A Different Kind of Birthday
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Media/Film Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty Sponsor
Tony Lau
Proposal
A Different Kind of Birthday was one of my school assignments that I had produced last semester in my 3rd-year FILM documentary class with professor Tony Lau. The assignment's goal was to create a short and compact documentary that would narrate a unique, thought-provoking, yet relatable story. Being a Chinese-Canadian-Adoptee, I wanted to make a short film that told my unique story and perspective about being adopted and how my personal experiences may differ from others. When I turned 20 years old last April, I became very emotional and sad, reflecting on how my adoptive family (which I call my real family) did not know me or were not with me on the day I was born in China. Also, simple questions about one’s beginning, such as the exact time one was born or how much they weighed as a newborn, has always been a mystery for me; yet for others, they know this part of themselves very well. Not only did I want my short film to show my unique journey, but also to help connect and relate to others regardless of their age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and religious background to my film project. In other words, I want people to reflect on their own personal stories and how their birth stories are rare and beautiful. A Different Kind of Birthday essentially shows that everyone is unique and has something extraordinary about how they came to be in this world.
Special Considerations
Anika Boulineau, film producer.
A Different Kind of Birthday
A Different Kind of Birthday was one of my school assignments that I had produced last semester in my 3rd-year FILM documentary class with professor Tony Lau. The assignment's goal was to create a short and compact documentary that would narrate a unique, thought-provoking, yet relatable story. Being a Chinese-Canadian-Adoptee, I wanted to make a short film that told my unique story and perspective about being adopted and how my personal experiences may differ from others. When I turned 20 years old last April, I became very emotional and sad, reflecting on how my adoptive family (which I call my real family) did not know me or were not with me on the day I was born in China. Also, simple questions about one’s beginning, such as the exact time one was born or how much they weighed as a newborn, has always been a mystery for me; yet for others, they know this part of themselves very well. Not only did I want my short film to show my unique journey, but also to help connect and relate to others regardless of their age, gender, race, sexual orientation, and religious background to my film project. In other words, I want people to reflect on their own personal stories and how their birth stories are rare and beautiful. A Different Kind of Birthday essentially shows that everyone is unique and has something extraordinary about how they came to be in this world.