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.”