My filmmaking philosophy, style and cinematic approach are deeply influenced by filmmakers such as Agnès Varda, Chantal Akerman, Trinh T. Minh-Ha, Sarah Polley, Christine Noschese (my former professor at Hofstra University), Jean Rouch, Joris Ivens, and Nicolas Philibert to name a few. Their films taught me the power of observation by focusing on everyday life, the people who live it and sacredly exploring life as it is.

I love poetic, avant-garde, & experimental documentaries, as well as the contemporary hybrid films that weave together nonfiction filmmaking with traditional fiction filmmaking.

I was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and currently living in Sydney, Australia. I have more than 16 years of experience in non-fiction storytelling. I began my career as a TV producer in 2004; however, I found my passion for journalism when I joined Malaysiakini.com, an independent online news organization, as a video journalist in 2006.

After six years at Malaysiakini, I decided to pursue a journey where my heart feels more at home with documentary storytelling. I believe it is through the process of documentary and sharing that our mundane stories become profound.

In 2012, I received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue my MFA in Documentary Film Studies and Production at Hofstra University in New York. In 2016, I returned to my home country and co-founded Far East Documentary Centre with my long-time collaborators.

We launched a biography film project and have been exploring various independent non-fiction films, focusing on elevating stories of underrepresented Malaysian communities.

Over the years, I relentlessly pursued one passion: making films that could change hearts and minds and ignite social change around the issues that I care about in my community. This strong ‘purpose’ has constantly motivated me to keep going throughout difficult circumstances, and stay true to my core values, and impart them in the stories I tell.

My most successful films are undeniably stories about resilient women who have overcome incredible challenges – The Game Changer, Teacher the Tradition Bearer, Dr Hartini's HERWORLD series, and my first documentary, She's My Son. I am aware of the complexity of their character and how they fight their everyday storms for justice, equality and freedom. I am also fascinated about how they live, love, and how their values allow them to represent themselves in the world.

I truly believe everyone wants to be part of something bigger than themselves. Everyone wants to be part of something special that inspires them, and that's what good stories do. I look for stories that inspire me, and in telling these stories, I get to share them with others, and these are the stories that I want to leave behind as my legacy.