| Two Lies | |
| Director: | Pamela Tom |
| Producer: | Pamela Tom |
| Starring: | Dian Kobayashi Sala Iwamatsu Marie Nakano |
| Music: | James Leary |
| Cinematography: | Gary Tieche |
| Editing: | Pamela Tom |
| Distributor: | Women Make Movies |
| Runtime: | 25 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Two Lies is a 1990 short film directed, produced and written by Pamela Tom and starring Dian Kobayashi, Sala Iwamatsu, and Marie Nakano. The film was shot in black and white and discusses issues like identity, Orientalism, and Blepharoplasty.
The plot of the film focuses on the life of a Chinese American family who struggles with identity. The mother, Doris Chu, has undergone blepharoplasty, or "double eyelid" surgery, and the oldest of two daughters, Mei, has trouble understanding her mother's actions. From her perspective, her mother's two new eyes are equivalent to two lies. On a trip to Cabot's Pueblo Museum off a dusty highway in Southern California, a series of confrontations occur and Mei finally realizes her mother's reasoning. Between the conflicts of Chinese tradition and American ways, the family tries to adapt to their new life in Southern California.
Web site: Two Lies . Internet Movie Database . April 29, 2013.
Web site: Nary a Buddy Cop or Car Chase in UCLA Vision 1990 Festival : Movies: Student filmmakers show a willingness to go against the Hollywood grain. . Kleid . Beth . June 9, 1990 . Los Angeles Times . April 29, 2013.
Web site: Films for the Feminist Classroom . Wang . Lee Ann . 2010 . Signs. April 29, 2013.
Web site: Two Lies . . Women Make Movies . 29 April 2013.