Zoë Chao
Zoë Chao just returned from Austin’s SXSW film fest for the premiere of her film THE TRUE BEAUTY OF BEING BITTEN BY A TICK. She stars alongside Callie Hernandez, Jeremy O. Harris , James Cusati-Moyer. This piece of brilliance was written by all four actprs and directed by Pete Ohs who also stepped in as cinematographer, lighting designer, sound mixer and editor. Scroll on down for our chat with Zoë about the process creating this compelling film, her love of vintage (we captured her many style sides wearing her nana’s hand me downs) latest food cravings, upcoming projects, The Roses and Let’s Have Kids, her visual artist sister Maia, being a Dorito girl, and top bare essentials.
blue polyester jumpsuit from the 60’s zoë’s nana’s
the bare magazine: please fill us in on how the premiere of your film was at SXSW? what was the vibe? what did you wear? did you enjoy the response to it?
Zoë Chao: The energy at SXSW was electric. I had been once before with Kristian Mercados’s If You Were the Last in 2023 but I was really able to soak it up this second time. It is really such a special film festival. For this magical week, an entire city dedicates itself to the celebration of music and independent filmmaking?! Everything and everyone is vibrating. It’s taken me a full week to catch up on sleep.
It was heartwarming to reunite with the Tick cast and once again, live in a house and share meals and help each other get ready to celebrate this project we all wrote together.
Thom Browne dressed us for our premiere. We all channeled our best Doecchi. I have always been a sucker for a proper preppy look and I think his clothes are flattering on everyone. It also felt right that it was specifically Thom Browne, who takes the concept of a uniform and turns it on its head - this group of Tick collaborators is really a team - it’s the closest I’ve come to being part of a collective or a band. And considering our feature film was probably made for the least amount of money in our category, showing up to our premiere in Thom Browne was a plot twist that was deeply satisfying. I think we all identify as scrappy artists and we made this film in a really scrappy way but it’s nice to know, that when it’s time, we can clean up.
bare: can you share a breakdown of the making of the true beauty of being bitten by a tick what drew you in to the project, budget, timeframe to shoot etc
ZC: Pete Ohs reached out to me saying he was going to attempt to make a movie upstate at his friend and collaborator’s rented house over the course of two weeks. All that was really known was that the movie would be about someone getting bitten by a tick. We would write the first three scenes in the AM and then shoot those three scenes in the PM. The next day, we’d write the following three scenes in the morning and shoot them in the afternoon/evening, etc.
Our costumes were from a trip to Goodwill where we discussed characters and relationships. And the food we ate were also props in the scene. Callie’s dog Cherry became Jerry in the film and plays a crucial role in the plot - also does the most nuanced acting in the film. We used what was available to us and didn’t reach for anything we didn’t already have. While we would aim to have a movie by the end, the main event was in coming together - eating, dreaming, sleeping, ideating, and having fun together. And if there was a movie, it would be a memento - proof of these two special weeks where we championed process over product.
I didn’t know the other actors - Callie Hernandez, James Cusati-Moyer, Jeremy O. Harris - but was familiar with their work. I was lucky to see Slave Play written by Jeremy and starring James, before it went to Broadway. And I admired Callie’s performance in Jethica, a movie devised with Pete Ohs using the same process we would be applying to Tick. He has coined this process, “the table of bubbles.” Pete and I had overlapped over the years only three times before I signed onto this experiment but I went off the warm feeling I got when I saw him and the fact that I knew he was close to his parents. It’s always a gamble working like this. It really depends on who you’ve assembled and their chemistry. Will everyone get along? Will people be good at sharing the bathroom? But I’m so glad we all took the leap.
red trench: rachel antonoff
bare: in the indie film world is SXSW very helpful at getting the story out and interest sparked? what's next for the film?
