Private Project

The Generation Gardener

In New Zealand’s capital city, emerging bonsai artist Steven Yin tends to more than just miniature trees – he nurtures a legacy. Steven’s mission is to pass down practical knowledge to
the next generation of bonsai artists in Aotearoa, but his journey to get to this point has not been easy. Accompany Steven as he reflects on his family’s struggles, recounts his father’s
illness and works with his mother in his bonsai nursery as they grow over 5000+ bonsai saplings that are grown and sold across New Zealand.

  • Luke Ross
    Director
  • Luke Ross
    Writer
  • Alice Youngquest
    Producer
  • Steven Yin
    Key Cast
  • Jingping Sun
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Drama
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 32 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 20, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    12,500 NZD
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Luke Ross

Luke is a freelance colourist and video producer based in
Wellington. Luke has a passion for directing documentary
content and has recently released his short documentary,
‘The Generation Gardener’ via Someday Stories in late 2023. Luke is currently in pre-production for a short VR documentary 'Saturday Night' and an episodic documentary series 'Our Exciting Future' that will kick off in 2024. Luke finds on-set work refreshing and loves to craft beautiful images with the camera, his background as a colourist heavily influencing his cinematography and colour palette decisions.

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Director Statement

Luke believes that modern society promotes independence and disconnection from nature and our communities. Luke is drawn to create video content that challenges this idea and showcases
viable alternatives.