Talking ‘Rez Comedy’ With Co-Directors Quentin Lee And Keith Nahanee

They say laughter is the best medicine, and right now the world could use all the chuckles it can get. Luckily, this Valentine’s Day, Rez Comedy is becoming available on TVOD. Marketed as “the first original Indigenous stand-up comedy movie,” here’s what co-directors Quentin Lee and Keith Nahanee had to say about the special and the perseverance it took to get it made:

Rachel Bellwoar: I saw one of the episodes of Comedy Invasion you directed, Quentin, was Keith’s. Is that how you first met or had you known each other before that?

Quentin Lee: Yes, I met Keith on the set of Comedy Invasion, and immediately after we wrapped, he invited me to his reservation and drove me around. As we talked in his car, we began discussing the idea of creating an exclusive show for Indigenous comics, and that’s how Rez Comedy was born.

Keith Nahanee: Yes, Comedy Invasion is when we first met in person. Before that, I only knew Quentin over the phone; actually, the first time he called me I thought he had the wrong number. I live in Vancouver, British Columbia and Quentin lives in Los Angeles, California. So when the phone number did Los Angeles I wasn’t even going to answer it. Then when I did answer it I thought it was a prank. That would be quite the prank calling from Los Angeles.

Bellwoar: Like Comedy Invasion, Rez Comedy was originally intended as a docuseries. What was the process like of reconceiving the series as a film?

Lee: Well, it was incredibly challenging, as we had to produce the feature film with only a twentieth of the series’ budget. However, having been born into the world of ultra-low-budget filmmaking, I embraced the challenge and led the team to create Rez Comedy as a true indie film on a minimal budget.

Nahanee: It was a little more pressure because we were led like everything was pretty much a go and then the funding was turned to a red light. I wanted to stop, but Quentin wanted to keep going.

Bellwoar: How did you choose the line-up and location for this special and is it a show you’d been doing already or was this film how you were able to bring all this talent together?

Lee: We worked with casting director Judy Lee to cast the series, which was ultimately dropped from production. We decided to make the feature film specifically to honor our vision and the comics we had cast.

Nahanee: Some of the comedians I already knew and knew they had what I was looking for. Others came up and when all the comedians submitted their videos we watched all of them. Then three of us discussed and picked who is now on Rez Comedy.

Bellwoar: Having also directed the LGBTQ+ comedy special, Laugh Proud, Quentin, what do you think is the key to filming stand-up comedy and making it as dynamic on film as it is for the people in the room watching the show?

Lee: The key to dynamic filmmaking is to break the rules you know and improvise beyond everything you’ve learned.

Bellwoar: Was it difficult deciding the order in which the comics went on?

Lee: No, not really. After seeing the comics’ sets, Keith, Cindy [Au Yeung], and I got together to discuss the flow of the series and the order of the comics. It was a super fun and creative process.

Nahanee: It wasn’t too difficult. The three of us talked and almost had the same lineup order. Changed a few, but it was pretty much all agreed.

Bellwoar: Not only did you co-direct this special, Keith, but you’re also the host. Is that a role you enjoy filling or do you prefer performing without the extra pressure?

Nahanee: I love hosting. I get to talk to the audience and play with them. While filming the mic kept going out and we had to stop the cameras and they would fix them. During that time I stayed out there and kept the audience energy up. I also host our monthly Rez Comedy Live here in Vancouver at some of the comedy clubs.

Bellwoar: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Quentin and Keith!

Rez Comedy is available on TVOD on Prime Video starting February 14th.