Inside The World of THE TAYLOR FILES with Director Maya Bastian and Showrunner Karl Janisse
Consisting of the action-packed single player game Unknown 9: Awakening, a three-part novel series (Genesis), a twelve issue comic book series (Torment), a narrative podcast (Out of Sight) and two dramatic web series (Passage and The Taylor Files), Reflector Entertainment and Bandai Namco Entertainment’s diverse Unknown 9 transmedia project compellingly delves into the mysteries of supernatural powers, secret societies and human nature through stories that play out in fascinating and often historic worlds.
The second part of Unknown 9’s episodic component is the Vietnam War-era thriller The Taylor Files, directed and co-written by Maya Bastian, co-written/co-produced by Karl Janisse, and connected to characters from both the novels and the game it originated from.
Its 30 episodes (all streaming on Unknown 9’s web page, link below) are built around the investigations of American CIA agent/neuropsychologist Dr. Waylan Taylor (introduced in the U9 books, played in Files by Heath Harper), whose questioning of an unusually gifted group of POW’s (prisoners of war) reveals to him not just the stunning psychic powers that they’ve inhabited but also the potential — and risk — of those powers on their peers and the world.
As Dr. Taylor’s interrogations of and experiments on those prisoners involve and later concern fellow agents Emerson Vang (played by Sydney Viengluang) and Hans Kraus (another character from the Unknown 9 novel trilogy, portrayed in the series by Corey MacIntosh), the team’s activities and discoveries are under the purview of a shadowy consortium called the Ascendants, one of many organizations fighting for power in the Unknown 9 universe, and one that seeks to profit from the success of Dr. Taylor’s high-tech and reality-bending human tests.
While their subjects’ powers are associated with a fantastic alternate universe known as The Fold, that universe also ties to missing inventor Emilio Matos (introduced in Unknown 9: Awakening), a man who, if found, might reveal everything about the extraordinary yet unexplained psychic skills of the captured prisoners, and how their skills may tie to the conflict between the Ascendants and those who rival them.
Their professional missions aside, Waylan and Emerson’s family situations prove to be equally tragic: Waylan’s late father William (Daved Wilkins) haunts his son as much as the circumstances of his death do, while Emerson goes head-to-head and heart-to-heart with the cryptic shaman who guards the otherworldly son she abandoned, Kao (Arthur Chang),
The production of The Taylor Files was not only an effort that demonstrated the storytelling possibilities of the Unknown 9 multiverse in episodic form, but it was also a project that brought healing to new generations of Southeast Asian actors and filmmakers whose families were — and still are — traumatized by the violence and torture perpetrated against them by American and communist military units during the Vietnam War.
As Janisse and Bastian recently told me, The Taylor Files’ strong American/Southeast Asian cast, and its compelling true-to-life representation of the Laotian and Hmong communities who survived the psychological and physical destruction of one of the 20th century’s most catastrophic conflicts, make the series both an arresting sci-fi thriller and a remembrance of the Vietnam War that pays respect to the survivors of the event more realistically than past American-centered dramatizations have.
Chris Hadley: What (and/or who) inspired you to create The Taylor Files?
Karl Janisse (producer/showrunner/co-writer, The Taylor Files): Reflector Entertainment approached me in late 2020 to pitch some show concepts to them that fit within their Unknown 9 storyworld. They loved the initial pitches but wanted more focus — 1975, CIA, paranormal activity. I lived and worked across Southeast Asia for 18 months in 2018 and 2019 and became very familiar with the relatively untold stories of the “secret war” in Laos that coincided with the much more well-known conflict in Vietnam.
When Reflector (now Bandai Namco) said they were looking for a show with a unique story no one had seen or heard before, that involved the CIA in 1975 — I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to help shed some light on what happened there and help bring some awareness to audiences. My first call was to my longtime creative collaborator, Maya Bastian, and we shaped the pitch that ended up becoming the show.
