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[Mike] Maja, what are we doing right now?
Going to meet the punks.
Riding in a crazy taxi.
In the crazy traffic.
[Mike] What do you wanna say
to our friends in New Orleans back home?
That if we survive this taxi ride,
we'll be with you shortly.
And that Myanmar is amazing.
- [horn honks] - [man shouting]
[Mike] Yeah!
[upbeat music playing]
[wind buffeting]
[Mike] Well, this is definitely not the place.
We'll pay you to go back.
Th-- Thank you.
[speaking Burmese]
Okay. [speaking other language]
Hello? [speaking other language]
Hello?
Hello, hello?
Oh.
I don't know what to do.
[Maja] Can you hear punk music?
[faint sound of live music]
[Mike] That's actually a good point.
[Maja] Ask this lady if there is a punk show.
Mike, I'm hearing something there.
[driver] Yeah.
- [Maja] Okay. - [driver] Okay, yeah.
All right. This, this.
Okay.
[Maja] Or is this-- this is the show?
[Mike] Yeah.
[Maja] Let me just check really quickly.
Maybe this is it.
[Mike] Maja, where are you going?
[Maja] I thought I heard something.
[Mike] No, that--
[Maja] It's not that.
- [Mike] Do you hear that? - [Maja] I-- I thought--
[Mike] We-- we want the music.
Okay, oh.
[car door slams]
[car rumbles]
[backing up beeping]
[Maja] Can you hear music?
- [Maja] You hear music? - [driver] Music?
- [Maja] Mhmm. - [driver] Okay, yeah, yeah.
[wind buffeting]
[Mike] Oh, no.
[indistinct]
- [Maja] Yeah. - [faint music gets louder]
- [driver] Oh. - [Maja] Yes!
- [Mike] Yes! - [Maja laughs]
- [Mike] Yes! - [driver] Oh! Oh! Oh!
[Maja] Oh, it's so good.
[driver] [indistinct] Yeah.
- [Maja] Yes. - [driver] Ohhh!
[Mike] What?
[singer shouting into mic]
- [driver] Okay? - [Mike] What?
[driver laughs]
[Maja chuckles]
[singer] One, two, three, four!
Oi!
[Maja] This is good.
[The Rebel Riot playing "Street Punx"]
[singing in Burmese]
[Mike] What?
[driver] [speaking other language]
[Maja] Oh yeah, this is so good.
[singing in Burmese]
[Maja laughs]
♪
[singing in Burmese]
♪ Oi oi oi ♪
♪ Oi ♪
♪
[singing in Burmese]
♪
♪ Street punks street punks ♪
♪ Way of life ♪
♪ Street punks street punks ♪
♪ Oi oi oi ♪
♪ Street punks street punks ♪
♪ Way of life ♪
♪ Street punks street punks ♪
♪ Oi oi oi ♪
[feedback hum of guitar fading]
[man] And completely sugar-free.
- [man] This is a cashew cheese. - [woman] I am not convinced.
This meat is not meat. What do you think it is?
Take a guess. What do you think it is?
- It's-- - What do you think it is? Guess.
- It's-- uh-- uh-- - Guess. No, guess.
- It-- - Look, it's beets.
[woman 2] Hey, guys, um...
Have you all signed your contracts for next year?
[man] Um, yes.
It's due next week, isn't it?
Where is everyone?
It's Senior Skip Day.
So, why are you here?
[Jojo]
I agree with you, Jojo.
I think maybe I should quit.
Well, I just want to make movies.
Yeah.
Well, for now,
how about...
you take off your shirt.
Okay.
[soft music playing]
[Maja] Ooh...
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
[Jojo] Oh, my gosh. [laughs]
[Maja] You've never done it before?
Yes.
[laughs]
How about you take your hand,
put it on your neck,
on your chest,
all the way down to your underwear.
Jojo?
Jojo, are you there?
Fuck.
[clicks tongue] Hmm.
[sighs]
[slow, mellow music playing]
[glass shattering]
[hum of chatter]
That's you, isn't it?
No.
[glass shattering]
[hum of chatter]
[woman] Congrats on the show.
[Leon] Oh, thank you.
I-- clearly, I draw my inspiration from my experience.
- Absolutely, yeah. - Yeah.
Um, my last relationship left me feeling trapped,
so I looked inside myself,
and I just-- I went so deep.
I didn't know about that, yeah.
I love it.
She gets it.
Yeah.
[man] So, what's with the lighting?
[man 2] Well, let me ask you something.
Why is it that men are afraid to be beautiful?
[man] Consider the peacock.
You look familiar. [laughs]
- Rosario. - Maja.
So what do you do when you're not busy being uh, Leon's muse?
Um... I, um...
She's a filmmaker, too.
Oh, are you working on anything new?
We're always looking for new projects,
especially from women.
Oh, yeah.
Um...
I'm working on this project about punk rockers
in Myanmar right now.
