Deborah Chowis a Canadianfilmmaker,television directorandscreenwriterknown for her independent films and her work onStar Warstelevision. Two of her first short films,Daypass(2002) andThe Hill(2004) have both won awards at various international film festivals. Her first feature film wasThe High Cost of Living(2010), which she both wrote and directed.[1]
Deborah Chow | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Education | McGill University(BA) Columbia University(MFA) |
| Occupation(s) | Filmmaker,television director,screenwriter |
| Known for | The High Cost of Living The Mandalorian Obi-Wan Kenobi |
Chow has directed various projects for television, including the2014 TV movie adaptionofV. C. Andrews' Gothic novelFlowers in the Atticand episodes of the seriesCopper,Murdoch Mysteries,Reign,Beauty and the Beast,andMr. Robot.Chow is also a director on thefirst seasonof theStar WarsseriesThe Mandalorian(2019) and directed all six episodes ofObi-Wan Kenobi(2022) forDisney+.
Early life
editChow is the half-Chinese daughter of parents who emigrated from Australia toToronto,Ontario,Canada, where she grew up.[citation needed]
Her Chinese father was an ardent movie fan and introduced to her the world of classic films and filmmaking.[2]Chow graduated fromGordon Graydon Memorial Secondary SchoolinMississauga, Ontario.[3]
She received her undergraduate degree, major of cultural theory and minor in art history, fromMcGill UniversityinMontreal,where she made her first short film.[2]After graduation, she went on to complete her MFA in directing atColumbia University'sSchool of the Arts,[4]where she completed two short films and a feature screenplay, including her short film,Daypass,which screened internationally at over 35 festivals and won multiple awards.[5]
Career
editChow began her career writing and directing short films while studying film at university and broke out with her first feature film,The High Cost of Living,in 2010. As a film director, she has worked with notable actorsJames Urbaniak,Zach BraffandIsabelle Blais,among others.[6]
As atelevision director,she has worked on theBBCshowCopper,[7]theCWprogramsReignandBeauty and the Beast,[8]theCBCshowMurdoch Mysteries[9]and theUSA NetworkseriesMr. Robot.[9]She also directedthe adaptation ofFlowers in the AtticonLifetime,which starredHeather GrahamandKiernan Shipka.[10]
Chow served as director of two episodes of theDisney+exclusive streaming television series,Star Wars: The Mandalorian,in which she also had a cameo role as aNew RepublicX-wingpilot. She was announced as the sole director for theDisney+ seriesthat centers onObi-Wan Kenobi.LucasfilmPresidentKathleen Kennedystated that "We really wanted to select a director who is able to explore both the quiet determination and rich mystique of Obi-Wan in a way that folds seamlessly into theStar Warssaga. Based on her phenomenal work developing our characters inThe Mandalorian,I'm absolutely confident Deborah is the right director to tell this story. "[11][12]
Chow directed the music video for "Black Summer",the first single off of theRed Hot Chili Peppers2022 album,Unlimited Love.[13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | |||
| 2002 | Daypass | Yes | Yes | Short film |
| 2004 | The Hill | Yes | Yes | Also editor and costume designer |
| 2010 | The High Cost of Living | Yes | Yes | |
| 2014 | Flowers in the Attic | Yes | No | |
Television
edit| Year | Show | Season | Episode | Episode title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Copper | 2 | 8 | "Ashes Denote That Fire Was" |
| 2014–2017 | Reign | 2 | 7 | "The Prince of the Blood" |
| 13 | "Sins of the Past" | |||
| 19 | "Abandoned" | |||
| 3 | 5 | "In a Clearing" | ||
| 18 | "Spiders in a Jar" | |||
| 4 | 11 | "Dead of Night" | ||
| 2014 | Murdoch Mysteries | 8 | 6 | "The Murdoch Appreciation Society" |
| 7 | "What Lies Buried" | |||
| 2015 | Beauty & the Beast | 3 | 7 | "Both Sides Now" |
| 2015 | Mr. Robot | 1 | 6 | "eps1.5 br4ve-trave1er.asf" |
| 2016 | Turn: Washington's Spies | 3 | 4 | "Hearts and Minds" |
| 2016 | The Vampire Diaries | 7 | 10 | "Hell Is Other People" |
| 2016–2017 | Fear the Walking Dead | 2 | 9 | "Los Muertos" |
| 3 | 3 | "TEOTWAWKI" | ||
| 2016 | Tyrant | 3 | 5 | "A Rock and A Hard Place" |
| 2017 | Iron Fist | 1 | 11 | "Lead Horse Back to Stable" |
| 2017 | Shut Eye | 2 | 9 | "Vérité" |
| 2018 | Jessica Jones | 2 | 4 | "AKA God Help the Hobo" |
| 2018 | Lost in Space | 1 | 5 | "Transmission" |
| 2018 | Snowfall | 2 | 4 | "Jingle Bell Rock" |
| 2018 | Better Call Saul | 4 | 7 | "Something Stupid" |
| 2018 | The Man in the High Castle | 3 | 9 | "Baku" |
| 2019 | American Gods | 2 | 3 | "Muninn" |
| 2019 | The Mandalorian | 1 | 3 | "Chapter 3: The Sin" |
