Artist Statement

I’ve taken up several creative hobbies in my life—including drawing, painting, singing, and acting—but from a very young age, I always knew I ultimately wanted to become a filmmaker. Although I have no experience, I have long been developing a repertoire of ideas that I hope to express someday through the art of film. I am endlessly fascinated with Japan and everything Japanese—especially Japanese animation. The best of anime represents innovative filmmaking that exceeds anything manufactured by Hollywood in recent years. This is why my filmmaking approach will be inspired partly by my favorite works of the medium, particularly the movies of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. I hope to direct my own anime films, and to experiment with translating the aesthetics of anime into a live-action setting. I am similarly inspired by the action and sensibility of Chinese martial arts epics. However, the themes of my work will somewhat depart from genre standards, because I will draw on my personal experiences and philosophical musings. Using symbolism and unconventional narrative structure, I’ll question religious dogmatism, expose the false dichotomy of gender roles, fight against homophobia, express hope for a peaceful planet, and explore the paradoxes of existence.