Interesting. Well, look, uh, I leave for LA next week,
but we should definitely grab a drink or something.
Um, I have to go, but it was nice meeting you.
Yeah, definitely.
[Rosario's cell phone chimes]
With the punks?
[hum of chatter]
[glass shattering]
[upbeat jazz music playing]
Oh my God!
- I'm so happy to see you. - Hi!
Oh, hey!
- Ahh! - Hey, oh!
- Hey, this is Bradley. - Oh, hey.
- Hey! - Hey, the star of the show, huh?
Unfortunately.
Bradley just found out his documentary is getting
premiered at Sundance.
- Whoa! - Yeah.
- Congratulations. - [all laugh]
What is the film about?
Well, it's about this ritual they perform in Mexico
using menstrual blood.
Yeah, the most rewarding thing is that I get to bring
these Mayan women who've never been outside of Yucatan
- to Utah. - Yeah.
- Whoa, that is so cool. - Yeah, I know.
- This is great. - Yeah.
I-- I read about it and I went to the village,
and I just made it.
Just like that? You just went and did it?
- [laughs] - Yeah.
- I will be right back. - Okay.
Hey, why are you sneaking around in a wig?
Well, it's just, like, camouflage.
Helps hide from-- from Elise.
Don't worry, it's my new thing.
So, who's this guy that she's with?
Bradley?
Bradley. Yeah, what's his deal?
He made a documentary about Mayan women,
and it's premiering in Sundance.
Great. So are they fucking?
Are they dating? Like, what's up with it?
My God, just, like, look how she's looking at him.
Oh my God, look at his fuckin' hair. It's beautiful.
Did you really call me out here to talk about Bradley's hair?
No man, I just can't focus when they're here.
Leon's here, and I'm dealing with it.
Really? You're just fine that your face
is all up in his artwork?
That's on me.
[sighs]
Then what-- what happened with you guys, anyways?
I thought you were fine in Asia.
He's a raging egomaniac.
God, I just can't believe she's here, man.
These are, like, my homies.
Hey, do you know this woman, Rosario?
- No, I don't think so. - Hmm.
Dude, who are they talking to?
They're a throuple. Are they a throuple?
- She's a film producer. - They're a throuple.
- They're totally a throuple. - And you know what?
Earlier she approached me,
and she asked if I was working on anything,
and I just kind of panicked, and...
well, I told her I was doing a project about the punks
in Myanmar.
Dude, it was like, she was like,
always talking about, like, let's have a threesome.
Let's like, bring some other people in,
and maybe it would've worked, and shit.
I'm sure she's fucking doing all that shit
with Bradley now.
What the fuck, man?
You know what? Maybe it's not a bad idea.
A threesome?
No, a movie about punks.
What punks?
In Myanmar.
Oh yeah, you posted some of that on Instagram, didn't you?
- Yeah. - Yeah, it was pretty cool.
They look pretty cool, those guys.
- Hi. - What are you doing here?
I'm just chilling.
You shouldn't trust this guy.
I've gotta get a longer wig.
Okay, uh, do you wanna get out of here?
You can tell me about your doc.
It's a narrative.
Oh, a narrative?
Oh, that sounds cool. With the punks?
Well, they already have a documentary made about them.
This would be like a narrative feature.
Great, uh, yeah, let's go have a drink.
You can tell me about it. I'm like, super into it.
- Really? - Yeah, it sounds cool as shit.
[electronic music playing]
Bradley Johnson.
He's so photogenic.
Oh my God, look at his hair.
And an activist.
Would you call him a social justice warrior?
Yeah, totally. Jojo? Yeah.
No, dude, Bradley.
I'm talking about Jojo in Myanmar.
Fuck.
Damn, this city is too fucking small.
Yeah, I know, I'm so over it.
[sighs heavily]
Okay, let's do it.
Do what?
Let's make a movie.
- Are you serious? - Yeah, 100 percent.
Wait, what's it about?
Um, I don't know.
Um, Myanmar, punks, and...
Great, great, great. Uh, and what's the title?
Are they looking at me?
"Street Punks?"
Yeah, I love it, I love it.
Um-- [clears throat] I'm gonna start an Instagram page
so that, uh, we can sort of get the ball rolling here.
- [indistinct] - Mhmm.
This is my idea.
- Uh-huh. - You know you have this tendency
to just take over projects, and I--
Look, all right, that was Leon.
I wanted to use your script, dude.
Script.
I need to write a script.
Dude, fuck a script.
We just need to get there.
Soon.
Yeah, I hear you but the thing is,
I-- I got a job and I can't just pack up and leave.
- And do like you. - [Yamil] Do you see good hair
Sundance Bradley over there?
Yeah, you're gonna have to make a choice, Maja.
He woke up one day, he quit his shitty barista job
and he went and made a kick-ass movie, all right?
And now he's got the girl, okay?
We need to be more like Bradley.