| 7 | "Chapter 7: The Reckoning" | |||
| 2022 | Obi-Wan Kenobi | 1 | 1 | "Part I" |
| 2 | "Part II" | |||
| 3 | "Part III" | |||
| 4 | "Part IV" | |||
| 5 | "Part V" | |||
| 6 | "Part VI" |
Music videos
edit| Year | Artist(s) | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | "Black Summer" | Music video for their single fromUnlimited Love[14] |
Acting credits
edit| Year | Title | Episode(s) | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Mandalorian | "Chapter 6: The Prisoner" | Sash Ketter | Cameo | [15] |
| 2023 | "Chapter 21: The Pirate" | [16] | |||
| Chapter 24: The Return | [17] |
Awards and recognition
editHer short film,Daypass,won the Best Actor Award at theMilano Film Festivaland the Best Short at theTurin Film Festival.The feature-lengthscreenplayversion of the film won theComedy CentralAward for Best Comedy Screenplay. Chow was the winner of the 2005KodakNew Vision Mentorship award for her short filmThe Hill,the winnings from which included funding for her first feature film.[2]She was a participant in theBerlinale Talent Campus,Toronto International Film FestivalTalent Lab, and the Praxis Screenwriting Lab.[5]Her debut feature filmThe High Cost of Livingwon Best First Feature and Top Ten at theToronto International Film Festival,Best Canadian Feature at the Female Eye Film Fest, and Prix Super-Écran at theRendez-vous du cinéma québécois.[18]She received theAndrew SarrisAward at the 2022 Columbia University Film Festival.[19]
Critic response
editThe High Cost of Livinghas received mixed reviews. This film bears all the hallmarks of a conventional indie drama: "a downbeat scenario, flawed protagonists, and a strongly regional inflection." Chow is credited on hitting every mark and narrative turning point. The result is a strange dramatic complexity, with a work of superficial depth.[20]
References
edit- ^"Deborah Chow".Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2015.Retrieved12 January2015.
- ^abc"The Mandalorian: Deborah Chow Reveals the Inspiration For the Baby Yoda Rescue".Vanity Fair.22 November 2019.
- ^Iain Colpitts, "The Mandalorian Star Wars series director had Mississauga ties",Mississauga News,28 November 2019.
- ^"Alumna Deborah Chow '03 is the First Woman to Direct 'Star Wars'".Columbia - School of the Arts.Retrieved2022-07-21.
- ^ab"Deborah Chow Tribeca All Access 2008".Retrieved12 January2015.
- ^Bartyzel, Monika (22 April 2011)."'The High Cost of Living' According to Director Deborah Chow ".Moviefone.Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2015.Retrieved12 January2015.
- ^"Copper".Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved12 January2015.
- ^"New Reign Season 2, Episode 7 Official Spoilers, Plotline Revealed By CW".Archived fromthe originalon 12 January 2015.Retrieved12 January2015.
- ^ab"Database | The Director List".Archived fromthe originalon 2016-08-28.Retrieved2015-11-09.
- ^Gliatto, Tom."PEOPLE's TV Critic: Lifetime's Flowers In the Attic Is Crazy Good".Retrieved12 January2015.
- ^"Deborah Chow to Direct Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Exclusively on Disney+".StarWars.September 27, 2019.Archivedfrom the original on September 27, 2019.RetrievedSeptember 27,2019.
- ^"Hossein Amini Talks The Success Of 'The Alienist', Approaching The Screenplay For 'Drive' & His Upcoming Disney+ 'Obi-Wan' Series (Exclusive Interview)".Discussing Film.2019-11-07.Retrieved2019-11-09.
- ^Legaspi, Althea (February 3, 2022)."Red Hot Chili Peppers Release First Song With John Frusciante in 16 Years".Yahoo Entertainment.Rolling Stone.Archived fromthe originalon February 5, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 4,2022.
- ^Red Hot Chili Peppers - Black Summer (Official Music Video).Red Hot Chili Peppers.4 February 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 17 February 2022.Retrieved18 February2022– viaYouTube.
- ^Romano, Nick (December 13, 2019)."Breaking down The Mandalorian episode 6 cameos, from a Clone Wars vet to Dave Filoni".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedApril 10,2023.
- ^Miller, Leon (March 29, 2023)."The Mandalorian's Latest Adventure Includes Cameos by Several Star Wars Directors".CBR.RetrievedApril 10,2023.
- ^Romano, Nick (December 13, 2019)."The Mandalorian – The Guide: Chapter 24: The Return".Fantha Tracks.RetrievedApril 22,2023.
- ^Chan, Crystal (22 April 2011)."Celluloid Love Letter: Deborah Chow's The High Cost of Living".Retrieved12 January2015.
- ^"Alumna Deborah Chow '03 to Receive Andrew Sarris Award at 2022 CUFF".Columbia - School of the Arts.Retrieved2022-07-21.
- ^Brunick, Paul (2011-09-08)."'The High Cost of Living' With Zach Braff — Review ".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2015-11-13.