By Shreya Basu

“We’re a bunch of dreamers that came into town wanting to make believe and never felt like we had a seat at the table.”

This is the sentiment of Sung Kang, the Fast and Furious alum who directs and stars in the new highly-anticipated film Drifter.

On Sept. 18, the cast and crew behind Drifter, premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), came to Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) to give students the opportunity to dive into the world of the car community.

Prior to the panel discussion, moderated by Creative School’s Dean Natalie Álvarez, students were surprised with a screening of the first seven minutes of Drifter.

The title, Drifter, is a nod to the driving technique where the driver deliberately oversteers their vehicle, losing traction while maintaining complete control of their car through a turn.

The film follows the life of Tree, a solitary racetrack janitor with a love for drifting. Tree gets a shot at a professional circuit, but grapples with his tragic past. Under a tough mentor, he learns that talent alone isn’t enough to succeed.

During the panel discussion, actor-writer-director Sung Kang, best known for his role as Han Lue in the Fast & Furious franchise, talked about his own love of drifting and why he felt drawn to creating this story.

“Drifter is a love letter to the amazing car community that has been there [for me]. In my darkest hours, spending time in a garage, going to a car event, I realized that this is a community made up of such amazing human beings,” he said.
Kang said despite the online connections provided by the age of social media, people are in search of community more than ever before.

“When I go to a car event, it does not matter what I look like, what my politics are, or my religion, bank account or social class is, as long as I come with an authentic love for these machines…I am welcomed.”

Producer and longtime collaborator Brian Yang discussed the birth of the idea for Drifter, explaining how Kang was approached by car lovers all over the world. Wherever he went, people wanted to talk cars with him.

“[Kang] has a garage door clicker to everyone’s garage. That privilege is something we wanted to lean into,” said Yang.

For editor and co-producer, Lam Nguyen, and director of photography, Bruce Thierry Chung, to the choice to work on the film was a no-brainer for them. They spoke to the life Kang’s writing breathed into the script and the vulnerability that shone through the pages.

“Sung brings out this curiosity and wanting to discover when you work with him,” said Chung.

A student attendee asked about cars serving as characters in the movie and navigating the balance of portraying both human and mechanical characters. For this, Kang credited Nyugen with the idea of associating animals with each car.

“That influenced how he was able to bring those cars to life… he would put these really loud animal noises that gave each car a distinct voice or energy,” Kang said.

In the wake of the event, student attendees expressed feeling motivated and hopeful for their futures.

Hannah Schermann, a third-year creative industries student, said the event was informative and inspiring as a student hoping to work in the media industry.

“I think [they] showed us that there is still hope, especially in this climate that is ever challenging, when we’re competing with each other, AI and all sorts of adversities,” she said.