Fine, let's do it.
Okay great, let's get the fuck out of here.
Mimi's?
No dude, Malaysia.
Here's to street punks of Yangon.
[mother] I don't know what more I can do.
I try to get her to apply herself
but I walk past her room
and there she is at her computer
with her damn headphones on making beats.
I try to tell her she won't get anywhere in life
if she flunk out of high school.
But she won't listen.
I think it seems to me that Miles really is passionate
about what she's doing
and that's kind of rare
and maybe we should be more encouraging.
I mean, you know, grades are not everything.
Excuse me?
I'm not saying she should drop out or anything like that,
obviously, it's just...
it's easy to lose sight of your dreams
and, you know, just get stuck.
While she still has that passion in her,
I think it's important she puts really hard work
into what truly sets her on fire.
What the hell are you talking about?
What are we doing here?
[mother speaking Polish]
[chill synth music]
You look very familiar to me.
In fact I feel like you are me.
You have my same nose.
Those are my eyes.
God damn it, those are my eyes.
How'd you do that?
Dude that's Edward Sharpe.
- You got a beard. - We should talk to him.
- About what? - What do you mean about what?
You think it's a coincidence that we're at this empty bar
and Edward Sharpe is there performing for us?
Dude, we need to talk to him about the movie.
He's a rock star.
He's gonna want to get involved in a movie
that deals with punks on the other side of the world.
So we just go up to him and start pitching the movie?
Exactly.
Okay, well, how do we go about that?
Easy.
[cheering]
Uh, so what's your movie about?
Oh, it's a day in the life of this punk rocker
that I just mentioned walking down the streets of Yangon.
Have you seen Permanent Vacation,
Jim Jarmusch's first film?
It's like that but in Yangon.
- Ah. - Yeah.
That's a Russian accent, right?
- Polish. - Ah. Ah.
- So. - Hey.
- You gonna score it? - Right, no.
Because I'm-- I'm working on--
I-- I'm-- I'm making my own movie.
- Oh, sweet. - Yeah.
Wait, what's it about?
You know poetry.
- This moment for instance. - Mm-hmm.
The two of us.
Filmmakers.
It's beautiful getting to know each other
and yet I know
that just in a few moments
you guys are gonna get up and leave, right?
And I'm gonna be stuck here by myself.
And yet that's not happening now, that's happening then.
But I know that it's going to happen.
And that crushes me and yet it makes me cherish
this moment all the more and that is poetry.
Yeah, you wrote a script?
No, fuck no.
Fuck scripts. I'll show you.
I have a, uh, I have a thing.
I have a-- I have a clip that I put together.
Yeah, the fucking internet is terrible here.
We don't actually need to see it, you can just tell us.
No, no, I-- I-- I edited it and you know,
truly I need an editor but I-- I am using iMovie and--
Oh, dude I know iMovie.
- Really? - Yeah, I can totally help you.
- [sighs] - [Maja] What?
And what about your movie?
- I can do both. - I already told you about it.
What do you mean you could do both?
Maja, we just quit our jobs.
So, we can make my movie in Yungon.
- Okay. - Oh, now it's your movie?
Uh, you know, if you're trying to move
to another project, then yeah.
Maja, I just said I could do both.
Exactly, because you can never just commit yourself
to something and that's what it takes to make a movie.
To really focus and follow through.
Yeah, I should have fucking known it
because, you know, you've done the same with Elise.
Cliff, what's the internet in here?
Babe, have you seen my keys?
I don't think so.
Do you want some millet?
Hm, no, I have to go.
- Oh. - How are you? You good?
Well, I started writing down this movie idea
that I have but it's not really making sense.
Where are you going? Can I come with?
Um, yeah, if you want to come help me counsel a classroom
full of young women about how it's practically impossible
to get an abortion in the state of Louisiana
and how their reproductive rights are being stripped
from them by men in power who hate women then you can come.
[sighs]
Where are my keys?
Oh, um, let's see.
There they are. Right there.
Sometimes you just stop, you take a breath,
what you're looking for is right in front of you.
- All right. - [Maja] See you tonight?
Yeah.
Just keep going for it, baby, you're gonna find it.
- Bye. - Bye.
[door closing]
[ethereal synth music]
[drum beat kicking in]
[electric guitar coming in]
♪
[knocking]
Hey.
- You hungry? - I ate.
Okay, um.
Okay, so I had this thought, right? Um...
Wouldn't you say what you're doing is really
just extraordinary?
What do you mean?
You know, like, you're making this movie with the punks on
the other side of the world.
I mean, it's next level shit.
- I guess. - Yeah!
And so then the thought was,
why don't we document this whole process?
Of me going to Myanmar and stuff?
Exactly. Of you making your movie.
I mean, like, why not? Right?
I guess, sure.
Yeah. Awesome, because I brought my guys.
Hey guys.
And let's shoot tonight.
