someone who was easy to talk to and someone with whom he wanted to share his dreams. As they clinked their glasses, Vahan mentioned to Donald that he was thinking of film graduate school. Vahan pitched the initial idea of the K-Town Killer. Two years later, Vahan and Donald found themselves enrolled in the same cohort at Loyola Marymount University.
Vahan said, “I wanted to ensure the story was respectful and authentic. It felt inappropriate if I made a film about an Asian family without being from that culture. I'm thankful I had my co director, Healin and my DP, Donald to lend a critical eye. There are little details that you miss. For example, the main character gets injured, and an egg is put on her bruise. This is typical in Korean and Chinese cultures but I didn’t know that. I’m glad my colleagues were intentional about these details and communicated this.”
The film screened at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. I asked Vahan about his experience going to the festival. He said, “It was one of the most fun weeks of my life. I went to mixers and parties with my crew. I got to talk to some amazing people. I mean, it’s New York City, which is great.” He mentioned the importance of moving past competition and choosing collaboration instead. Vahan’s film was also screened at the UTA Next Generation Showcase in Los Angeles. He mentioned that he’s grateful for all the opportunities he’s received.
When he’s not directing, Vahan makes his living by editing. He has edited all the films that he directed himself. It is quite a grueling process, and when you edit your own work, you can quickly become blind to the mistakes. He said, “I enjoy editing. I get in the zone. Producing is another story. There’s a ticking clock closer to production, which makes me anxious. With editing, it’s just you and the edit.” He also enjoys being a production designer and a choreographer for fight scenes.
His short film, Jacob + Malika, the story follows the relationship of an interracial couple. He wrote the film after the tumultuous presidential election in 2016. There was a lot of racism and discrimination against Muslim people during this time. He wanted to explore themes of grief, immigration, deportation, and love. He had cultural consultants on this film. At the time, he worked at Facebook and was a part of a film co-op called Scary Cow. This crew helped him shoot in the Bay Area. Vahan said, “One of my coworkers was my cultural consultant. She said that the main character shouldn’t be wearing Hijabs at home. At least where she’s from, she told me that I needed to fix that.” It is clear that Vahan has always taken great care in terms of cultural accuracy.
We discussed his other film, Fire House. Fire House set the record for most views on a Facebook video for Creatives 4 Democracy and earned a combined 13,000 views across all platforms. Vahan spoke of his civic duty to do more than just vote. While politics are tricky, Vahan said, “As filmmakers, we must stand on business. I’m never going to be a filmmaker that hides my political beliefs. I know it’s scary for people to do so, but we shouldn’t be. We have a crisis of information. I grew up watching Disney films that taught me the values of love and acceptance of those who look different from me. The stuff that young men are watching now is a serious problem.” Vahan created this film for M. Night Shyamalan’s film contest regarding the importance of voting. He said, “Voting is like picking between two houses to buy. You’re analyzing everything about the politics from the little details to the big picture.”
Vahan spoke about filmmakers’ responsibility to be role models for the next generation. A part of Vahan’s unique background is his affinity for martial arts and combat sports. Because he grew up in Irvine, which was mostly safe, he was interested in the sociology of violence. He hates violence and does not like watching it. Ironically, Vahan still wanted to build up his fighting spirit. He said, “I wanted to test my limits. It’s also a stress reliever. As a filmmaker, my mind goes the speed of a million thoughts per minute. Will I make it in this industry? Will I continue to make films?" When he does Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai, all those thoughts disappear. He raises his fists, eyes wild with determination, and strikes his opponent. Vahan has been practicing his drawing skills, too. It helps him focus and carves out his meticulous eye for detail. By extension of martial arts, Vahan started his filmmaking journey by creating documentary films about athletes. In the fighting world, he’s filmed and interviewed various UFC fighters. There’s a difference between non-fiction documentary and narrative film. Vahan did everything himself, from shooting the videos to editing them. Because non-fiction documentaries were more accessible for him, he was able to strengthen his skills when working on the feature-length version of The K-town Killer.
He said, “A lot of the film was inspired by true stories and real experiences of these fighters. Currently, Vahan is working on his film, Split Open, which was shot with the stunt double of the K-town Killer. His primary focus is the feature-length version of the K-town Killer. Vahan has been developing the feature with Healin Kweon and his team closely . I asked Vahan about the current themes of his films and what kinds of films he wants to explore in the future. He said, “The film I’ve made explores the theme of violence, but actually, those aren’t films I want to make all the time. I want to explore the theme of ambition and how life won’t always turn out how you expect it to.”
Finally, Vahan would like to thank his parents for supporting his creative pursuits. He would like to thank Donald Nam and Healin Kweon. He has worked with Donald the most. He said, “Donald has always pulled through on risky projects. Healin is often the glue on set when times get hard. She always tries to create a plan.” Vahan would like to thank the film actor Kahyun Kim and congratulate her on her new television series. He would also like to thank Mischa Livingstone and Mary Kuryla, professors who have helped shape his creative voice. He wants to thank Jack Huang, the stunt coordinator on the film, for all of his immense work. Last, he extends his thanks to Vinicius Cosac, who was another stunt coordinator who passed away recently. All of these people have collaborated with Vahan one form or another.