Katarina Zhu is Her Own Muse


Back in January, Katarina Zhu’s Buzzy film, BunnylovrPremiered at the Sundance Film Festival. As if that wasn’t an enormous feat, Jus WROTE, Directed, and Starred in It, Alongside Rachel Sennott. Bunnylovr TELLS The Story of Rebecca (Zhu), A Chinese American Cam Girl Navigating A Toxic Relationship with One of the Clients while simultaneously trying to relationship with her estranged faother, who is dying. Zhu’s inspiration for the full stemmed from the necesity of the Bringing stories to be resonated with her own, and while her character was grapping with some halits, Zu is currently hot on the heels of her next project.

SO, as part of our Our Our Series About Muses that Inspire Our Favorite Artists, Zu Shared With Us What Drives Her Work.

Is there anyone who has served as a muse for your work?

This is going to sound so vain, but, in a way, i do feel like my ow muse. When i was in College, i Studied Acting, so i was auditioning for a bunch of stuff, and the stuff i was going out for wasn’t resonating with me. So, when i write, i’m just think of roles i would want to see mySelf in.

I wrote my first role in my first feature for myself. I was drawing on my own experiment as inspiration. So, in that way, i do feel like i used myself for at least my first feature as a bit of a muse. But that, of Almost Feel Like Muses to me the places that i’m in, the environments, and less like people. I’m so inspired by the city, and when i’m writing, i feel like the first thing that start with the place. New York City is My Muse.

Photo: Courtesy of Katarina Zhu

Can you expand a bit more on Bunnylovr?

It was really Born out of a necesity. In terms of the process of actually wringing it, I was away for three Weeks and Got a Bad First Draft out. From there, every morning, i would get at 6 am and write for a couple of hours, and then i would go to work. All in all, it took a year to finish the script. It was a Pretty Quick Timeline.

Where did you escape to in those three Weeks? Did You Stay in New York?

No. My mom was living in bali at the time, so she was like, “You should come to bali.” I was Only supposed to be there is a week and a half, but my third day there, I step on a screen. So the Trip had to be extended by a weekend and a half Because of literally Couldn’t walk. That sort of strength with them finish the draft of this first.

Is there a type of person in your life or a Certain Place that typically prove inspirational?

A lot of Bunnylovr Taks Place downtown, in chinatown specifically. I WOULD WRITE EVERY MORNING AT THIS COFFEE SHOP IN CHININDOWN, AND THEN I WOULD WALK THRAGH SARA D. Roosevelt Park. It has this track where all of the Old Chinese Grannies are Dancing and the Grandpas are Playing Cards, SO I Wauld Always Try to Spend a Little Bit Time to Absorb What Going on. It was very helpful and inspirational for the script, SINCE I WOULD PICK UP ON ALL THESE LITTLE DETAILS OF WHAT WERE WEARING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

From Left: Photo: Courtesy of Katarina ZhuPhoto: Courtesy of Katarina Zhu

From Top: Photo: Courtesy of Katarina ZhuPhoto: Courtesy of Katarina Zhu

What’s the Last Photo in Your Camera Roll That Prove to Be Creatively Inspirational?

A Picture that I tok of this Picture. I’ve just started Developing my Next Project, Which is Why I Went Back to My Old Google Doc for Bunnylovr. With Every Project, Start With A Big Google Doc Where I Can Vomit Things out on. Anytime You’re Starting A Project, It Feels Like You’re Building from the Ground Up, Like it’s the first time, every time. It was a nice Reminder of, Yes, i’w done this before. Its Very Instinctual. I will know what to. It ‘subout letting my instincts guide me. And that doc and that image were a reminder of that.

Is there a visual artist whose work you find participation particularly inspirational?

There’s this Photographer that my Director of Photography and i were referencing a lot in terms of visual inspiration we are shortlissing. HER NAME IS Rinko KawuchI, and she’s a Japanese Photographer. She really delicate and textural images. She does Beautiful Things with Light, and some of me are quite abstract.

What would you come to you FEEL YOU’RE STUCK CREATITLY?
I Really Love to Reiars Interviews with Other Artists, Specific Filmmakers. That Always Helps. Be i’m feed stack, i love to just leave the thing and that totally immerse myself in something Else – go on a walk, see friends, or something. The other thing is, if i’m feeling stack, of think is the Because of Usually Feel Like the soil isn’t fertile enough. And SO i fertilize the soil by watching stuff or reading books, or absorbing and fertilizing. I think is probably the thing that I will the most.

Any recent standout interviews?

I’ve been reading this website Called Let Cinema Club. IT HAS A BUNCH OF SHORT INTERVIEWS WITH ALL TYPES OF FILMAKERS.

What are the films that you have inspired you have the most?

I recently saw The Conversationwhich is a francis Ford Coppola Film. It has a really amazing twist in it, and i want to incorporate a twist like in my next film. That was really inspiring to me. Growing up, i think my favorite movie was The parent raft. Amazing film. But one of my favorites of all time American Honey by Andrea Arnold.

What would you love it?
I love how sort of meandering it is. I love how it doesn’t have a cookie-cutter structure. I typically hate when Movies are over 90 minutes, but i think it two and a half hours, and i coulud it if it has been long. I just love that film.

If you could have your Types of Films or the Things you want to convey in three words, who would you choose?

RAW, Delicate, and Freaky.


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