Okay. Damn, we're gonna need more light, right?
Great.
Okay, so.
What's the plan?
- [video camera beeps, whirs] - To write a script.
I have to, um, send it over to that producer...
- Okay. - ...in a week.
Cool. All right, great. You guys can set up.
We can get some shots of that.
So you wanna talk about last night?
[beep]
Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to actually.
Um...
Maya,
after last night, I really...
understand how important it is
for me to commit to this project,
and really see it to the end.
Um. [clears throat]
I'm trying here, okay?
I... I believe in it.
I believe in you and I want to
make this movie. Your movie, okay?
And... I don't know, I don't want to stop until
we see those punks up on the big screen you know?
So.
What do you say?
Let's make this movie.
- [laughing] - Okay. So, step number one.
[chewing, slurping]
Can you stop chewing?
Sorry.
Stay in your flow, stay in your zone.
That's what's up.
You know it's been an hour.
Well, did you think that writing the script was gonna be
interesting to film?
Maja, you're not even writing over there.
Well, yeah, 'cause this whole thing, this situation is not
really helping my, you know, creative thing.
Wait, can you make sure you bring the boom down a bit?
I want to get this line.
You're being ridiculous.
No, what's ridiculous is you in this room in New Orleans
trying to write a script about a movie that
takes place on the other side of the world.
- That's actually true. - I know.
But, you know, we're here now,
so let's figure out what can we do.
I was gonna save this for later.
[rustling]
What is it?
- What's that? - The tickets to Yangon baby.
Okay, but... we need more than just
tickets to make a movie.
I know, that's why I got us a meeting with
a potential investor tomorrow.
Really? Who?
[Maja] Yes of course.
Actually, wait, 'cause my buddy's here.
Um.
- Hey. - This is Yamil. Jojo.
How you doing? Nice to meet you.
- No. - No. No, no, no, no, no, no.
Absolutely not. Mm-mm.
Never, ever, ever, ever.
What is that supposed to mean?
Uh, he's the producer of the movie.
Okay.
Maybe I'll call you tomorrow.
I'll talk about it all.
Yes, okay.
And I'll see you very, very soon.
Bye.
[Maja] Mm-hmm.
So, um, should I take my shirt off?
At least he takes directions well.
[laughing] Oh, you know I just found this in your kitchen.
Oh, Tequila! Let's celebrate.
Yes. Also, do you think I can crash here because
my place kind of fell through for the night?
- I don't know. - Great! Slumber party.
- Uh. Can you open it? - Let me.
[hard rock music]
[indistinct lyrics]
[breathing heavily]
[birds chirping]
[Maja] This place?
Yeah.
You sure this guy is ready?
Of course, dude. Ian's like a punk legend,
all right? Don't be judging no book by its cover.
Come on.
- [man] Babe, come on. - [woman] I'm fucking done.
- [man] Don't do this. - [woman] No, I'm doing this.
[man] Come on. I'm lost in the dark without you.
[woman] No, I'm done!
Foxy. Come on, babe.
Come back inside.
I'll make us tacos.
No, I am so done with feeding you all my shit
and you're just like rejecting all my ideas!
Yeah, only when they don't work.
Oh, you are such an egomaniac, you know that?
Literally nobody even gives a shit what some old
- white man has to say anyway. - [scoffing]
Yeah, that's why I have you in the band.
Fuck you.
Come on.
Roxy.
[scoffing] Whatever dude she'll be back.
- What's up man? - [Yamil] Hey.
Oh, you got a smoke?
Uh, I just quit.
Shit, uh, I think I got some in here.
Somewhere.
Shit.
Fucking Roxy.
Man...
She keeps calling this "my band," like... [scoffing]
it's our band, baby, right?
I mean, yeah, I write the songs,
I fucking do all the artwork,
I book the tours, but, you know,
who to see-- who do people come to see right?
I blew through all my cash
booking this three night tour we got
starting tomorrow morning
and if we don't hit the road and she doesn't come back,
what the hell am I supposed to do, you know?
Fuck.
You sing?
No.
Perfect.
[hard rock music]
- ♪ Baby I'm lost ♪ - Sing with me.
♪ Lost in the dark ♪
Come on, a little louder.
♪ I'm lost ♪
- Sing! - ♪ Lost in the dark ♪
Can't hear your voice, baby, I wanna hear it.
♪ I'm lost ♪
- Louder! - ♪ Lost in the dark ♪
I still don't feel like you're feeling it.
I wanna hear it from the bottom of your soul!
♪ I'm so lost ♪
- Louder! - ♪ Lost in the dark ♪
Come on, baby! Gotta feel it!
All the way, let's do it!
♪ I am lost ♪
♪ Lost in the dark ♪
Yeah, I don't think this is gonna work.
Sorry, babe.
Uh, I'll just, I'll call her.
It's cool.
I got some of the leads.
[soft meditative instrumental]
Honestly, the whole Hollywood experience
nearly destroyed my Shakti.
