Private Project

Wawdawawdi

What the heck are we doing, our whole life?

Let us explore life, see how everything on this planet is interconnected, and from there, rediscover a new meaning and purpose to all this activity.

  • Jon Yu
    Director
  • Jon Yu
    Producer
  • Jon Yu
    Writer
  • Jon Yu
    Editor
  • Various artists (see the film's end credits)
    Stock Media
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Cinematic, Documentary, Epic
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 24, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Taiwan
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jon Yu

Visual storytelling since age 6.

A software technologist, philosopher and entrepreneur turned filmmaker with a focus on timeless, borderless, universal tales.

### Producer/Writer/Editor/Director - Wawdawawdi: Vaasa Wildlife Festival 2024 Official Selection
### Actor - Hushed: Cannes Film Festival Official Selection

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

After facing countless setbacks while gearing up to produce and direct my first micro budget feature films over the better part of 2023 (and hundreds of phone calls, trips, business meetings later), an idea struck me during a moment of peak exasperation: How can I make a film with no cast, no crew, no pre-production, no shooting and ideally, not leaving my room at all?

A quick search led me to a list of public domain footage and after reviewing some promising stock videos, I immediately thought of making a cinematic docu about the meaning of life.

Wawdawawdi was born.

I often ask myself questions like "What's the point of life if we'll lose everything in the end?" and "What the heck am I doing with my life (and as a filmmaker)?". Wawdawawdi, abbreviated for "What are we doing and why are we doing it", is my answer to these existential questions.

I came across the 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi almost twenty years ago and it remained dormant, deep within the recesses of my mind until I was a third of the way into editing Wawdawawdi. Unlike Kyoaanisqatsi, Wawdawawdi is the positive, uplifting, cinematic epic tale of the search for meaning in life.

It shows how we are all connected, offers perspective, hope, and a gateway to a deeper understanding of life, and I hope you are as inspired as I was from working on this.

- Jon Yu