Chloe Zhao

Unfortunately, I think I drifted so much growing up that I don't have a strong sense of identity. I don't feel at home anywhere, and because of that, I think I'm more of a chameleon. ”

It's very important for feminism for us to tell our daughters that they should be strong. But to tell our sons that they can be vulnerable, to have these characters on screen that are not perfectly masculine cowboys that never fail, for our boys to change their psyche as well, that's equally important for feminism. ”

I'm heavily influenced by European and American cinema, but the further I get in my career, the more I find myself looking back East for inspiration. ”

I was born and raised in China, Mandarin is my first language, and I definitely know America. I think that will be my strength, to try and bring the two worlds together. ”

I was born in Beijing and raised in England and America. I studied political science in college and film in graduate school in New York. ”

I often feel like an outsider wherever I go, so I'm always attracted to stories about identity and the meaning of home. ”

Maybe, as a Chinese woman, I was never told I would be a filmmaker, so I didn't have the ego set up. ”

Coming from a country that's rapidly changing, I love the idea of a place like South Dakota where nothing has really changed. ”

I would love to return to China one day to make films. I've been away for too long, so I'll need to spend some time back home before I can come up with an idea. ”

I grew up in big cities my whole life, and in my late 20s, I just felt like I was looking for something else. ”