If it weren't for my awakening
I might not be here today.
Awakening?
Shané, please clear the space.
It happened in Bali.
I was meditating in a flower
bath when Golenka first entered my body.
Is he an actor?
She, is my spiritual guide from the beyond.
My sexy shaman.
Well, we are actually here to
also tell you a little bit about the work we're doing
which is the movie.
Ah!
Yamil had mentioned that it takes place in Burma.
Uh, Myanmar.
It's what it goes by these days.
Golenka has told me that I might have a purpose there.
Maybe this is serendipitous.
- [Yamil] Yeah. - [Maja] Totally.
I assume it has something to do with Buddhism?
Well, um, not really.
It's, um, about Burmese punk rockers.
Well it's also a story about, um, an awakening.
How so?
Uh, well the-- the main character is this woman and
she, uh, finds her celestial oneness by
spending time with this, uh, Burmese...
[clears throat] ...monk.
Monk or punk?
Um, it's one of those, sort of like,
you know she starts off as a monk and then becomes a punk
and then goes back to being a monk.
Intriguing.
But I haven't acted in years.
Oh, but you'll be-- you'll be
absolutely incredible in this
and I mean you look just unbelievable.
I'll have to discuss this with Golenka.
Of course, of course.
Which reminds me,
if I am not deep in Samadhi by sundown,
I will be an absolute Sheela na Gig.
[laughing]
Yeah.
[soft gong ding]
Enjoy the food in the house.
Shané would like the company.
He gets a little lonely when I
drift away into the astral plane.
- You can leave the script with him.
I insist that he pre-read all of my offers.
Great, we will, and thank you again so much, Laura,
for meeting with us.
Really nice meeting you.
We may have met before, actually.
Golenka tells me that we were lovers in ancient India
before your husband beheaded you.
[distant screaming, splashing]
[thudding]
[sighs] Fuck.
So, uh, Shané.
Just call me Shane, dude.
Okay, Shane.
Um, so Shane,
we actually don't have our script
with us here right now but we can come back.
[mumbling] Oh, no, that-- that's fine.
We're not gonna be doing this project.
What do you mean? Why?
Look, level with me here.
You-- You came here to
see if she would invest your money, right?
- Uh-- - Well, I mean, a little,
but we also really want her to act in the film.
Here's what she's gonna say to that:
there are three types of people who invest in film.
Family, friends, and fools.
Isn't that cute?
- Yamil. - Hm?
What the hell was that?
Yeah I don't think she's gonna bite.
It's okay, I got some other leads.
No, I mean the stuff that you said about the monks.
I mean, that has nothing to do with my story.
What story?
[door unlatching]
[soft flute playing]
Roman Polanski.
What's your take on all that?
That controversy.
It's complicated.
He's a great director.
Got quite a legacy to live up to.
Polanski, Kieslowski, Sulawski.
Agnieszka Holland.
Can't forget the women.
The future's female.
You know, I used to date a Polish girl.
The only time she smiled
was when she orgasmed.
Which was rare.
It would last a second, then it was like poof.
- [Yamil] Damn. - Back to poker face.
So, tell me about this movie.
All right, so we're thinking we want to go to Yangon.
Maybe you should let the director speak.
Maja?
The movie.
Um...
It's about a Burmese punk rocker in Yangon,
but it really is about the city itself.
You know how it's still stuck in the past and it's tradition.
But at the same time, rapidly changing.
Internet.
Imagine a sunset above Yangon river
and all those little wooden boats
taking people to the other shore
at the end of the day of work.
You have food stands with steaming samosas.
Smells so good.
[Maja] You have stray dogs everywhere sniffing trash
and there is this old man with a blue typewriter.
- Just typing away. - Finishing up his novel.
A string of baby nuns passes in their pink robes.
And then the punks are sitting on a median,
drinking whiskey.
Playing music.
Pink nuns.
Blue typewriter.
Samosas.
Stray dogs.
We could explore a part of the world
that nobody has ever seen before.
And with the punks,
it's kind of a fresh hook, you know?
Exactly, right?
I mean I just want to capture the mood and the atmosphere
more than anything else.
Minimal dialogue. Images.
Like Antonioni.
- Yeah. - It's a brisky point.
The desert orgy scene.
It's one of the most sublime moments in cinema.
I like the explosion in the end.
Wait, there's a desert orgy?
I need to watch this.
You thought that blow up was so boring.
- Oh, it's the same director? - Yeah.
No, it's kind of slow.
You know, I just thought it was sexist.
Well, that's how movies used to be.
Slow.
Or allow silences to last.
You know, shots lingering.
Yeah, you know, some of my favorite movies are those
where barely anything happens.
[indistinct]
She's a keeper.
I'm in.
[Yamil] What do you mean? Like?
I'd like to invest in this film.
Really?
Wow.
Okay, so...
how do we make it official?
