1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

I was born in Taiwan, and I immigrated to Canada when I was 13. When I was a kid I always liked theatre, music and storytelling. One day my mom explained to me there’s a job called “film director,” that’s when the seed was first planted in me. But to be honest, I never knew what filmmaking was really about until I made my first film during university. I was in the film production program and I absolutely fell in love with the process.

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

I always wanted to write a story about one being suffocated by others’ expectations. A few months back, I was approached to make a short as part of a charity anthology film, and the theme we were given was quarantine. Based on my personal experience working from home away from most of my family and friends, being in lockdown is quite suffocating. So I thought to use this chance to tell this story.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

We had a few challenges during the making of the film. One of the biggest being creating a covid safe space during the production. We limited the number of crew and cast to a total of 8 people. Even though the film itself is quite simple, it was still quite challenging to shoot with a small team. We had lots of fun problem solving though! It was also my first time working with VFX and it was definitely a learning experience.  
I’m not sure what the easiest part was - there’s still lots I need to learn. Everything that happened from pre-production to post production was a learning experience to me!

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

 I saw Nomadland by Chloe Zhao at the Toronto International Film Festival a few weeks ago. It is an achingly beautiful piece with incredible performance by Frances McDormand. The film takes you on a long journey of both warm and cold places. You never know what is waiting for you at the end of the road, just like the characters in the film. You see the joy and warmth of the nomadic way of life, but on the other side, lies loneliness and struggles. With the mix of documentary and fictionalized styles, it is an intriguing character study piece.

5) What’s next for you? 

 I’m trying to focus more on writing at the moment. Currently, I’m writing a few projects, and the one I’m most excited about is a feature script called Sitting Bird (席地鳥).

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