Yinzi Zeng, MA Documentary Film Graduate nominated for One World Media Awards

Yinzi Zeng is a practicing video journalist turned documentary filmmaker who completed her MA in Documentary Film with Distinction from the University of the Arts London. She has worked in broadcast television and online news media in Los Angeles and Shanghai. Her work focuses on nuanced and empathetic character-led stories around social issues, human rights, and diversity.

Utopia, Yinzi’s major project about Jade Jackson, who having fled the brutal regime she is still afraid to talk about, takes the viewers on her journey of healing through poetry and music.

Utopia has been nominated in the student category of the prestigious One World Media Awards.

We caught up with Yinzi to discuss her motivations behind the Utopia, her journey into filmmaking, and her time at LCC.

• Can you tell us a bit about your project and how you came up with the idea for Utopia?

I met with Jade Jackson at the Sing for Freedom Choir, a community choir of refugees, torture survivors and allies. Jade is a joyful and funny person. But under the happy surface lies a terrifying past. She fled to the UK after surviving torture and started writing and singing in the choir as a way of therapy. The film follows Jade as she writes her poem My Colourful Utopia and prepares to perform during Refugee Week 2022. 

When I was researching for story ideas in January 2022, there were a lot of discussions in the news about the possibility of passing the Nationality and Borders Bill Clause 9, which would allow the Home Secretary to deprive people of their citizenship without notice. One of the interviewees in a news story mentioned the Sing for Freedom Choir and how it has been supporting the asylum seekers and refugees community throughout the years. I was immediately intrigued by the choir, and thought a story like this is important especially under the current rising anti-refugee rhetoric in the UK.

• How did you find your protagonist and what are the key themes explored in the documentary?

I got in contact with the Sing for Freedom Choir through email and expressed my interest in making a documentary. They welcomed me to the community, and I started to sing with the choir every Thursday. That’s how I got to know Jade and other members of the community.

The film explores Jade as a successful example of how creative expressions like writing and singing can help the well-being of torture survivors. The film focuses on solutions to long-lasting trauma brought by forced displacement through observing activities of writing workshops and choirs, where communities are built to serve as a safe environment for refugees and torture survivors to find their voice, build confidence and solidarity, and find healing. 

• Can you tell us more about how being nominated for the One World Media Awards could be important for your film’s journey?

I hope that with the OWM nomination, the film could reach a larger audience to raise awareness and deepen the understanding of the experience of refugees beyond stereotyped notions, and send a message to policymakers in the UK that we should invest in policies that protect human rights and human potential. Another goal that is very important to both Jade and me is to encourage people with similar experiences to find empowerment in creative expressions as well as other resources that support them. 

• How did you become a filmmaker and what are the things that interest you?

I studied journalism for my bachelor’s degree. Before coming to London, I worked as a video journalist in Shanghai and Los Angeles. As much as I love video journalism, I wanted to make documentaries where I could spend more time exploring a topic and building relationships with my contributors. Taking the MA Documentary course in LCC helped me make a start in filmmaking.

As a journalist, I’ve always been interested in character-driven stories that reflect social issues. Feeling like an outsider in most of the places I’ve lived, I am also interested in themes of displacement, identity, and inclusiveness. 

• Tell us a documentary or film that impacted you the most and why?

Shoah (1985), the 9-hour documentary film about the Holocaust, has inspired me to think a lot about ethics in documenting trauma, the relationship and power dynamics between filmmakers and contributors, and how to tell stories about the past without using archives.

• Why did you choose to pursue the MA Documentary Film course at LCC?

I chose the MA Documentary Film course at LCC firstly because of the course structure. I liked that we could both learn practical skills and make a film by the end of the course and also learn about film theories and ethics, which are also very useful tools to support the making of documentaries. All of the tutors and the course leader are very experienced in the film industry. Also, the fact that UAL is one of the best universities in Arts and Design education was very appealing to me when I made my decision.

• Can you tell us more about your time on the MA Doc Film course?

I had the most fulfilling time during the course. I’ve made great friends with my course mates. We are still working on projects together after graduation, and support each other in our careers and in life. Our tutors are also very supportive, and they’ve given me advice and resources during the course and after graduation. I had always lacked confidence in my creativity. The encouraging environment the course created really helped me let go of the judgment and restrictions I put on myself, and let my ideas flow freely.

• Do you have any tips for current or graduating students?

For current and graduating students: apart from the course, LCC provides tons of resources including career support, creative workshops, and well-being support – don’t be shy and reach out to the support you need! I found my first job in the film and TV industry thanks to the Industry Mentoring Programme, and hope that more students will be benefited from programs like this. 

You can read more about Utopia HERE. The One World Media Awards Ceremony will take place on 21 June at Curzon Soho. Book your tickets to attend the ceremony and support Yinzi.