Oh, we can go through all the legalities later.
For now...
let's have another drink.
The thing is, I've got to teach in 20 minutes.
And what are you, a teacher or a director?
[hard rock instrumental]
We're making a movie!
What do we get? Oh.
- You want some? - Oh, yeah. Let's drink it.
- Hey. - Hi.
Can we please be on your Instagram?
Because we're making our movie and we love you.
- [clerk] Yes. - Thank you so much.
We're making our movie!
Yeah.
[Maja and Yamil laughing]
♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, ready or not ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, oy, oy, oy ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, ready or not ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, oy, oy, oy ♪
[indistinct lyrics]
♪ Why street punx, fuck it when I die ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, ready or not ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, oy, oy, oy ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, ready or not ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, oy, oy, oy ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, ready or not ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, why, why, why ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, ready or not ♪
♪ Street punx, street punx, why, why, why ♪
Well, I came here for a gig and I love it here,
So, I figured, what the heck, I'm going to stay.
Amazing. Um, do you have a place?
I'm couch surfing at Kelly's right now.
Because, you know, uh, I'm actually, uh...
I should sublet my room
because I'm going to Asia, to Yangon,
for a few months to shoot a movie.
And, I don't know, would you be interested?
- Yes. - Yeah?
- Where is it? - It's in Amerity.
I love that neighborhood.
Yes, you should move in.
Do you have your own bathroom?
- Yes. - Oh, my gosh!
I have a few boxes, but I don't have anything.
I don't have sheets or towels.
No, no, you can use all of my stuff.
- I love it here! - Yeah!
- Can I come tomorrow? - Yes!
I'll bring my boxes.
[thumping electronic music]
♪
[Maja] Yamil, I'm going to go dance.
This is really happening.
It's really happening, Maja.
I know.
We're making a movie.
We're making a movie so soon.
I mean, we're making a movie right now.
Yeah, I mean, so soon.
You were the only person in the whole world
that believed in this vision.
I believe it. I believe it.
I love you for that.
I need you to-- I need you to hear me out, okay?
That even if this doesn't turn out how we think it's going to,
it's still going to be really beautiful and amazing.
I know, of course.
Like, even if it's not what you're expecting.
Nothing is ever what you expect.
That's the beautiful-- That's what's beautiful about it.
Cool. So, you get it, right?
- I get it. - Okay.
- Of course, I get it. - I knew you would.
- I love you. - I love you too.
Can I get a hug?
Yeah, of course.
I feel so good right now.
[techno music playing]
[crowd cheers]
[crowd chattering]
Woo!
[crowd cheers]
♪♪♪
Hi, Janice. This is Maja.
I'm just calling to let you know
that I'm still not feeling well.
Yeah, I don't think I'm going to be able
to come today at all.
That's okay.
Michael, thank you so much. I really appreciate this.
Oh, my Maja! Ah, it's okay.
[indistinct]
Just one, one. Ah, two.
Okay, I got it. Ah!
[gasp] I love this room.
I love this room.
I didn't go to sleep. I was just feeling really energized.
So I went to Polly's. I had some grits.
I had one mimosa.
And then I just walked right over here.
It's so close to Polly's. It's incredible.
Amanda let me in. I love her.
I'm obsessed with her. Best first impression ever.
She actually said she would help me with the boxes,
but I was just feeling really a lot of fire in my glutes,
and I was just like, girl, I got this.
So I just, I almost tripped.
I made it. I lost two boxes, but I did it.
And what the heck?
Your bed is like a freaking cloud.
Ah!
I feel like if you decided to stay,
then we would both just fit in this bed just fine.
I feel like you would barely know that I was here.
But on the walk over here, I just was feeling really full.
I was just feeling like, oh, just like a water balloon
about to burst because I really, really,
really have to go to the bathroom.
Can I use your bathroom?
Oh, my gosh. My own bathroom.
I love your bathroom. I love your taste.
I love--
When I take off my pants now,
it's just like glitter comes out.
Last night when we were on the dance floor,
I had this vision that we were mermaids,
and I felt like our hair was just wafting
through the water and everything was like...
[hums]
You know like when you're underwater
and everything feels like it's slow motion?
I can't go.
I feel like I'm having a little bit of anxiety.
I need to turn on the water.
You know like when you turn on the water,
it sounds like a waterfall, especially
because the acoustics in the bathroom are so good.
It's just like...
Ah!
Thanks, Jojo.
I actually have to run soon to talk to someone about the film.
Yeah.
Jojo, I'm so very excited.
We're going to do this movie together, are you?
I already got the tickets.
Hey. Is Sidhu around?
[door closes]
[piano music playing in the room]
[Sidhu] So...
I have some ideas.
I just jotted down some possible plot lines
you know, to get the story moving.
What if...
Jojo gets in trouble with the Burmese mafia?
Also, I googled Yangon.
I mean, this place is so...
unique.
