Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alison Wu. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I found a passion for film halfway through my undergrad degree and decided to pivot from my plan of becoming a researcher in our local university to pursuing film in LA. It was quite a dramatic shift coming from a girl who grew up in a town where filmmaking was not “a real job”. So naturally I wonder sometimes what it would be like to stick to my original plan and to have a “regular job”, and that curiosity grows stronger when I’m feeling homesick or having a hard time at work. But to quote my lovely mentor Jeremy Deneau, “we’re filmmakers, we’re not saving lives here, we’re in it because we love it”. And it’s true, whenever I get into a good flow – whether it’s connecting with actors in rehearsals, working out a good cut in edit, or figuring out a solution in post sound – I get to have a moment of inner peace and satisfaction, which is the reason of my career change in the first place.

Alison, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey Canvas Rebel readers! I’m Sifan Alison Wu (I usually go by Alison), a Chinese director, editor, and sound designer. I’m a MFA candidate in USC’s Film Production program. I enjoy exploring the topics of mother-daughter relationship, womanhood, hospice care for elders, and queerness through a detail-oriented analytical film lens. My recent films include Home, a peek into the history of mother-daughter conflict; The Limp, an autobiographical exploration of a mythical limp that ties together women from three generations; Devil’s Ivy, a discussion of assisted suicide in the face of traditional Chinese values that dictate otherwise. Home, the short film I directed this year is just starting its festival run, so hopefully we’ll be seeing you in theaters soon! I’m also moving a little into post production as I’m editing a few shorts and doing post sound for an independent documentary this year.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Coming from an international perspective, I’d love to see more financial support for diverse stories and more opportunities for international creatives. I know from firsthand experience that international and immigrant creatives are having a hard time finding work in the film industry, especially in the past few years, even though they are skilled in what they do and can bring something new creatively and culturally to the table.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Elena Ferrante’s books have impacted my creative journey deeply. I fell in love with her writing a few years ago when I came across the then newly-translated-into-Mandarin novel My Brilliant Friend, the first book of her Neapolitan Quartet. It was the first time I’ve seen such an exquisite dissection of mother-daughter relationships and complicated female friendships – to this day, I’m still fascinated by this theme, and my latest short film Home is an exploration of the inability to communicate between mother and daughter. In the months after I finished the Neapolitan novels, I gobbled down her other books as well. One of Ferrante’s interview collections Frantumaglia: A Writer’s Journey also gave me an insight into her creative process, which influenced my own creative approach to writing and directing as well.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ali._.wuu/
• Youtube: https://vimeo.com/user181694739

Image Credits
“Additional Photos” – Poster – Credit: Linnan Liu “Additional Photos” – Still – Credit: Alison Wu