Cheryl Wong
“ON YOUR RADAR” IS A WEEKLY GRAD FILM NEWS SEGMENT THAT FEATURES A STUDENT PICKED AT RANDOM.
CHERYL WONG IS CURRENTLY A 3RD YEAR STUDENT AT GRAD FILM. WE ASKED HER A FEW QUESTIONS, AND HERE’S WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY:
1. Where do you consider home and what is it like there?
Home is Singapore, a tiny but densely populated island/city in Southeast Asia—a 22- to 24-hour (including stopover) flight or a 19-hour (direct) flight to New York City. It's 12 hours ahead of New York, which actually works out great, because it means I can talk to family first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
Things I would tell people going to Singapore for the first time:
1. We speak English.
2. It’s hot all year round.
3. Eat all the food.
2. What is currently inspiring you as a filmmaker?
My peers, for sure. Knowing that we're all in a similar boat and being witness to how much of themselves they put into honing their craft, and then watching them be brave enough to put their work out there for the world to see. I LOVE ‘EM.
But also: Instagram, music and... Reddit. I met an amazing actress, Angela Carbone, off of Instagram, and I'm going to be collaborating with a colorist whose work really captured my attention on the Explore page (she also happens to be a Tisch grad!). Just the other day, I discovered Rina Yang's Instagram account, and seeing a woman who kind of looks like me (she's Japanese; I'm Chinese-Singaporean) making waves as a cinematographer, and working with artists like FKA Twigs, is crazy inspiring.
Talking about FKA Twigs, I'm a fan. Have you watched her Two Weeks music video? There's something about music that can so easily resonate within and affect a person. I remember attending a Tash Sultana concert in October 2017. It was getting cold, I was having a tough time—probably with my second year film or something—and as I stood in the crowd, her music just washed over me. It was cathartic. There was something about watching this young woman bare her soul on stage.
On to Reddit: it's fascinating. There's just so much content on there! It's given me so much insight into how humans can be. Narcissistic parents, gaslighting partners, pro revengers. I could also just talk to people more, I guess. But the anonymity allows for people to be so honest. It's great.
3. What has been your most rewarding experience at NYU Tisch Grad Film so far?
Being at Tisch has also coincided with moving away from home for the first time, so it was a lot of discovering myself: who I was, what I stood for, what my boundaries were and then learning how to be open about what I discovered about myself to my family.
A fair bit of growth has come from intimate conversations with my classmates who come from a myriad of backgrounds. I remember openness and vulnerability being fostered very early on in the first year when a classmate chose to open up about an experience she had working in the industry, and it led to everyone else doing the same with their own profound experiences. Needless to say, there were quite a few tears, but it created a space where we could be honest and open, and it taught me that it starts with one person setting the tone for how the rest of the ride is going to be.
You can follow Cheryl on Instagram at @cherylyehanwong.