Project by: Lola Yang (10th Grade)
Project Advisor: Catherine
Student’s Advisor: Jeanette

Description of the Project:

Trimester 3 (’20 – ’21):

I interviewed my paternal grandmother. This interview focused on her life story, from growing up in Taiwan after the Japanese occupation, to her experience coming to the United States, and everything in between. It also included how different aspects of her life have shaped her into who she is today. This interview was translated from Mandarin and transcribed.

This summer, I will work on a documentary film using her interview as a voiceover. The visuals will be scenes from films from or about the time period that she is talking about, preferably made by Taiwanese filmmakers. This project will highlight Taiwanese history, the immigrant experience, and my grandmother’s personal story, as well as how they come together.

Trimester 1 (’21 – ’22):

This is the second part of the project: Highlighting Taiwanese History through Film and a First-Person Account. Using the interview that I conducted last trimester, I created a documentary film. To support the interview, I utilized scenes from movies that were either from or about the periods in time that my grandmother described. Thus, the final result is a 39-minute film titled: Taiwanese-American: Dual Citizenship, Dual History. It highlights both the struggles and history of my grandmother, as well as that of the two countries that she calls home. There are spoilers for The Puppetmaster and Tigertail included.

Final Product (e.g., documents, images, video, audio, poster, display, etc.):

Trimester 3 (’20 – ’21):

Trimester 1 (’21 – ’22):

Update on Progress from Weeks 1-3 (include any photos or video if relevant):

Trimester 3 (’20 – ’21):

So far, I have interviewed my grandmother and recorded it as well. However, I struggled to maintain a high quality for the audio, which was the most significant part of the recording. Thus, I am planning to re-do the interview entirely. If that does not fix the problem, then I will simply move into translating and transcribing the first interview. Then, in the film, I will use the audio that did come through cleanly. I will go through the disrupted audio and, if there are any responses that can be utilized well in the film, I will find other ways to incorporate it, such as through text or other forms of media.

However, before taking any of the additional actions detailed above, I am planning on listening to the first interview in full while translating and transcribing it. I may find that the above steps are unnecessary if the audio is clean on the segments that I would prefer to use so that is my ideal next step. Below are some screenshots of the video, as the video file is too large to include here:

Trimester 1 (’21 – ’22):

I have compiled a list of movies that I plan on watching during this week. They are mostly Taiwanese and include titles such as “In Our Time” and “A Time to Live and a Time to Die”. I have also come up with a list of movies that I have already watched, such as “A Brighter Summer Day” and “Yi Yi”. Additionally, I asked my grandmother for movies that she watched while growing up in Taiwan, and she responded with “The Yellow Earth” and “Old Well”. 

I have also researched the history of Taiwan extensively, especially during the Japanese occupation and during KMT rule. I have also chosen specific points that I would like to go through in-depth during the documentary. I will begin writing a script as soon as I finish watching the movies and selecting the clips. 

In general, my project has not changed much from my original proposal. However, after doing research, I have found aspects of Taiwanese history that I would like to include but had never known about beforehand. Thus, there will be some parts of the film that I never described in the proposal but are still related to it. 

The most challenging part of my project is going to be writing the script. It will be a time-consuming process, especially since it will be my first time doing so. On the other hand, the most rewarding aspect of my project, and the reason why I decided to do it in the first place, is that I can highlight both my grandmother’s and Taiwan’s history. These two histories have often been buried or ignored, so it will be incredibly fulfilling to teach them to the wider LREI student and faculty body.

Update on Progress from Weeks 4-6 (include any photos or video if relevant):

Trimeter 3 (’20 – ’21):

After listening to the recorded interview in full, I decided that it would be best to ask my grandmother to record the interview on her own. Thus, I asked her to do so, and she agreed. However, she recently let me know that she has flown back to New York from Taiwan. I am planning on interviewing her in person later this weekend; unfortunately, I could not do the interview in time for this particular update. I chose this path because a live interview will be of higher quality than if it were a video call. All Covid-19 protocols (social distancing, masks, disinfecting surfaces, etc.) will be followed. This is especially important because she is a senior citizen.

Trimester 1 (’21 – ’22):

Since my first honors project update, I have written a script for my documentary and have already selected some clips. Additionally, I worked on a project in Premiere Pro, the application that I will use to create my documentary. Thus, I am now proficient enough to produce a film that I am proud of. I am currently in the process of watching more movies and choosing the rest of the scenes.

I have had the most success with doing research on Taiwan, as learning new information about its history has sparked many ideas on what to put in the documentary. In order to research proficiently, I have cross-referenced and dedicated hours to taking notes to make sure that I fully understand the topic at hand.

All that is left is to put everything together into a half-hour documentary. It will be challenging to make the film cohesive and ensure that viewers will take away the intended messages. Additionally, just making the documentary itself will prove challenging because, although I have worked in Premiere Pro, I have not done any project as long as this one.

Update on Progress from Weeks 7-9 (include any photos or video if relevant):

Trimester 3 (’20 – ’21):

A second, in-person interview was carried out. It went smoothly and was incredible to witness. My grandmother spoke about her life story clearly and eloquently, even going as far as to explain the reasoning behind her experiences. Additionally, and perhaps most powerfully, she spoke out against Asian hate crimes and expressed her fear when going outside. She also spoke of how New York and its people have changed drastically since she last visited, which was in early 2020. She told those committing these atrocities that, “You don’t know where it came from. [You] cannot, [just] because of that, then you hate all the Asian people. That’s not right.” To hear this from someone who is part of the targeted community is incredibly powerful and makes her statement that much more poignant.

Overall, this project has allowed me to see the world in a different light and has taught me so much about my grandmother. Through doing this interview, I have become closer with her as well, thus fulfilling one of my personal goals for this project. I hope that everyone who reads, listens, or watches this interview takes away with them its key lessons and astounding wisdom.

Trimester 1 (’21 – ’22):

Since my last update, I have completed the film. In order to do so, I did additional research on Taiwan and watched more movies. Then, I decided which scenes would work best in a cohesive manner. Afterward, I chose clips from the interview that worked with these scenes. I compiled all of these clips, in addition to others from different sources, to create a documentary that had an understandable storyline.

To finish the project, I completed a poster, as well as a document about the White Terror. The White Terror was a period of time in Taiwan that I wanted to walk about but never could find the space to insert it. Thus, I created a separate, more flushed out, document about it. 

The most meaningful aspect of my work on this project has definitely been highlighting my grandmother’s story. It was my goal from the beginning, and I finally fulfilled it. To put hours into this project and see a final result that was entirely about my grandmother and Taiwan was wholly satisfying.

I discovered that, as a learner, I often work best alone. While I will not be continuing this project into Trimester 2, I will carry that notion into my academics, but I will keep in mind that I should also become better at working with others.