Maya Bastian (director/co-writer, The Taylor Files): When Karl approached me with the basis of the show, I really wanted to bring in a female lead and some additional culture. Karl’s suggestion that we set it in Southeast Asia was so inspired because neither of us had ever seen a series set during this tumultuous time and place in history. Reflector really gave us a lot of leeway here, and the result is really a wild ride of a show that tells the story of the region through the eyes of the people on the ground.
CH: How did you develop the concept, story and characters for this series?
KJ: Reflector/Bandai knew where they wanted the story to end, and who our main focus was in the mystery, (so) we took up the research to get there. (We began) diving into texts, historical accounts, voice recordings, CIA training manuals — all to learn more about this very secretive time in world history. Writing the scripts was an exciting and lengthy process. We started (the process) by staffing the writer’s room, at first (by) looking to hire English-speaking, professional screenwriters from the Laos/Hmong community.
Realizing (that) the talent pool was small and already tapped and unavailable, we sought to expand our search, eventually finding the amazing (writer) Jasper Chen and then bringing onboard a team of incredible cultural and historical advisors and guides from the Hmong and Lao communities who helped us shape the story.
MB: There are so many incredible characters in this series! A lot of them were based on CIA documents and (on) the deep research we did into the regional conflicts. For example, the Russian spy character Katarina (played by Kasia Pilewicz) was based on a CIA-documented Russian spy named Nina Kulagina who could purportedly move things with her mind. Other characters such as Kosal (Mony Pal), a Cambodian journalist who hypnotizes people, or Arthit (Amery Ken Thao), the blind monk, came out of many fun discussions we had in the writers room.
We knew we didn’t have a limitless budget so we confined a lot of the scenes to the interrogation facilities which meant the characters really had to shine. Then we added some fun set pieces like the cave or “the fold” which felt epic in scale but were achievable with the budget we had.
CH: What did you both do to make The Taylor Files stand out story, mood and style-wise from the other parts of the Unknown 9 multiverse?
MB: We drew inspiration from the U9 materials, but (we) also knew we wanted to make something completely unique. While Karl and I both love interrogation series, we wanted this show to have a moody, paranormal tone. The main set is an old warehouse with a grimy patina and we had a lot of fun filling it with technology and paraphernalia from the 1970’s. The story itself is dark — lots of torture, intrigue and callous behavior so we kept the colors muted in tone and used focused light sources to create hard shadows. I wanted it to feel like the 1970’s but not to the point where it alienated viewers.
So the trick was to bring in these interesting set pieces — for example, the psycholograph, which is a steampunk-like invention that allows two people to traverse each other’s memories. Building that world — the world of memory and spirit — was a real blast. We played with color a lot in these moments — (such as) the blue light of the psycholograph (and) the red fabric waving in the wind in Emerson’s memories — to bring about a distinct difference from the moody interior of the interrogation scenes. It’s a vividly beautiful show and at times it has a very cinematic feel. Karl and I are frequent collaborators and our work is often about pushing cinematic boundaries and creating powerful visual motifs.
CH: How did you find the show’s cast — especially the Southeast Asian talent you worked with — and what was it like working with them?
KJ: Our casting process was pretty unique, Maya and I championed from the beginning that each character needed to be represented accurately within their culture and ethnicity — meaning, a Cambodian actor for a Cambodian character, etc. We knew this show would touch on really sensitive and potentially traumatic subjects from the past and wanted to make sure that our characters represented reality as best as possible.
To accomplish that, we reached out within different Southeast Asian acting communities online and in-person, and had help from (the series’) casting director Brian Sounalath. We even put calls out for performers to Hmong cultural centers in L.A., Sacramento and Minnesota.
MB: It was really a challenge. We found out pretty quickly that we couldn’t go the traditional casting director route. Most casting directors we contacted had no idea where to find Southeast Asian talent. Thank goodness for Brian, who is really in touch with the community.
The casting process was involved because there are so many day players, but it was one of my favorite parts of the job. We had Corey MacIntosh (who plays Hans Kraus) read for the role of Waylan Taylor initially, but when we saw him we knew immediately that he would be perfect for Hans, he just had this perfectly evil and callous quality.
