BIO

Like many newcomers, I was fascinated by the subway when I first arrived in New York. The metal carriages transporting large numbers of passengers, the chance encounters between people, and the old, historic stations all have a magical quality. Thus, I initially used the subway as the starting point for my story. However, I happened to learn about this tragedy that happened in Chinatown, where a Korean American woman was followed and stabbed to death in her apartment. This news deeply affected me as an Asian woman newly arrived in this city. This complex feeling led me to create this short film. Due to practical difficulties, I decided to simplify the location, which resulted in shooting the film in an office setting instead.

I wrote this story using an afterlife perspective, mainly because stories of this type usually focus on the fear and experiences of the victims before and during the crime, as well as the grief of their families. But I imagine that if I were the woman who couldn’t return home safely, and I had the chance to express myself after the incident, what would I want to say to the world? What would my feelings be?

I believe that as a woman, understanding the fear of walking home alone at night is not difficult. This is almost a universal experience for women. I imagined Miyu’s feelings as my own while walking home, thinking about what regrets I would have if my life ended there. Would I resent the unfairness? Would I be angry at the perpetrator? Or would I just be filled with questions? I think the most powerful emotion is the emptiness and confusion that comes from everything being obliterated in an instant, with no place to seek justice. I tried to blend these feelings and expressed them through the minimal lines, conveyed by Jennifer’s incredibly nuanced performance.