Meet Claire Yland Li | Filmmaker & Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire Yland Li and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire Yland, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
This is an excellent question because I’ve always been interested in film growing up but did not consider pursuing filmmaking as a lifelong career until I spent three months in a remote rainforest. After graduating from undergrad, I entered the Chinese film industry as an assistant producer and assistant director for short films, feature documentaries, and TV series. Still, when people ask me whether I want to be a filmmaker, I tend to answer with, “We’ll see.” I’ve thought of the job more as a fun job for now and not a position to keep. Luckily, before I started applying for a master’s in Business, I stumbled upon a job that took me to the Southernmost part of China. It is in a small Blang minority village where I spent three months designing a narrative for an immersive night dining experience; it made me realize how much I enjoy telling a story. And now, I am in Los Angeles, going to film school at USC.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It has recently come to my attention that I’m pretty obsessed with exploring fear in my work, from a woman’s fear of being murdered by her husband-to-be to a girl fearing intimacy even as she longs for it. They’re all about individuals struggling to overcome the overwhelmingness of life.

I’d also like to add that because I’m open to all forms of storytelling, I’m currently on the narrative team for an indie horror game that deals with gender inequality in China.

In addition to stories about Asians, women, and the LGBTQ community, I am drawn to creating fictional narrative climate stories. Currently, I’m developing a TV series on a subspecies of humans living under the sea who are forced to move on land due to pollution and how they deal with eco grief. Moreover, I plan to create an absurdist live-action courtroom drama about humans and plants going to court over climate change during my time here at USC with the help of virtual production tools.

In an overwhelming world where nothing one does seems to make an impact, it’s about pushing through powerlessness, making peace with yourself, and finding meaning in your actions. As nihilistic as I feel sometimes, I am optimistic that we can change the world by changing ourselves and the people around us. And what better way to inspire change if not with stories?

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
It depends greatly on what’s happening that week in LA and which friend is visiting, so I can tailor this week to their interest. Depending on the time of year, I’d like to take my friends to watch the fluorescent algae blooms, a concert, Universal Horror Night, etc.

I’d watch a movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery with my friend. I’d look for zine-making activities (there used to be a bookstore at Highland Parks that hosted one every week). I’d take them shopping at big malls (such as Westfield Century City) or artsy areas (such as Los Feliz). We’ll visit museums such as The Broad or LACMA and buy books at the Last Bookstore and Kinokuniya.

I’d take my friend to a coconut-chicken broth hot pot place and karaoke at Rowland Heights. There are some dessert places that I’d like to show my friends, but foodwise, I think I’d prefer to try new things with them. Three dessert places that I recommend are Millet Crepe (in Little Tokyo and Sewtelle), Chicha San Chen (San Gabriel), and Go Greek Yogurt (Santa Monica).

I’d also want to drive to Joshua Tree National Park and stay there for a while; both my drone and my new camera are ready for some action. I’d also like to take them diving at Catalina Island, California doesn’t have the best water for diving, but I think it’s worth a try.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I’d like to thank my family for supporting my decision to pursue a career as a storyteller. I could not be here without them and the trust they enthroned in me. I’d also like to thank all my friends for being my friends and my future partner because this feels like an award ceremony speech (and I don’t want to leave them out even though I’m single now).

Next, I’d like to thank Orcas for helping me conquer my irrational fear of sharks. When I was little, I would close my eyes in a swimming pool, and in my imagination, a great white would show up and kill everyone (mainly me). I would also have nightmares where a shark would break my leg like I broke a crab’s leg. Before any fingers are pointed, no, it wasn’t Jaws. But later, I learned that a small group of orcas near California hunt the Great White. And this is how I realized that death is a part of life and that we’re all a part of something bigger. So, I learned to embrace the fear and am now a certified rescue diver and freediver.

Lastly, I’d like to thank a group of Monta Rays near Kona Island. Thanks to them, I had the most transformative and magical first dive and fell in love with the ocean.
I would like to thank a group of Monta Rays near Kona Island.

Instagram: claire_y_li

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claireyli1118/

Other: https://vimeo.com/user23832535

Image Credits
My friends.