Miramonte Senior Raul Dial co-stars in “Dìdi (弟弟),” a film directed by Academy-Award-nominated director Sean Wang. The movie won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival and opened in theaters on July 26.
Miramonte student Raul Dial made his acting debut at age nine, starring as Charlie Bucket in a junior production of “Willy Wonka.” He never dreamed that, less than a decade later, he would appear onstage at the Sundance Film Festival as the co-star of an acclaimed indie
film.
Yet that’s exactly where Dial found himself in January, when he and the cast and crew of “Dìdi (薳薳),” a coming-of-age film inspired by writer/director Sean Wang’s life, were honored with the highly prestigious Audience Award.
Out of dozens of independent films screened at the festival, “Dìdi (薳薳)” was voted the most beloved by audiences, joining the ranks of renowned films such as 1989’s “Sex, Lies and Videotape” and “CODA,” the latter of which also won the 2021 Academy Award for Best
Picture.
Like Charlie Bucket himself, Dial – who had previously acted only in school productions – was plucked from relative obscurity for this extraordinary opportunity and adventure. While the three main leads were professional actors, the rest of the cast were unknowns, chosen from about 600 auditions over the course of several months.
When asked why he chose Dial from the many actors who auditioned, Wang, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2023 for his documentary short, “Nai Nai and Wài Pó,” said: “We cast Raul because he’s super cool, funny, and has an effortless charisma that bleeds off the screen, which is what we needed for the character.”
Dial’s parents, Katherine, an Information Technology Pharmacist, and dad, Shaun, a business owner, encouraged all his interests growing up – as well as those of his two brothers, Aidan (19, a student at Columbia University) and Mateo (11, a middle schooler at OIS).
Dial is also working toward becoming an Eagle Scout and is on the Miramonte varsity golf team – but acting is something for which he has a particular passion.
“Acting has always been very fun for me,” said Dial. “I’ve always loved the excitement and nervousness right before performing. I kind of get butterflies in my stomach before I go on stage or on set, and then I just give it my all.”
“Dìdi (薳薳),” which also won a Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Cast at Sundance, was acquired by Focus Features and released in theaters on July 26.
How did you find out about this movie and how were you cast in it?
My preschool teacher, who is Taiwanese and from Fremont [like director Wang], posted about this open casting call on Facebook for an Asian American film being filmed in her hometown. My mom happened to see that post and asked me, “Do you want to go for this
role?
Of course I did. The first submission consisted of a few photos and a short video. After that, there were multiple callbacks and video submissions, and eventually I met the director and casting director over Zoom and the lead actor. After maybe four or five months of callbacks, I got the role.
What was the filming process?
We started filming at the end of July last year and finished about a month later. It was a huge team effort and each job on set really is as important as the next one. It was my first movie, so I really got to learn a lot about the filmmaking process. I met Izaac [Wang] and Aaron [Chang] who are my best friends in the movie and now, in real life, we’re also best friends.
What was Sundance like?
Actually, before this film I didn’t know too much about Sundance. I’d never watched any Sundance films. It was extremely fun to be there and cool to see the movie we all worked so hard on.
Did you meet any stars?
I met Xolo Maridueña, who plays Blue Beetle and Miguel in “Cobra Kai.”
What was the most difficult part of the experience?
The toughest part for me was the whole thing ending when we finished filming. I got really close with all these people, the cast and crew. I saw them every single day for like, 12 hours a day, and then it’s kind of over at some point. I don’t really live near them, so I was a little down for a while – but then I saw them at premieres and film festivals. So we do get to meet every now and again, but that was the most difficult part.
Are you in the running for any other movies or shows right now?
I’m currently auditioning for a few things and I recently talked with
Disney and Netflix, so that’s pretty cool.
You are currently a senior at Miramonte. What are your plans after high school?
I want to go to college and I will probably minor in acting. I do want to pursue acting in my future. I would love to professionally act as an adult. It has been a dream since I’ve been in elementary school, and now I finally feel like it’s within
reach.