(For) some of our actors, such as Pachia Vang (who portrays mute spiritualist Huab) and Mony Pal, it was their first time acting in anything. Working with the two kids in the show, Ella Vang (as the young shaman Xov) and Arthur Chang (as Kao) was an incredible treat. Both of them had barely acted but they just showed up with such depth and grace. Their eyes tell a thousand stories.
All of our actors brought their A game and were fantastic to work with — even when we put them in weird torture contraptions! Sydney Viengluang (Emerson) was a real champ because she had to cry or be emotionally tortured in so many scenes — she really went to some intense places, which was powerful to witness.
CH: Given the show’s historical subject matter and the psychological and physical trauma that American and communist military troops inflicted on Laotians during the Vietnam War, what did you do to not just accurately portray their stories through the actors but also through the narrative of the series itself?
MB: Karl and I have made it our mission to help underrepresented stories come to light. It’s definitely a big responsibility because you want to ensure that you’re not harming the actors or the community in the process. Personally, I believe that storytelling has the ability to heal. So we approached it from that perspective, how can we help this community heal and how can we bear witness to the devastation that they faced? We began with deep research and consultation with Lao community leaders, academics and artists. These consultants were with us the whole way and helped guide us through the writing and on set.
We focused heavily on accuracy right down to the costumes and sets. The use of archival footage from the time period felt very important to the story as well. It brings so much truthful emotion to the stories that the characters are telling and grounds the series in reality. As Karl mentioned earlier, accuracy in casting was a big deal for us as well. For decades, people would casually cast a Chinese actor in a Korean role, etc. We refused to do this and (we) were committed to ensuring that our actors properly represented the roles they were playing.
CH: How did you help the series’ Southeast Asian actors and crew to process the trauma that they and older generations have experienced and are experiencing since the end of the Vietnam War, and in what ways did those actors process it through their performances?
MB: I found it very powerful to work with the Southeast Asian actors, particularly because most of them are just one generation removed from these events. In many cases, their parents and grandparents were affected by the very same incidents that we were detailing. Taking the time to check in with people, sitting and listening to their fears and their stories — this is all part of the process. I didn’t want to just be a director. I felt it was important that I was a friend and guide through some difficult moments.
Each actor deals with this in their own way, and it’s important to get to know each person on an individual level so you can give them whatever it is they need in the moment. I’ve found that if actors can be nurtured through these emotions, then they will channel it into their performance. You can see that in our show.
One such moment (in the series) is when Mony (as Kosal) has just been tortured and is talking about what happened to his people. It’s such a moving performance, (and) his tears and frustration feel real. To me, this is what storytelling can do. It can release communal demons and bring breath and light into the darkest of places.
CH: Since previous films and TV series have inaccurately presented the stories and culture of Southeast Asians who lived through the Vietnam War, what steps did you take to make sure that both were presented accurately and respectfully in this series?
MB: This is something I have been working at for a long time. I’ve spent the last two decades exploring untold stories from around the world and integrating the voices of each unique community through active engagement, research and open dialogue. What this means is that we take extreme care and spend a lot of time listening and witnessing. It means de-centering yourself in what is normally a very ego-driven industry. Karl and I have had many conversations about how to do this and it’s not always perfect, but with each project we take on we learn and grow from our mistakes.
Spending time within these communities was a big factor here. Karl spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia, particularly in Laos, and (he) was deeply affected by what he saw there. We engaged with the Thai and Lao communities here as well, and tried to be mindful about the ways we approached them. Non-extractive storytelling is the key here and it’s something I learned from my time working as a journalist in conflict zones. We were never in this to take the story away from these people. Our motivation is to get to know them, to create lasting connections and to help steward them towards healing.
CH: In working with the Southeast Asian members of the show’s cast, what did you do to ensure that their culture and their experiences were depicted both accurately and sensitively during each of their scenes?
MB: Culture was an evolving conversation throughout the making of this show. We consulted a lot of resources and people, and never stopped in our quest to ensure cultural accuracy. The cast was a great help here too, as they were given a voice to let us know when something didn’t feel, look or sound correct. Our Hmong props were brought in from Minnesota, where the biggest population of Hmong Lao people live in America. The Hmong shaman in the show (Chia Youyee Vang, who plays Chee) is an actual Hmong shaman, and she consulted with us on how ceremonies are conducted.