So untouched.
It's a great time to get in there before it all gets ruined.
Oh.
How tired are you of directing?
- What? - I mean, my buddy Spike's been
wanting to make a movie out there forever.
- Spike Lee? - Jones.
- Three Kings. - Yeah.
Apparently, he even knows about the punks.
They're so hot right now.
Um, I'm definitely going to have to direct my own movie.
- That's not negotiable. - Okay, you're committed.
I just wanted to check.
That's great. I respect that.
Ah... one other thought.
Why punks?
Hmm. I think they're fascinating.
Umm, you know, these guys creating
this alternative culture over
there that goes beyond the religious, umm...
And plus, it's true.
The whole scene is incredibly cinematic.
Okay, you use this word a lot. But what does it mean, really?
I mean, isn't cinema more than just surfaces?
It is. Isn't it?
I mean, what's the deeper theme here?
What do these punks symbolize?
I want to show how these guys have courage to be themselves.
Um...
- And, um... - [sniffles]
Create their own personal revolution.
Okay, but how?
What's the story? What happens?
It's not a plot-driven movie.
So we're gonna go over there
and let the whole thing unfold organically.
It's like you said. Nothing happens.
Well, it's not that nothing happens.
It's just that what's not happening is more important
than what happens.
Okay, well, what's the point, then?
- Does there have to be a point? - Exactly.
- Like the whole, like, what's - the-point-of-life thing.
I mean, maybe life doesn't have a point, but a movie should.
True.
Well, um...
I believe that.
Cinema's supposed to ask questions rather than...
answer them.
Okay, hear me out.
What if the movie's not about the punks, per se?
What if it's about a young, attractive tourist
that gets swept up in the Burmese underground punk scene?
- I could get Chloe to do it. - Sevigny?
No, Chloe Moritz.
She's one of my best friends.
What if she falls in love with one of them, right?
She's bored, trapped in her hotel room
in Yangon until she meets one of the punks.
What if we cast Scarlett Johansson
and have her connect with an aging actor
who's also trapped in Yangon shooting a commercial?
Now you're talking. I love this.
Okay, what if the main character is a filmmaker
and she's kind of like Maja?
I like it.
This movie's not about me.
I mean, it could be.
I mean, isn't every story we tell ultimately our own?
I'm not sure if I believe that.
- Oh, Maja. - [pouring drink]
What's wrong with centering it around someone like you?
MAYA: Um...
Nothing's wrong. It's just that I'd rather
give voice to those who don't have a platform to be heard.
- That's valid. - Yeah.
Well, who are you to give them a voice?
And if you're giving it to them, isn't it your voice anyway?
I mean, maybe you want to make this movie about these punks
because it's easier than having to face yourself.
I don't think so.
Well, then tell me.
What's fueling you?
You want to be a director because it sounds sexy and cool?
Or do you have something to say?
Yeah, I have plenty to say.
Like what?
If I could just say it,
I wouldn't have to be making a movie about it.
[laughing]
Such a cop-out.
This is good. This is good, y'all.
We're getting a conversation started, right?
You know, we don't have to make any decisions today, right?
We're just sort of three collaborators.
This is more than just about your movie.
This is about your life's purpose.
If you can't face the mirror,
I'm not sure you can ever really be an artist.
[sniffing]
Why can't you do your own coke?
Excuse me?
Why do you need her to feed it to you?
Do we have a problem here?
[chuckling]
Oh... [clearing throat]
Now, you'll have to excuse me.
I have to take a shit.
What the fuck?
Where else are we going to get some fucking money like this?
Just look at this place. Are you kidding me?
[sighing]
Good job, Yamil.
You lined up a meeting
with the biggest misogynist asshole.
I didn't think it was that bad.
Now, let's be real, Maja,
what have you done for the movie?
Excuse me? Are you fucking kidding me?
I went to Asia and met the punks.
[laughing] Yeah.
So you can have your, like, punk boy, cybersex thing,
but that's not making a movie.
What the fuck do you know about making movies
in the first place?
I'm making one right now.
- [chuckling] - Like those guys? Really?
Well, good luck,
'cause I quit.
[Yamil chuckles]
[slow building dissonant music]
[street din]
♪
[music stops]
[conversation in Spanish]
[sighs]
[engine turning over]
[somber guitar music]
[lyrics unclear]
♪
Hey! Hey.
Oh, I'd hug you, but you look a little wet.
What are you doing here?
Well, I tried to call, but your phone was dead, so I...
Well, anyway, I figured we haven't hung out
in a while and I could, you know, take you out to dinner.
I don't know about that.
What are you...
Come on, Maja.
Come on.
[chucking]
You know, I just started getting paranoid
that everyone around me is an actor.
Like some kind of nightmare.
It's just like, oh, my God, is this water real?
[Chuckling]
What about this cheese? [chuckling]
What about the wine?
I think you should check the wine.
- I should? - You should.
