Xinru He is a Chinese filmmaker and writer whose work moves between documentary, essayistic observation, and the quiet poetry of everyday life. Born in China and currently based in London, she often turns her camera toward individuals negotiating the tension between social expectation and inner desire.

With a background in journalism, cultural writing, and film studies, Xinru approaches filmmaking as an act of presence. To her, true presence means allowing someone else’s story to dwell temporarily within you. She believes that images may not reroute the world’s tracks, but they can linger—like a small pebble in one’s shoe—felt suddenly, and with meaning, somewhere on a future road.

Drawn to women’s perspectives and alternative ways of living, she films with a gaze that is patient, intuitive, and attentive to the emotional politics of everyday life. Her current documentary, set in the mountains of Dali, continues her exploration of freedom, gentleness, and the fragile courage it takes to remake one’s life.