ZC: Yes, every single step in making an independent film is arduous. There are often not enough resources (time and money, etc) and then if you’ve managed to push through and finish it (that, in itself, is a miracle) getting that independent film seen by people who are not just friends and family is also challenging. Film festivals like SXSW are often an indie film’s best chance at getting purchased by someone/something who can distribute that film either in theaters or on a streaming platform. Grateful for SXSW for giving Tick and many other special films a real jumping off platform. It was a dream come true to see it on the big screen and we cannot wait to share it with a broader audience.
bare: you're a known foodie. were there any good southwestern foods enjoyed? what are some current food obsessions?
ZC: Taqueria De Diaz did not disappoint. I had three corn tortilla tacos (carne asada, pastor, nopales asados (grilled cactus)) and they were 10/10.
But otherwise, I regret to say I ate a lot of Lara bars - which are as good as a food bar can be and I thank Karen Gillan for turning me onto them while we were filming a movie (upcoming Let's Have Kids) in Portland. There wasn’t a lot of down time. I also regret missing Barton Springs this time. Top 3 favorite places to swim in the world.
Other food obsessions are: Calbee’s seaweed and salt potato chips are supremely delicious. And any flavor of Doritos. I am a Dorito girl through and through. For better or for worse, they are a big part of my personality.
zoë’s nana’s kaftan
bare: now on to our shoot! can you give us the scoop on all the wonderful hand-me-downs you wore from your grandma? the different eras covered and a bit on your collection of vintage.....love of vintage?
ZC: I grew up on old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers black and white movies my mom loved and was always dressing up with my sister in our grandmothers’ vintage garments. I am so grateful that both of my grandmothers saved their mothers’ clothes as well. My nana, Phebe Chao, who is currently 95 years young, left Shanghai when she was 10 years old and stayed with family members who had a live-in tailor for several years. When it was time for my father to go to college, she sold many of the best dresses to consignment shops to help pay for his tuition but thankfully not all.
On my most recent trip to New Hampshire to visit her, I discovered an old suitcase full of miraculously preserved dresses in her barn. This shoot features some of those pieces - a hand tailored cheongsam from the 1940s/1950s, the blue 1960’s polyester set under Rachel Antonoff’s red patent leather trench most likely belonged to my great grandmother, Anna, who I called Abu. And we think the black and cream polyester qipao might be from the 70s, as is the colorful giraffe mumu that I really think my Nana should wear this summer! It’s so moving to me that I can actually fit into these stunning artifacts and that even though we are a generation apart, we share the same body proportions.
I loved the retro Rachel Antonoff sailor set. It is about to be my summer uniform. Summer clothes can be tricky in my opinion because they often lack structure. New York gets so hot in the summer and you’re often wearing skimpy, structureless, thin, tissue clothing. So I really appreciate the collar and shape of this set. It will give me much needed dimension and a point of view while braving the humidity!
outfit: rachel antonoff shoes: zoë’s nana’s
bare: your new home is so gorgeous. are you planning to enjoy a superb summer in the yard? do you love brooklyn and why?
ZC: I love New York and I love Brooklyn. Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. This place humbles me daily but it reminds me that I am alive. However, I don’t know if I’ll ever know New York. It has so many layers and pockets and corners and sounds and tastes and colors. I kind of appreciate that I still feel decades away from claiming: I am a New Yorker. I think if you’d ask this city, “Do you like Zoë?” It would say, “Who? Chloe? Probably not. Get the fuck outta here with that dumbass question.”
bare: what are some dream projects or characters/genre's you'd love to sink your talented teeth into? any dreamy co-stars or directors you'd like to work with?
ZC: Tick has really reminded me how important working with friends is. Pete knows I’m game for round 2 whenever he is. I want to continue to collaborate with my sister, Maia Chao, who is a visual artist and works with video (among other mediums). I have an idea for us that I’m working on right now… Maybe a Christmas movie! If you had to distill me into two ingredients, I am made of Christmas and Doritos. Would also love to do a cowboy movie. Cowgirl* movie.
bare: please list your current 6 bare essentials.
dress/pumps: vintage zoë’s nana
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