UCLA students go the distance to pursue film
As a visual medium, film is adept at crossing borders to tell stories. It makes sense, then, that students of film are equally capable of crossing borders to tell stories of their own.
A number of graduating undergraduate film students have come from other countries to study at UCLA. In some ways, these students have had a head start in learning the persistence necessary to succeed in the field.
Miqi Huang, a native of China and a fourth-year film student concentrating in film production, was rejected when she first applied for a student visa. So, she tried again.
“When I had my interview to get a visa, the ambassador asked me why I wanted to go to the U.S. I said, ‘I want to study film and be a director.’ (The ambassador) was amazed by a girl who knew what she wanted to do,” Huang said.
Another obstacle is the ever-present language barrier. As Japanese fourth-year film student Mio Hachimori pointed out, language presents even more challenges in the collaborative atmosphere of filmmaking.
“I think communication’s been the hardest part,” she said. “As a director, I have to tell everyone exactly what I want to do.”
Hachimori intends to stay in Los Angeles after graduation to pursue a career in film. Huang, however, intends to someday put her education to use at home.
“In China, no matter how hard you work, you’re not going to make the money back from your education,” she said. “If I go back, I really want to get experience (first) that will help.”
The sharing of experiences in the major’s small classes has been eye-opening, regardless of nationality.
“When I work with American students, it’s really fun for me,” Hachimori said. “I get a lot of new information and new vision for my films. I like that.”
http://dailybruin.ucla.edu/archives/id/37015/
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