Drama Queens, a five-star arts journal focusing on female artists

“When I was 15, I watched Independence Day for the very first time. I was so shocked by all the various special effects that were turning imagination into reality. After watching the film, I carefully watched the credits at the end. When I noticed the list of names on the VFX team, I knew that I would love to be on that list in the future to make the impossible possible.” 

Muyun Zhou has already lent her name and expertise on six independent films. Touching upon the concept of the family – in all forms – she lensed To Be The Father, (official selection: Asian On Film Festival); Jasmine (winner, London Arthouse Film Festival Award and Roma Independent Prisma Awards) and The Hole (winner, Europe Film Festival Award in the editing category.) 

Muyun filmed two of her works in Los Angeles where she also works on West To East, a TV talk-show, and a commercial television program called Perfect Project. She also works with renowned filmmaker Chin-Wei Chang on his films, Corn and Dolly. She is sole editor for these projects. 

She’s THAT good.  

DQR sat with Muyun for a few minutes about her life as a filmmaker here in the U.S.  

When did you decide you wanted to be a filmmaker? 

When I was 5, my parents own a video shop, and my father would always bring back VCDs to play at home. I used to think that Music Video just changed the form of listening to songs, from listening with ears to hear with eyes. But one day, when I saw Michael Jackson’s Music Video, even I didn’t understand English at all, through his performance, I still can comprehend the meaning of the song. It made me realize that not only language can convey the story, the image also has the power to deliver it, which planted a seed to become a filmmaker at that time. 

Do you find it difficult being a woman in this business? 

I don’t think it’s a big problem. Now more and more women are showing their talent in the industry. Usually, people expect you to maintain a rational state when you work, but as an editor, especially as a female editor, I add sensibility to the rationality, finding more subtle points to unfold, so as to present a powerful story. And as far as I know, since the beginning of the film era, women have been engaged in this industry as the main editors, because women are more careful. The United States is a very open country, not to mention in Hollywood, the cultural diversity and the rise of female power has created a good platform for us to show our work. 

What stories do you like to tell? 

Personally, I like to explore some substantive and life stories, starting from the small things around me. Most of the stories are inspired by life, and the characters in these stories are all fresh people. How to better understand people has become my job. And I like to find those precious moments from those neglected footages, and build scenes around the characters, so as to know more about the feelings of the characters. As an editor, I would like to create the ideas that the director wants to express in ordinary events, which make the audience still think after watching the film and feel the change of their life. 

What do you hope to do here in the U.S.? 

My ultimate goal is to be an editor. As I mentioned, my background has given me a chance to receive Oriental education since my childhood. I have already come to the United States for three years, and I hope to use my unique perspective with Oriental cultural background to show and communicate the world from different views to the west.