{{Short description|Canadian director and writer}} {{Infobox person | name = Danny Wu | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|3|2}} | birth_place = Chengdu, China | occupation = Filmmaker | years_active = 2019-present }}
'''Danny Wu''' (born March 2, 1996)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Danny Wu, director of American: An Odyssey to 1947, discusses Orson Welles and political and cultural life in the US in the 1930s and '40s |url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/04/10/apad-a10.html |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=World Socialist Web Site |language=en}}</ref> is a Canadian director and writer. He is best known for directing ''American: An Odyssey to 1947'' which was placed on Jonathan Rosenbaum’s list for "best films of 2022."<ref>{{Cite web |title=My Entry for Roger Koza’s 2022 Cinephilia Poll {{!}} Jonathan Rosenbaum |url=https://jonathanrosenbaum.net/2022/12/my-entry-for-roger-kozas-2022-cinephilia-poll-posted-on-december29-at-https-ojos-abiertos-blogspot-com/ |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=jonathanrosenbaum.net}}</ref>
== Early life == Danny Wu was born in Chengdu, China on March 2, 1996, but immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 7.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Why a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker chose to stay in China - China.org.cn |url=http://www.china.org.cn/arts/2020-04/28/content_75986973.htm |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=www.china.org.cn}}</ref> In high school, Wu dreamed of being a professional basketball player, while he also worked as a magician.<ref name=":1" /> During the pandemic, Wu stayed in Chengdu with his family and created a 22-minute short program titled “My Life in China during the Pandemic.” The project was subsequently broadcast by CNN affiliate N1.<ref name=":0" />
== Career == Danny Wu's first film ''Square One'' was released in 2019 on Prime Video.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-08 |title=Square One to be on Amazon Prime in the US and UK |url=https://www.mjvibe.com/square-one-to-be-on-amazon-prime-in-the-us-and-uk/ |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=MJVibe |language=en-US}}</ref> In describing Wu's style, critic Josiah Teal for Film threat wrote that “Wu paces the documentary almost like an A24 film…the vibe of tension and release creates a mood much closer to something like The Lobster than a typical celebrity documentary.” <ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-22 |title=Square One {{!}} Film Threat |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/square-one/ |access-date=2023-04-21 |language=en-US}}</ref>
''American: An Odyssey to 1947'' was Wu's first film to enter the film festival circuit. It features a collection of stories leading to the year 1947, most notably about the politics of Orson Welles.<ref>{{Cite web |last=wellesnet |date=2022-09-12 |title='American' director talks Orson Welles, politics |url=https://www.wellesnet.com/american-director-talks-orson-welles-politics/ |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=Wellesnet {{!}} Orson Welles Web Resource |language=en-US}}</ref> The film screened at the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival in 2023, and was placed on Jonathan Rosenbaum's list for best films of the year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-07 |title=25ο Φεστιβάλ Ντοκιμαντέρ Θεσσαλονίκης / Όλα όσα είδαμε |url=https://www.avgi.gr/tehnes/441492_ola-osa-eidame |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=Αυγή |language=el}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=American: An Odyssey to 1947 |url=https://www.filmfestival.gr/en/section-tdf/movie/1266/14785 |access-date=2023-04-21 |language=en-gb}}</ref> In addition it was also screened at the Austin Film Festival, and the It's All True International Documentary Festival.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-02 |title=“American: An Odyssey to 1947” Profiles Orson Welles at Austin Film Festival |url=https://weeklywilson.com/american-an-odyssey-to-1947-profiles-orson-welles-at-austin-film-festival/ |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=Weekly Wilson - Blog of Author Connie C. Wilson |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=É Tudo Verdade / It's All True - Filme - American: An Odyssey to 1947 |url=http://etudoverdade.com.br/br/filme/50498-American-An-Odyssey-to-1947 |access-date=2023-04-21 |website=etudoverdade.com.br}}</ref> In a review by David Walsh for WSWS, he describes that “In a short period of time, he has developed an important understanding of some of the most vexing problems of the mid-20th century.” Walsh claimed the film as evidence that “a new generation of artists, free from the cynicism and many of the prejudices of the past several decades, is emerging.”<ref name=":1" />
== References == {{Reflist}}<!--Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations.--> <references responsive="1"></references>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wu, Danny}} Category:Canadian documentary film directors Category:Film directors from Vancouver Category:Asian-Canadian filmmakers Category:Living people Category:1996 births