During the 6-month residency at Cité Internationale des Arts, I have gained practical experiences in filmmaking and inspiration from dabbling in other fields of art. In many ways, I feel like entering a more refined state as an artist and as a person.

I was inspired by the cultural variety of my co-residents here, how they work and live is quite different from Taiwan. Back in Taiwan, we often prioritize efficiency. Here in France, people take time to brew ideas and creative details. During my stay, I completed two short films. One of it is a short documentary called “The Horrible Thirty: Me, My Father and Richard the Tiger”, a piece in memory of my late father. It was premiered at the 2018 Taiwan International Documentary Festival, and broadcasted on Taiwan Public Television Service. The other one is a fiction short “942” within the international omnibus project “Ten Years Taiwan”. It depicts labor issues of migrant workers in Taiwan. It was also premiered in Taiwan and nominated for the Taipei Film Awards. Lastly, I also started writing my feature film, a story taking place in both my hometowns: Taiwan and the Philippines.

Besides my own works, I also participated in several art events. For example, my other previous short documentary “Ching Mei’s Hands” showcased in the Taiwan Film Festival in Paris. I held private screening events for my fellow artists. I also explored being a dancer, actress, and even sound technician in live performances.

I truly appreciated meeting fellow filmmakers and artists from all over the world, especially the many extraordinary young Taiwanese artists during my residency. I look forward to potential collaborations with them in the future. I am also very grateful for having partaken this residency in the midst of personal loss to recharge my creativity and energy in filmmaking and in life. And hopefully next time, I will have the opportunity to immerse myself in the other hometown of mine: the Philippines.