Yuphan's Audio Portrait

Hey! I’m Jackie, but I’m not from the boroughs like everyone else is. I’m from Westchester County, and attended Mamaroneck High School. Throughout three years of video production classes, I watched all of my classmates create these meaningful films about things they were passionate about, and I felt like I could never find anything inside me to do the same. I’ve always known that when making my films, I wanted to bring up a social issue and possibly make a difference, leading me to make a short film about female beauty standards, something that I do feel strongly about. While not the most technically sound, it’s the film I’m most proud about as it was finally a step towards finding out who I am as a filmmaker. My senior year of high school, I took a break from film production and enrolled in a film analysis class instead. Maybe this break would allow me to find myself, I thought. And luckily, it kinda did. I also took AP American Government my senior year, and this class opened a new door of interests. Before taking this class, I was vaguely interested in politics but I didn't care too much, however, as the year went on, my interest blossomed. Because of this class, I worked on two political campaigns, I read the news every morning, and I was most excited to turn 18 because I would be able to vote. The world of politics has a bad reputation, and rightly so, but that doesn't change how important it is to participate, and how its still possible to effect change. Taking a break from the creative process of filmmaking allowed me to find this new passion that I never knew was inside me. The idea of politics and social change fits in perfectly with what I was trying to find within myself a year before, and with this new direction, I'm super excited to start filmmaking again. Through my films, I intend to educate people on the social and political issues of today, as well as inspiring them to work towards change.