Today we’d like to introduce you to Weiting Liu.
Weiting, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in Chengdu, China until I came to L.A. for college in 2012. I have been living here ever since. In my opinion (which also happens to be a universal consensus all over China), Chengdu is the country’s most culturally prosperous and ideologically liberal city with a long and rich history. It is also one of the major entertainment capitals of China, fostering ever-thriving music and art scenes saturated with aspiring young rappers, artists and dancers of good vibes. The city hosts the abundance of tourist and amusement attractions as well as a poppin’ nightlife as fashionable people walk its streets with swags and attitudes.
So no surprise, I felt instantly at home in L.A. given the Chengdu blood running in my veins; the two cities have so much in common that my transition from one to the other was so chill, and my livin’ has been so far so easy. But there has always been a paradox within me that I can also feel like a misfit in either Chengdu or L.A.: on one hand, I do enjoy both cities’ vibrant social surroundings and hip blogger atmospheres; on the other, I have really been a nerd all my life among all the cool kids. I love school and books to the point that I could be called a teacher’s pet; I love movies, televisions and pop cultures not as a participating artist, but as an avid fan and analytical observer. In the end, what I get the most out of my eight years in La La Land is (fortunately) not its smoke and mirrors of pleasures and vanities, but the higher education I received here thanks to the top-notch universities all over the area.
I received my B.A. degree in 2016 from UCLA, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Film. This May, I graduated with my M.A. degree in Film Studies from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts. I am grateful for the knowledge of films, cultures, humanities, societies, politics and histories I have acquired from both institutions, which set a solid foundation for my career initiative as a writer and scholar. As a young Chinese woman living in the U.S., I am keenly aware of this country’s sociopolitical issues regarding race, gender and intersectionality, which is reflected in my freelance writing of film/tv criticism. Another subject of my writing is to explore China-U.S. relations through cinema by covering Chinese film festivals and events taking place in the U.S., as well as introducing Chinese films to U.S. audiences. Besides all this political and diplomatic stuff, I also simply geek out and write reviews about any movie or tv show I personally like, old or new. My works/words are on several U.S. and U.K. film publications including Little White Lies, One Room With A View, Screen Queens and Vague Visages.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As an aspiring writer and scholar, the very palpable challenge I am experiencing right now regarding my career choice is that: I will not be able to make much money anytime soon. Working in either field of freelance writing or academia is strenuous enough on one’s body and mind, not to mention you will not be able to get much in return money-wise especially at the very early stage of these career developments. However, what I can control are: be proud of what I have already accomplished so far; be focused and not stray away from the clear path that I have already set for myself; be patient and believe in the eventual rewards I will garner as long as I work hard every step of the way.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I work as an independent contractor for CineCina, a New-York-based Chinese film organization dedicated to curating festivals and events of Chinese films in the U.S. Our organization’s mission is to subvert U.S. audiences’ predominant yet problematic impression of Chinese cinema as a monolithic national and cultural entity. For every festival and event we curate, CineCina meticulously selects Chinese films characterized by diverse value systems and regional representations, and exhibit them to U.S. audiences for the potential of cultural exchange between the two countries through cinema.
Normally, I write festival and event covers for CineCina and pitch these covers to film publications and editors I have established professional relationships with as a freelance writer. But given the ongoing nature of the U.S.’s Covid-19 crisis, all film festivals and events in the country have come to a halt. In response to this trying time, our organization has been resorting to online platforms of streaming and virtual cinemas for festival and event curations. For example, I wrote about a mobile festival we just did called CineCina iFest, and you can read this article on the film publication Little White Lies. We believe for now, the exhibition mode of online/mobile festivals like CineCina iFest has the potential of reaching to a much wider audience than that of a traditional festival.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Besides freelance writing, I have been working on my main goal – applying for and getting into a fitting PhD program where I can continue pursuing my academic career in Film Studies with a concentration on Chinese cinema of sociopolitical and feminist subjects. Also now, I am finally ready to leave L.A. after all this time, though this city has become my comfort zone. L.A. is the kind of city that makes it hard for you to leave once you find your own place here, while also making you wonder how much bigger your world will be (and how much stronger you will become) once you actually leave. I am eyeing a dozen of programs all over the country, and willing to move next year to wherever that is best for my career. There is still a substantial possibility, though, I will end up staying here – the future holds many potentials, and I am looking forward to whatever that is yet to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://weitingliu.com/
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bangsongliu/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bangsongliu
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