Mama

I asked Mama, the manager of the Korean restaurant, if she was comfortable being the star of a documentary. She was really hesitant at first, but her actions didn't exactly match her words.
At first, she wasn't sure what angle I was going for, which is fair. I had been going to the restaurant for quite some time and I always enjoyed her company. It had become a regular place for me and my girlfriend, plus I had a really good friend living near by.
I told her I would be making a character piece, and I was interested in Mama because of her relationship to the neighborhood, particularly the youth. For example, everyone calls her Mama (and nobody seems to know her real name) and I've seen people come in and hand her gifts and ask for her help.
When I asked her if she wouldn't mind being filmed, I had a camera with me. She initially said no, but she wouldn't mind later. She did say something interesting.
It turns out she is not Korean, like I originally thought. She's Japanese and apparently before starting the restaurant, she used to hate Koreans and Korean food. That sounds like an interesting story.