Her Voice

After surviving a brutal assault, a Taiwanese pianist attempts to help her daughter prepare for a piano recital.

  • Matthew Lai
    Director
  • Matthew Lai
    Writer
  • Pinar Binay
    Producer
  • Polina Buchak
    Producer
  • Yanzi Ding
    Key Cast
  • Zoey Del Giudice
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Social Commentary
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 15, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    7,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    16mm Film
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Matthew Lai

Matthew Lai is a New York based creative from Houston, Texas. He has worked extensively in different departments such as sound editing and SFX makeup, but his passion is directing/writing. He finds joy in subverting genre conventions to convey impactful stories.

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Director Statement

“Let the white people speak for you. It’s the only way things get done in this country.” In the wake of Anti-Asian violence in the US, this was the first thing my father said to me when I mentioned the idea of creating this film. I wrote this story as a window into the conversations going on all across the nation between our immigrant parents and our young American selves. Maybe making this short was a form of rebellion, but I do find a fascination in turning the eye away from the violence we see in headlines, and toward the inner quiet life of the people who are impacted by it. To depict beauty in response to brutality.