Short Film
SHE MADE ME
Directed by 
Berlin Lu
AFIN 2022 Honorable Mention
- 2022
- 13m
-
Canada - Chinese, English
- Drama
- Musical
Stills
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Credits
Written by
Produced by
Cinematography
Music & Sound
Synopsis
A young songwriter struggles to take care of his schizophrenic mother and to be a shining example for his 8 year old sister.
Director's Statement
I’m a Chinese-Australian filmmaker sharing a personal short film. My parents are Chinese migrants who were 42 and 62 years old when I was born in Melbourne. I spent my teenage years caring for my mother, who suffers from schizophrenia, and my father who had dementia. For many Chinese migrants, including my mother, people with mental illnesses are viewed as “crazy” and shunned from society. I struggled with cultural and generational differences with my mother. As a young carer, I often felt misunderstood and unappreciated. I’ve never felt a sense of belonging in society. So I was compelled to share a poetic story on the struggles of living and caring for someone you love with mental illness. Perhaps that, we can embrace our differences and the symptoms of the mentally ill can be seen as “special”. As a child, I used to think my schizophrenic mother was special.
What makes this one special
- A first-time filmmaker
Director's Biography
Berlin Lu Director
Berlin (SHE MADE ME) was nominated for Best Director at the 11th China International New Media Short Film Festival, the largest short film festival in China. Writer, Director and Actor, Berlin was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was a Scholar and Russian interpreter to Mao Zedong who later battled with Dementia and died when Berlin was a teenager. He became a carer for his mother who suffers from Schizophrenia. Berlin graduated from the University of Melbourne and was a Senior Consultant at KPMG while also performing in amateur theatres, indie films and a TV show in Australia. He later left KPMG and pursued acting and filmmaking in Vancouver, Canada. He has played various TV/Film characters in Supernatural, iZombie and The World is Bright as the Lead in the real-life portrayal of Shi Ming.