alive (2024), is a 10-minute documentary short film featuring three of my dear friends, Elijah Han, Emma Cooke, and Emma Walsh. I met all of them at the University of Richmond, though each of us crossed paths in very different moments and spaces. They are incredibly different from one another, yet each of them carries a beauty that is uniquely their own.

Their stories inspired me to create the short film alive, a reflection on how beautiful life can be when we allow ourselves to truly feel it—when we slow down, remain grateful for what comes our way, and recognize the quiet moments that remind us we are, simply, alive.

In creating this short film, I never had a proper script but rather let the characters decide how the movie would be. The only thing I prepared was a series of questions and allowed each subject to lead their own narrative naturally. Although everyone responded to the same prompts, each person revealed a completely different perspective shaped by their identity, background, and lived experiences.

By weaving together three distinct stories and emotional truths into one documentary, the film reflects the complexity and diversity of the human experience. None of us is perfect, nor do we fully know what it means to live “the right way,” yet we continue choosing to embrace life through every moment it offers — and perhaps that is the message I was looking for in crafting this movie.