Be Water

"Before the myth, a life lived."

2020 1h 45m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 60

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1971, after being rejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to his parents’ homeland of Hong Kong to complete four iconic films. Charting his struggles between two worlds, this portrait explores questions of identity and representation through the use of rare archival footage, interviews with loved ones and Bruce’s own writings.

“Before the myth, a life lived.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Bruce Lee
Self (archival)
Linda Lee Cadwell
Self - Wife
Shannon Lee
Self - Daughter
Diana Lee Inosanto
Self - Goddaughter
Sam Ho
Self - Film Critic
Jeff Chang
Self - Cultural Critic / Writer
Andre Morgan
Self - Film Producer
Doug Palmer
Self - Student / Friend

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bao Nguyen
Languages: Cantonese, English
Countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, Vietnam

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 6 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, Vietnam.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bao Nguyen, shot by Caleb Heller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Graham Taylor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell and Shannon Lee carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Before the myth, a life lived.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt11394168 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bao Nguyen directs. Caleb Heller behind the camera. Graham Taylor cuts. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom, Vietnam. Dialogue in Cantonese, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 6 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, English.
3International production across 3 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, Vietnam.
4Directed by Bao Nguyen, shot by Caleb Heller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Graham Taylor shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Bruce Lee and Linda Lee Cadwell and Shannon Lee carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Before the myth, a life lived.".
8IMDB entry: tt11394168 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 60 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "martial arts", "kung fu", "seattle, washington", "biography".