What inspired you to tell the story of Alina, a lonely Chinese international student?

It’s definitely inspired by my own experience of being abroad, but it’s not a complete reflection, as I’m normally happy being in solitude. But once in a while, there is a sense of emptiness. I definitely have a lot of friends who are going through mental health problems because of this. I wanted to capture that sense, that emotion through my camera, the mixing of music, as well as the narration.

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What influenced the setting and imagery of the film?

In my first year of university, I studied in the UK, and in that time I went to a lot of major cities, such as London, Rome, Paris. I also took a course about cinema and the city. I came to realize how the rise of modernity and urbanism can lead to personal alienation, so in this film I wanted to place my character in this metropolis scenario and have her personal reflections contrast with the image of the city. The city itself is a character, it’s a witness to her loneliness and her journey.

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What interests you the most about film and filmmaking?

Film nowadays is very democratic, at least more than it was 5 years ago. It’s very accessible. It both allows us to document reality as well as experiment with it. Film is a technology where everyone can use it, and everyone can tell a different story.

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What has the reception been like?

Most people have really liked my film, especially those who share the same background and experiences. A friend of mine, after watching the premiere, approached me and said “thank you for telling this story”. Stuff like that gives me the confidence to create more and become more confident in my own voice.

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What are you working on right now?

For my Master’s research, I’m looking at indie film houses and how they are valued in their communities. I’m currently planning on crafting a short film where I look at COVID from the perspective of the people who own and operate [these cinemas]. What challenges have they been through since we first went into lockdown? I want to capture humanity and tell a story that makes sense to our current age. And I hope that I can make a difference.

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How has the pandemic affected your ability to work as a filmmaker?

The reality is that people are still making films, despite the challenges imposed by the pandemic. I made a documentary video over the summer that was supposed to shoot in Havana, but our trip was cancelled, so I had to work from Zoom interviews and archival pictures. I didn’t think it would be possible to make, but I’ve discovered that working is possible, it just requires extra considerations. [This experience] has allowed me to approach filmmaking in a different way. I believe that in the next few months and years, there will be more films coming out based on Zoom. People have started to experiment with the limitation of resources. The pandemic has challenged us to just work with what we have.

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Check out Roy’s other work on his website!​

 

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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