When Amery Ken (who played the Thai monk in the show) saw the robe we got for him, he was thrilled — as he had been in so many roles where his costuming was fake and completely inaccurate to his culture. That robe was bought by me from a Thai temple in Los Angeles. I spent time hanging with the Thai elders there and they shared so many stories. I think creating sensitivity around a culture that is not your own really comes from learning and understanding what makes that culture unique. Spending time with its elders and doing your diligence to find the small details that highlight why each culture is so special.
CH: While preparing the story and characters for the series, you also researched stories of Southeast Asians who survived the Vietnam War. What was that part of the production process like, what were some of the more fascinating stories you learned about, and in what ways (if any) did those stories influence the characters you created for this series?
MB: The region was just full of so many fascinating stories. Mysticism, paranormal activity, ghost stories, weird CIA initiatives….we had a lot of fun researching. There’s a lot of things that made it into the show — but so many that didn’t! “Operation Wandering Soul”, for example, is a real U.S. military technique that they used to confuse and frighten Viet Cong soldiers during the Vietnam War. They would pipe in audio in Vietnamese of “ghosts” throughout the jungle.
One of the things that didn’t make it into the show was the legend of the “Rock Apes” which were gorilla-like men that soldiers reportedly saw outside of their base camps at night. We really couldn’t have fit all the stories in if we tried! It was fun to delve into paranormal stories from this part of the world, which we don’t often see in the Western narrative. We loved learning about shamanic practices from the region. For example: the dead pig ceremony in the show is a Hmong healing ceremony that is still practiced today.
CH: You also worked with members of the Laotian community across a multitude of spectrums — the performing arts, academia and non-profit organizations among them. What did they contribute to this project in terms of its production, its story, your work with the actors, and your efforts to ensure an accurate portrayal of the Southeast Asian experience in the Vietnam War?
MB: Our Lao consultants were truly amazing. They really held our hand throughout the process and taught us so much about their beautiful culture. We began consulting with them right from the research stage and as such many of our scripts were heavily informed by them. They also introduced us to the cast and some, like Daniel Lee (the series’ Hmong cultural consultant) were present on set every single day.
Their contributions were huge — I truly don’t think we would have ever made this (series) without them. One of our consultants, Ova Sapoeng, is this wonderful force in the Lao community and was immensely helpful. They were so generous with their time and stories. The whole production felt like magic from day one.
CH: Part of that outreach includes a mentorship program for Southeast Asian filmmakers, actors and crew members. Describe how that worked on this production, as well as the program’s ongoing efforts to nurture up-and-coming Southeast Asian talents on both sides of the camera.
KJ: The concept was first shared by Maya and myself in the early days of staffing the writers’ room, purely because we were unable to find candidates with enough training and experience to come on-board from many of the communities being represented in the show. We knew that if that was the case, then this would be a great training and mentorship opportunity for folks looking to get that kind of experience and get hired into those roles.
We brought this pitch to Reflector, who supported it with enough funds for two honorariums to offer to two mentees, Lana Nguyen and Scott Sayasithsena, who shadowed under Maya and myself for the entirety of production learning series directing and producing, respectively.
MB: It was very important for us to build opportunities for young Southeast Asian talent. I mean, why not? Reflector had a DEI (diversity/equity/inclusion) fund that supported this and they were happy to help out. Budgets for films are usually large enough to create these opportunities and I would love to see more productions enacting this.
CH: What was the filming process like for the series?
MB: It wasn’t always easy. It was a big cast, a ton of sets and a very short time and small budget to do it in, and it was a period piece!! We honestly learned so much from the process. Thank goodness for our amazing crew who were such professionals. We had to move very fast to get everything we needed and everyone facilitated that. Aakash Raj, our DP (director of photography), is a super pro who was the most calming force on the set. He kept things grounded when the chaos was swirling.
