Emerging Emerson Filmmakers Shine at San Sebastián International Film Festival
Two talented Emerson filmmakers are making waves on the international stage after their films were selected for the prestigious San Sebastián International Film Festival (SSIFF) last month.
Kai Luo, MFA ’24 and Yinuo “Chloe” Liu ’25 both made films highlighting their respective journeys and artistic growth, and attended the festival. Luo’s Holy Ghost Conversation competed in the NEST category, which is for short films made by international film students. Liu’s Milky White competed in the Zabaltegi-Tabakalera category, which includes selections of the “most varied and surprising films of the year” that have not yet been screened in Spain.
Held annually in the coastal city of San Sebastián, Spain, the festival occurred in late September, and provides a platform for both emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their directorial talent.
Leaving a Comfort Zone Leads to a Holy Ghost
Luo’s Holy Ghost Conversation explores an unlikely friendship and the challenges of documenting truth on screen, offering a unique perspective on relationships and self-representation. The film is a hybrid documentary that tells the story of Luo’s friendship with Hal, a newspaper vendor he met shortly after moving from China to the United States for graduate school.
“I couldn’t find anything to write about or make a film about, so I decided that I should step out of my comfort zone and go on the streets and interview different people. After about a year, I met Hal,” said Luo. “While everyone else maintained boundaries, Hal was open. He has an outgoing personality and we quickly established a connection.”
Instead of presenting a straightforward documentary, Luo chose to reenact their shared experiences, placing himself in front of the camera.
“It was interesting because once I placed myself in front of the camera, everything changed,” said Luo. “The film started to deviate from the script and transformed into more of a documentation of the process, capturing how Hal and I attempted to reenact our story.”
Luo acknowledged that his approach was unconventional and that he faced many uncertainties regarding how everything would unfold.
“It is kind of like creating your own recipe, you don’t know what it is going to look like or taste like,” said Luo. “But that is the way you find your own approach in cooking or in this case making independent films.”
Luo said he struggled with feelings of guilt of how he portrayed both himself and Hal, acknowledging the moral complexities involved.
“It becomes a moral choice – how much honesty you want to have and what reality is. I had to figure out the connection between reality and honesty myself,” shared Lou. “You can try to be more honest about the process or depict the relationship as accurately as you perceive it.”
Ultimately, he recognized that the audience sees constructed personas, creating a gap between perception and reality that is present in all media.
Lou credited Visual & Media Arts Assistant Professor Amy Beecher’s Foundations of Image and Sound Production class for transforming his perspective on art and filmmaking.
“Previously I looked at filmmaking as something standard, like a recipe you follow,” Lou explained. “But after this class it broadened my view as an artist, encouraging me to think differently than what already exists and discover what I truly want to make.”
Inspired by Her Mother
Inspired by her mother’s battle with breast cancer, Liu’s film, Milky White, delves into themes of survival, loss, and resilience, exploring the unlikely bond between a daughter and her family’s cow in the wake of tragedy.
In Milky White, the cow plays a pivotal role as a symbol of the family’s survival and connection to the mother. This allegory draws a deep connection to Liu’s own experience with her mother’s battle with breast cancer during COVID.
“I was shocked and scared, unsure of what to do,” said Liu. “It got to the point where we feared she wouldn’t make it.”
The emotional turmoil and fear Liu experienced during this challenging time became the foundation of the film’s narrative.
“I had this story in my head starting with the death of the mother and the daughter’s journey to overcome it,” said Liu.
Liu credits her mother, a producer, for encouraging her to attend Emerson and pursue a career as a director.
“I was really afraid of getting into the film industry because of all the challenges my mother faced as a producer,” shared Liu. “Originally, I wanted to pursue being an actress, but she had a strong belief in me that I could become a successful director.”
Liu highlighted the freedom she has experienced at Emerson, praising the flexibility that allowed her to explore different paths.
“I’ve shifted between wanting to be an actress or a director, and I’ve adjusted my class schedule several times, but it all worked out,” said Liu. “Professors like [Visual & Media Arts Assistant Professor] Peter Flynn have been incredibly inspiring. He taught me not just how to direct, but how to complete a film by relying on my own capabilities.”
Though she was torn between pursuing acting or directing, her selection for the San Sebastián Film Festival provided a newfound sense of confidence in her filmmaking journey.
“When I received the notification from San Sebastian, I was so excited because it felt like a sign to continue making art,” said Liu. “This [nomination] told me that I can aim for bigger things, do my work, and dream on a larger scale.”
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