Through the Working Heart of Rio

Raised by an immigrant family in diverse working-class communities, I have learned the art of story-telling from the journeys of my elders. From a young age, my heroes have been those so often unheard or unseen that defy our world's limits, be they national borders, geographical feats or societal norms.

Today I have had the opportunity to travel myself, always with camera and microphone in hand to document the humble sacrifices of those who make up the complicated, heavy-beating heart of our world. My own parents who fled communist China in pursuit of an American dream, Muslim community leaders in suburban Paris who inspired a network of openly religious high schools, office-boy Guarací who traverses the sprawling countryside of Rio de Janeiro daily to provide for his family. And now, this opportunity to capture the Colombian Pacific, a region that I studied in college and long dreamed of filming with its geographical and ethnic diversity. Fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese (as well as French and Mandarin Chinese), I am ready to engage with the local population through their own perspectives.

I strongly believe that this documentary scholarship with mentor Brian Rapsey will sharpen my filmmaking skills within a challenging, deeply beautiful context. I have much to learn before I can call myself a professional documentary filmmaker, but my determination to capture the stories hidden throughout our world with honest clarity keeps me in pursuit of the next journey.