"Malevolent" represents my first significant foray into directing, conceived during my high school years as I sought to apply cinematic theories to practical filmmaking. My journey took a pivotal turn in the summer of 2016, when I attended a film production camp at Sichuan Communication University in China, under the guidance of Professor Jake Gu. This experience, particularly my role as the second assistant director on a commercial project, inspired me to create my own short film that summer, leading to the drafting of "Malevolent." With the full support from Jake Gu and his students, Malevolent was filmed the same summer at my grandparent’s hometown. Despite the challenges of focusing too heavily on visuals and the evolving nature of the script, which was written nightly, the project was a profound learning experience, culminating in a hastily concluded ending due to time constraints.

Through malevolent I gradually realized that my approach to conceiving a film often prioritized emotionally impactful moments over the narrative itself. I believe that while stories can evolve with their themes, it’s these moments or elements that truly drive me to create. “Malevolent” was an exploration of the interactions between two strangers of different ages confined in a cramped space. To me, this film was a love letter and homage to my favorite Mandarin/Cantonese -speaking directors, such as Edward Yang, Lou Ye, and Ann Hui.