About this submission

As a junior living on campus, at the beginning of the pandemic, I had some mild mental health issues, but I found my meanings in my life by reconnecting myself to nature and people who mattered to me. In my film, the main character also reflects upon "what is a meaningful life" after struggling with isolation from others, hectic schedules and Zoom fatigue, so I want to show the viewers how she finds her answer to that philosophical question. If people could feel happy after watching my film, I would be so satisfied! Thank you! ;)

Merry May Ma

Creator

Hailed from Shanghai, Merry May Ma is a writer/director based in Los Angeles. As a mushroom-lover dedicated to telling tactile and uplifting stories, she hopes to inspire audiences to “see more, hear more, and feel more” (Sontag, 1964). Her UCLA MFA thesis film, GARDENERS, won the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant and Panavision New Filmmaker Grant. GARDENERS explores how seemingly unrelated things, like nano-science and mushrooms, are deeply connected. more...