There is no more damning sight to the eyes than one’s own reflection. Cinema, to me, should function as that mirror — not to flatter, but to confront. I am drawn to stories that expose the fractures we learn to live with: addiction, cruelty, insecurity, and the quiet ways we fail one another. These are not elements to be sensationalized, but interrogated; examined upon in search of the “why” behind our actions.
Even within satire and “dramedy” — forms that invite laughter and levity — I see an opportunity to disarm the audience just enough to let something more unsettling slip through. Humor, in this sense, becomes a Trojan horse: it lowers defenses, making confrontation unavoidable. At the same time, I think of humor as a distant light—something we move toward even in the darkest stretches. It does not erase what we face, but it reminds us there is still a reason to keep going.