You should make sure.
Yeah, the wine's real.
But yeah, fuck this shit, I'm telling you.
All right. It's a big mess.
Mm-hmm.
But the entire time we dated,
I struggled to find
the real you on camera.
- Like the essence. - [scoffing]
- Oh, come on! - Are you fucking kidding me?
The essence of me?
- Did you just really say that? - I did.
You remember that movie that we did with the bats
and the bathrobe where we were under that bridge and you fell?
[chuckling]
Oh, my God.
It was horrible, but it was great.
But hear me out.
Maybe Yamil has succeeded
in showing a side of you that even I haven't seen.
You know, your drive, your passion.
You're taking big risks.
You quit your job.
This is a real journey as an artist,
and it's compelling and it's intriguing.
And it could be a true feminist movie.
You fucking talked to him?
No, we didn't...
He might have run into me last week,
and we might have, like, he might have showed me
some-- some-- some clips, but...
Dude, what is going on?
I can't do this anymore.
I'm so sorry.
I... This was not my idea.
I-- I did not... It was not-- [stammering]
Shut up.
Maja.
I'm sorry.
I didn't want this to play out this way.
And I really care about you. You know that, right?
Like, I really do.
You're my friend.
And we can still make something beautiful together.
I'm sorry. I really am.
[camera clattering, smashing]
Fuck.
[Maja sobbing quietly]
Sit up.
Babe.
[somber music plays in background]
Take some deep breaths.
Do you think I'm a failure?
[scoffing] Of course not.
It's Yamil.
He's...
He flits around like a butterfly from flower to flower,
and he never follows through on anything,
and you don't have time for that bullshit.
Right? You have a movie to finish.
Or... To start.
[yawning]
Hey.
The matcha's making me more sleepy.
Oh.
Well, this is...
I gotta finish it before tomorrow.
It's too much. I got an idea.
And you will. You will finish, but here.
Come sit here. Sit with me.
Okay.
[laughing]
That's not the exercise.
Here's the exercise.
Take a deep breath in.
[long inhale]
[loud vocalizing]
Or something along those lines, okay?
You take a deep breath,
you let the sound out, and put some movement with it.
Ready? Deep breath.
[long inhale]
[loud vocalizing]
[both croaking]
- Another one. Deep breath. - [long inhale]
[high-pitched vocalizing]
Yeah, yeah. I'm the captain of my own ship.
Say that.
I'm the captain of my own ship.
Yeah, say it again, like you mean it.
I'm the captain of my own ship.
I'm the fucking captain of my own fucking ship.
I'm the own...
- I'm the... - Yeah!
I'm the owner of the fucking ship.
I'm the fucking owner of my own ship.
Yeah, that's right.
I'm the captain of my own ship, motherfucker.
I-- [chuckling] I'm the own...
- I'm the-- - I'm the owner of the boat.
[laughing] Okay.
I'm the owner of the ship.
- Fuck you, motherfucker. - Fuck you too, "cap'n."
Damn. Sit down.
Sit down here.
Yeah. Okay.
Now, take a deep breath.
[inhaling]
And let it out.
Let your eyes close.
And...
what do you see?
What is the first thing that you see?
[bells softly clanging]
[birds squawking]
♪
[waves splashing]
[soft percussion joins]
♪
These photos are really cool.
Yeah. I'm sure there's a story in there.
Maybe. Let's talk about you.
Your accent-- don't tell me.
My ex is from there.
Ukraine. Poland.
I've been to Poland a few times for the American Film Festival.
It's in, uh... God, just one sec.
Wroclaw.
- [phone ringing] - Oh.
I need to take this.
That's it.
I know.
I took her to this bar. I brought her here.
She knows that this is our spot.
She knows this is where all the homies hang out.
And of course she's gonna come here
and hit on some other woman.
I bet she's with another woman.
I don't care if you're here as loyal or jealous
because I am and you're here for it.
And that's okay.
Everyone is looking up at everybody else
and, like, looking for somebody else in this town.
And it's like...
[paper rustling]
[door creaks]
[vibrant jazz music]
[dramatic jazz music]
♪
[funky pop music]
♪
[eerie tones]
♪
Do you think I should go?
[small motor whirring]
♪
[rocket jets roaring]
[soft rumbling]
[street din]
[crowd din]
[motorcycle rumbling]
[cutlery clattering]
[restaurant din]
[street din]
[dissonant music]
♪
[music fades]
[conversation in other language]
[speaking other language]
[phone ringing]
[Maja] Yeah?
I would love for you to be able to do that.
I know.
But we get to stay in touch.
- Yeah. - Get to still connect.
Yeah.
Wow.
I love you very much.
And I can't wait to see you.
We will.
[Maja chuckles]
I do.
But you decided to stay in Myanmar.
Yes.
[driving punk rock music]
♪♪
[lyrics in another language]
♪
[music fades]
[steady low rock music]
♪