Hope & Justice

My entry explores Asian American standards on school and how it affects mental health.

This film is about me struggling with understanding why I do the things I do, not giving myself credit for the hard work that I put into every aspect of my life. about me putting myself down because I think that the things I do have no significance or purpose. When coming up with an idea for directing change, I felt very lost. It felt like I needed to come up with this groundbreaking and astonishing idea that every person would understand and be blown away by. Because of this, I stalled for a very long time, I was stuck. I was stuck in my same routine of work that felt endless. So, that’s what I decided to make the film about, about not being able to fully understand what my purpose is, and throughout the process of making this filmed I realized that because of all of this, I truly stopped loving myself. I stopped loving who I am. This film was extremely eye opening to me in many ways, such as understanding its okay to not fully understand your purpose, or to learn that your actions have impact, that they truly matter. And this is what I hope people can take from this film. You should love yourself regardless of where you are at or where you might think you’re going, and that its okay to feel stuck, because at the end of the day, everyone is trying to figure life out.

My film shows a teen girl struggling with the idea of sharing how much she loves her step-mother. She’s not afraid to tell her, but afraid of the response she would get back, what if this person she sees as her mother cannot think or say the same for this child she had adopted into her life? Instead of speaking with words, she writes what she feels. The weight of unspoken words affects their self-identity and whether they should even send this letter. This story highlights the challenges of being honest with the ones you love, inviting the audience to reflect on their own struggles with true communication.

This entry is for the people that are too scared to vote and aren’t informed of what voting effects. Many people ask for a lot for the community which causes them to blame individuals that have no control. It’s a problem that we have social media to inform others about election and teach them the importance of it. As future voter we need to educate them and vise versa. It’s important to take account how this effect not just a small part of the county party but more then that it effect me as a student.

I’ve always struggled with feeling comfortable in my identity because of the way my hair looks compared to those around me. It’s caused me a lot anxiety and stress. I’ve learned though, that over time, my hair is apart of me. Not something to perfect or change as to conform into a mold of how others should perceive me. It’s something I should embrace, simply for myself. Through this short film, I describe this inner turmoil I face everyday. I voice the thoughts that constantly run through my head, even when I appear normal to others. In this piece I show the ways I have found myself to be more comfortable in my skin, or more specifically my hair. Seeing my mom with her own unique hair, and talking with others who also share the same feelings allowed to me to realize I’m not alone.

My submission follows my anchor which falls into digital media, specifically film and documenting. All of my life, I’ve always felt that every misfortune that I’ve had to bear would forever be out of my control and that I had to live with that misery by itself, but my anchor and the new things I discovered, gave me something to smile about, and something to bring me comfort and a smile at least in what could be the hardest times of my life.

Our film follows a teenage girl who is struggling under academic pressure and high expectations, questioning her worth. She finds hope during this hard time when she is reminded that there is beauty in everyday interactions, keeping in mind that the scope of one kind gestures is greater than expected.

Hey You is a short film going with the monthly prompt Never a Bother. It’s a film showing the viewers that not only friends are there for you but teachers and adults on campus. It’s under 60 seconds and we used classmates, our teacher, and office staff to have a moment to talk to the audience.

Our submission is about feeling stuck in a routine, and how having a friend that supports you can give you the hope you need to go through your day.

Life is hard enough, but we have to continue to combat issues that shouldn’t exist to begin with. My submission is about racism.