Hoping Chen sat smiling in a blue cinema room. People behind her are looking at the screen.

Michelle Monaghan

Taiwanese film editor Hoping Chen discusses her film Drift and her life and work in the film industry. Drift follows the story of a refugee who escapes her war-stricken country to a Greek Island. Chen worked alongside long-time friend and former colleague director Anthony Chen.

Chen is originally from Taiwan, and came to the UK to study film editing at the National Film and Television School in 2008. Before that, she was an established documentary director and producer. She also produced a few drama series in Taiwan. That was where she learned about the craft of film editing.

How did she became a film editor?

Chen: “I was a scriptwriter when I first started in the film business, and then I’ve been through the production phase and directing phases. But the most important part of the film in terms of the documentary or scripted stories, the editing, is the last phase of creativity, then script writing. I knew that I needed to learn how to really do the craft, and that’s why I chose to study in the UK. At the time, I didn’t know I was going to be an editor, and when I graduated in 2010, I decided I would stay.

I met the director, Anthony Chen. He was my schoolmate, and we made our first film together. He then made his first feature film. He’s from Singapore, and the film is called Ilo Ilo. We did it together in 2013, and it won the Caméra d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It was his first feature film award income that year, and it immediately became a hit. It has probably won over 60 awards around the world. That’s how I started my first film and then had a better approach in my career in the business because of this award.”

What is the industry like for female film editors?

Chen: “No one will have any prejudice towards men or women or your gender or any background. I think it’s because I was mainly focused on indie films and not the main film industry, such as Hollywood. I think in that environment, it would be more difficult to be seen as a female film editor because most of the people in the industry are still mainly men. But I do see hope because we have so many talented female editors. They are all trying their very best to work hard to be seen in the industry.”

What is Drift about?

Chen: “It’s about a black woman drifting on the Greek island, a mystery woman just on her own, walking everywhere, sleeping in the caves, and exploring the beautiful Greek ruins of this archaeological site. We gradually find out why she is there and what her story was in the past. The story evolves into the woman meeting a tour guide by chance. They build a very strong, bonded friendship; the film is mainly about that for me. About the emotion between these two people and a person who went through huge disasters, chaos and trauma. How did she break out of it and have a little faith in human beings again.”

As a film editor, how did you put your own spin on Drift?

Chen: “This is the fourth feature film that Anthony Chen has made, and I have edited all his films. This one is a little bit different because this is the first time he didn’t write his own script, as the film is based on a novel. Because this production involved many different countries and producers, we had to work on what we had.

My hands were tight at first, but later on, I found it perfect for the film because it’s like a style of minimalism of this person. Her solid is her loneliness, and it’s kind of slow-paced at the beginning. Once you go in and embrace the character, then you will follow her emotional journey, and it will be a very strong and powerful film.”

What does Chen want audiences to take away from Drift?

Chen: “It’s about compassion between people, being human, and loving another person as an ordinary individual.”

What des Chen enjoy most about her work?

Chen: “I love reading novels and stories. I read my first novel when I was six years old. I then fell in love with watching movies because my family always took us out. Essentially, this business is a story business, and it’s perfect because it’s the only thing I want to do.

As an editor, you might have beautiful material to work with and problems you have to solve and then make, and it’s great. It’s all in my head and in my feelings, and as long as you can find the right people to work with, it’s a good project and a huge enjoyment. You need to be a very patient person because you can sit in a room by yourself for eight to ten hours.”

Why is representation important across the film industry?

Chen: “Our film industry in the UK still hasn’t recovered from the Hollywood strikes last year, and a lot of people are out of work. A lot of people haven’t heard of indie films or small and medium-budget films, and they haven’t been happening. The spotlight is on the actors, but all the people who make things happen in the background are not taken care of. We really need to have our voice heard and a union as well.”

What advice would Chen give to her younger self?

Chen: “Most of the time, I felt like I was brave, but I wish I could have been even braver. I might have directed a film that I wanted to myself. You need to work hard and try to not only work in the safe zone but also do things you are really comfortable with. Always think creatively and then do the things you really want to do because life is so short.”

Drift is available on multiple streaming services found here.

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Featured image courtesy of Hoping Chen/Bright Blue PR. No changes were made to this image.

Originally from Australia, Michelle moved to the UK to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. She is a reporter at the Farnham Herald and a NCTJ trainee at News Associates. Michelle holds a Bachelor of International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts, with a Major in Women's Studies and a Minor in Creative Writing from Flinders University.

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