I've always been on the path of learning. 

Learning how to tell stories with words, how to tell stories with visuals images, how to tell stories with moving pictures, how to use sound, color, every beat of the actors give, every beat of the script I wrote, the background of the images, everything…… 

But in the end, why I want to tell stories, and what stories to tell? At every stage, I face these two questions all the time. Since when I was in Emerson College, I've been pondering what stories I really want to tell. It wasn't until I encountered mental health issues that I began working on improving myself. I delved deep into my past, becoming my own therapist, telling my own story - the story of being in a foreign land, the story of conflicts within my family and my life in America. Then the pandemic hit, I graduated, I started working. I didn't continue making narrative films; instead, I applied the knowledge I gained to my work - commercials, music videos. All about camera movements, costumes for artists, set designs, incorporating the vast amount of artistic visualizations I admired into those projects. However, slowly, I encountered new issues - gender. It's an age-old topic but one I couldn't avoid. The experiences of those around me with domestic violence, discrimination against women, the excessive scrutiny of women - all of this made me want to speak out about it, in my own familiar way. So, I returned to campus. Currently, I'm studying at the University of Southern California, majoring in MFA Film Production. I'm once again learning new knowledge while using the skills I've mastered to shoot 'As a girl,' a story rooted in my own experiences, expressed through dance. The story revolves around Lily, who, as the world of social media weighs heavily upon her, must summon her courage and inner strength through dance.

I will continue to search for the stories I want to tell, whether they are about women, families, children, or any story that moves me. I will strive to learn more knowledge in the process, both in terms of production and storytelling, in the areas that interest me. Of course, life is not just about films. 

I will enjoy learning about myself, my family, and this society, embracing it all along the way.

BTW, huoguo means hotpot, it’s my favorite food, you’re welcome to call me huoguo 火锅儿, or Liu.