Live from Mexico City

I’m writing this in the heart of Mexico City, on location for the shooting of THE AIR I BREATHE, a film I co-wrote with the director, Jieho Lee. How did this happen?

Back in 2001, Jieho approached me about helping him write a screenplay that would be his directorial debut. The idea was based on a Chinese proverb that broke life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love. Now, over four years later, we’re in Mexico City with a fantastic team of producers, an amazing camera and A.D. staff, a remarkable Mexican crew, and a mind-blowing ensemble cast that features, in alphabetical order, Kevin Bacon, Brendan Fraser, Andy Garcia, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emile Hirsch, and Forest Whitaker.

For Jieho and I, this is our first feature. How in the hell did this happen?

There’s a lot of story to tell. There’s the four years of blood and sweat it took to write the script, package and finance it. Then, there’s the story happening right now, the day-to-day production as this amazing cast breathes life into the words that Jieho and I wrote.
And at the heart of it all is a story of four desperate souls and their adventures in a dangerous world.

I’ll do my best to give you a glimpse into the making of this film. For me, it’s been the ride of my life. Please come along.