有时候觉得自己像是一只关在笼子里的鸟, 怎么飞也飞不高
Sometimes, I feel like a caged bird, unable to fly away no matter how hard I try
( Scroll down to learn more )
有时候觉得自己像是一只关在笼子里的鸟, 怎么飞也飞不高
Sometimes, I feel like a caged bird, unable to fly away no matter how hard I try
( Scroll down to learn more )
The film explores the complicated dynamics within Asian families, challenges the sexualization of Asian women, portrays the consequences of sexual abuse and the struggle of finding oneself.
LOLA encourages the audience to think about the meaning of self-worth and self-acceptance through the eyes of a teenage girl who was forced to grow up too fast.
It took a while to understand why I need to tell this story. I have written and rewritten this script an innumerable amount of times, each draft bringing me closer to confronting a past that I was desperate to hide for the sake of my family's 'face'.
Born in Taiwan, raised in Malaysia and attending an International School, I've always lived in a space somewhere between worlds. I'm also an only child in a Chinese family of a very specific status, which meant growing up in a bubble that, while intended to nurture and protect me, had a terribly opposite effect. My entire childhood, I was kept isolated and pushed towards a pre-planned life that I wasn't really interested in living.
It wasn't until I discovered photography, and eventually filmmaking, that I found a passion for life I never knew existed. It broke the bubble I had lived in for so long and saved me from a darkness I was pulling around myself that had begun with an unwanted interaction in my past.
When I moved west, I discovered what it was like to be a young asian women in western society - to be sexualized, fetishized, seen as a "desirable object." The way asian women were portrayed in mainstream media provoked a need to probe at the culture of shame and silence that I, and fellow asian women, were accustomed to. We had to open a window into our personal struggles so that others can understand what that feels like.
This is a raw and unflinching story about survival, sexuality, self-awareness and growth. It is the voice of the private untold stories of Asian women, and it is ready to be told. This is our voice.
- Isabella Tan
To see other projects made by the Director, go to her website
Isabella Tan is from South East Asia and is now an aspiring director and cinematographer based out of New York. Her work largely includes directing and shooting short films, music videos, fashion films, documentaries and commercials. She also freelances as a notable fashion portrait photographer. As a visual artist, she creates stories with a sense of surrealism, focusing on conveying the complexity of human emotions.
Daisy Zhou is a filmmaker hailing from Shanghai and Pennsylvania, currently residing in New York. Although she sees herself more as a cinematographer- her inclinations to write from time to time has led her to direct films she is passionate about. Her latest short, How to be a Black Panther screened at Cannes short film corner and garnered attention for its writing and story-telling.
Alex Zou is a Chinese-American filmmaker and photographer. He met his good friends and production company partners through NYU, where he earned his degree in Film & Television Production. As a director, he’s created music videos for artists such as Glassio and Kidepo and is currently in post-production for his independent short shot in Beijing and New York City.
A Los Angeles native, Gracie Markland has been working both in front of and behind the camera since she was 5 years old. Currently a rising Senior at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Film & TV, she's produced numerous student films and worked on many large-scale professional productions in the New York area. She hopes that, one project at a time, she can be a part of the movement to expand opportunities for women in film.
Christin Eve Cato is a native New Yorker with a background in performing arts, playwriting, and production. She is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for Music and Art and the Performing Arts, and of Fordham University. Born and raised in the Bronx, with a Puetro Rican and Jamaican heritage, Christin has a very unique approach to her artistic style. She is the founder of Cambreleng Productions LLC, a production company dedicated to creating films and documentaries based on these principles.
Jason Xiangtian Zheng has done extensive production work in film production, a considerable amount of independent film projects including his very own award-winning experimental films Eat Me and The Looking Glass. Born and raised in Southwest China, educated in Chicago and New York, Xiangtian has a keen interest in fusing the American culture with his Chinese heritage in his artwork.
My name is Lana Boy. I have been working in the film industry for over 8 years now. I currently live in New York but I often go to Paris for film projects.
I am an actress but also an filmmaker, model, and a freelance editor.
We chose seed&spark as our crowd funding platform because they are extremely reliable and film-maker friendly.
OUR SEED & SPARK HAS ENDED BUT PLEASE STILL DONATE TO OUR FILM TO HELP US FINISH IT!