While it wasn’t easy, it was also a lot of fun. Karl is a great producer, he jokes and laughs with everyone and brings a lot of joy to the set. I felt (and still feel) a lot of love for so many of our cast and crew. I think everyone felt this special thing that we were trying to do, and people just arrived you know? They showed up and gave it their all — which is really special.
CH: What do you feel makes this show unique not just from other suspense/sci-fi web series, but also from movies and series that have only presented the American side of the Vietnam War experience?
KJ: A few things about The Taylor Files really make it stand out: firstly, we didn’t want this to be about glorifying conflict or pain, and with that, we chose not to script any scenes where gun fighting or warfare would be shown on-screen (outside of archival footage). Secondly, we tried to accurately portray how disorganized and mis-handled the conflict was from the American side of the war. I think a lot of Vietnam war films use violence and gore to grab their audiences and show Americans as troubled altruists, and we really wanted to give the driver’s seat of empathy to Emerson and her search for her missing son.
MB: Adding to what Karl said, this show is really a wild ride. It has crazy twists and turns, it goes into realms that haven’t been represented on screen before and it’s visually lush. We steered clear of the typical “trauma porn” and tried to tell an engaging mystery series that delves deep into first-person narratives of what this war was actually like from the people’s POV.
CH: How has creating and working on this project impacted you — not just professionally but also personally?
KJ: I can say without reservation this has been the most impactful project I have ever worked on at this point in my career. We shot in three countries, combed (thousands) of hours of archived footage and unearthed never before heard stories from knowledge holders in communities around the world. We got to offer care, consideration, compensation and a voice to people who haven’t had a chance to tell their piece of this story before. Tears were shed. It was truly a labour of love and care for all involved to work through what was an exceptionally traumatic piece of world history.
MB: This was one of the most exceptional experiences of my life. I’ve spent a lot of time in the documentary world, but narrative fiction is where my heart is. Getting to tell true stories through this unique story world was a real treat. It was my first time working with a bigger studio and building sets from the ground up. I dream of making bigger films and it feels like this was a step in that direction. Personally, I learned a lot about trauma-informed storytelling in the fiction space and I connected deeply with so many of our cast and crew. I made friends for life, and had such special bonding moments throughout the process.
CH: What have you both taken away from the experience of making this series?
KJ: Besides friends, colleagues, a sense of pride and amazing memories — my biggest takeaway from making The Taylor Files was the power of how magical a project can become when you involve a community at the ground level of a project, include them in the writing and storytelling process, get their sign-off when pursuing scene changes and ultimately share with the world something yet unseen and unheard. It has the power to change lives, as it has truly changed mine.
MB: I’ve learned what it takes to truly hold the trauma and pain of a whole community in our hands. I’ve learned that I can also heal while helping others heal. I’ve learned what I’m capable of on so many levels, and I’ve taken away a sense of understanding that it takes a village to create something of power and presence. We all did this together, it was a challenging but deeply transformative communal experience.
CH: What do you hope audiences take away from watching this show, and are there any plans for it to continue in one form or another?
KJ: While the storytelling in The Taylor Files, for all its great intentions, had to follow the creative arc laid out for us by Reflector and Bandai Namco, we were only able to explore some of the storylines we wished for. I really hope this show pushes audience members to research these true stories on their own, and find more of the truth that is hidden in this world.
MB: I would love audiences to recognize and understand the impacts of colonization and imperialism on the world. We see in the show how the CIA and the KGB did so much harm to the region, and that US interests interfered and created a maelstrom of violence for so many people. This is nothing new, it happens everywhere and is happening in many countries as we speak. There are so many fractured communities — in Congo, Palestine, Sudan, all throughout South America. The indifference that the West has to this is really astounding.
It’s important to delve deeper into these issues and to connect them globally. I really hope this show is just a stepping stone for people to see how fascism impacts us all, and to know that the stories we are often told by the media and our own governments are not entirely truthful. The truth for me comes from the people on the ground, the ones who are most impacted. Look there and you’ll hopefully find solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.
NOTE: Though The Taylor Files contains foreign-language subtitles in certain scenes, the full series is not currently closed-captioned.
Watch all 30 episodes of The Taylor Files here:
