Clement Lye

I'm Ruth Kodish-Eskind, and it's March 30th. We're at the Seattle Jewish Film Festival. Can you state your name for me?

Sure. My name is Clement Lye.

Um. And do I have your consent to record this interview?

Yes, you have my consent to record this interview.

Thank you. Um, so what's your relationship to the film festival or to the Jewish Community Center?

Um, I was fortunate enough to be selected by the film festival, uh, for my film, Carl the Rescuer to be screened here.

So cool!

Yeah.

Um, is this your first time at the festival?

It's my first time at the festival, yep.

Um, how's your experience been?

Oh, it's been wonderful. Um, I, uh, you know, when I was asked, I was really thrilled that, uh, this festival would recognize the film as, you know, worthy of being, uh, in the program. So, um, my experience has been great so far. Like, we got to have a little Q&A after the film, and I was blown away by the response to the film. So I'm really appreciative of this festival.

Yeah. How was the response?

The response was, I mean, as a filmmaker, when you know, you just love it when people think your film doesn't suck, so [Laughs]. And I think that the questions that I got, um, and the excitedness that you could just feel, you know, with the community here was, was all you can ask for as a filmmaker.

Yeah. Are you based in Seattle or?

I'm based in Spokane.

Yeah. Have you gotten to show the film there?

Yes. Uh, so in January, we went to the Spokane Jewish Film Festival there. So, um, I unfortunately couldn't attend, but, uh, I heard the response was fantastic there as well.

Amazing. Um, do you want to tell me a little bit about, like, choosing to create this film?

Yeah, absolutely. Um, so I work at Gonzaga University as an Associate Director where I make online content for our, you know, I'm in the instructional design department, so videos and filmmaking have been a huge part of my life. Um, I actually had a career in the film industry before that in Los Angeles. And when I heard about this story from a professor on campus who ended up becoming my producer for this film, um, I just knew I had to tell it because I couldn't believe that this story was not out there already. As as a cinematic, you know, form as a video, as, as any kind of media, really. All I saw were oral histories. And, um, she has an amazing story. So I just needed to tell it.

It was just clear to you.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I'm like, come on [Laughs]. This is this is living history.

Yeah. Um, what's your experience been like? Uh, in Jewish community centers or. yeah, I'm sure this film is impactful in the Jewish community. So your experience around that?

Um, uh, I just want to make sure I understand the question correctly. What's been my experience?

Oh, just I'm trying to collect stories about the JCC especially, you know, what is the space like? So maybe this is your first time here. Maybe you've been to other JCC.

Ah, okay. This is my very first time here. My only other experience with the JCC has been in Spokane, but for this community center, I'm I'm kind of blown away. I was like, I had no idea that this was here. Um, but the services that are offered here seem. I'm like, wow, I wish I had my own community center [Laughs] but, uh, I don't have one. So there we are. Yeah.

Um, are you gonna stay for the rest of the film festival, or what are your plans in Seattle?

Um, well, I have family here, so I'm hanging out with them. But my wife and I do plan to screen as many as we can, virtually.

Awesome.

Yeah.

Thanks so much for your time.

Of course.