patrick shen

director

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"What songs are audible when the wind stops? What "What songs are audible when the wind stops? What has been kept alive in the time snatched from work and sheltered from ongoing destruction – what moments of recognition, what ways of relating, what other imagined worlds, what other selves? What other kinds of time?” -Jenny Odell, Saving Time
"We, too, are made of wonders, of great and ordina "We, too, are made of wonders, of great and ordinary loves, of small invisible worlds, of a need to call out through the dark." -Ada Limon, In Praise of Mystery
Many darlings were killed in the process of creati Many darlings were killed in the process of creating this 2024 wrap-up... hence this SAMPLING of pics/moments from 2024: 1) Filming yet another historic chord change in the 639-year performance of ORGAN2/ASLSP in Halberstadt, Germany for our long-term film project @film1asap 📷 @alex_kozobolis 2) Wandering NYC with fresh eyes during a week of filming with friends/teachers Nathaniel Dorsky + Jerome Hiler while attending their retrospectives at @themuseumofmodernart & @anthologyfilmarchives for our untitled film about these two giants of experimental cinema 3) On museum time somewhere in Taipei, Taiwan 4) A painterly vision of Taipei as seen thru the window of a KFC 5) Offspring enjoying a breath of fresh air while boating across Sun Moon Lake @theshennnator 6) Watching silent 16mm films in Nathaniel Dorsky's basement [San Francisco] 7) Hanging in Halberstadt, Germany w/some of my faves. Looking fwd to 615 more years with these fine people. @alex_kozobolis @brandonvedder @nic.kropp 8) Offspring #2 and I biking on Rangiroa island [French Polynesia] 9) Adventures in Shanghai with this pretty lady @yofacekaren 10) Grove of towering bamboo [Maui]
Ozu vibes at the #shoyahouse at @thehuntingtonlibr Ozu vibes at the #shoyahouse at @thehuntingtonlibrary
Views from somewhere between heaven and earth Views from somewhere between heaven and earth
In response to my last post, some folks have asked In response to my last post, some folks have asked to see La Source, the 2012 film we found ourselves making in Haiti while in the midst of a humanitarian effort that grew out of my previous film The Philosopher Kings (2009). In light of what's going on in Springfield, OH, I've made it available free to stream on Vimeo for a bit. If you prefer to watch it on your TV it's available on iTunes and Amazon. For Vimeo see link in bio, last link on that page. 🙏🏼🇭🇹 #haiti
Over the years I’ve directed/produced two films Over the years I’ve directed/produced two films that required traveling to Haiti. Those experiences then led to opportunities which had me working on other film projects in Haiti. Most recently, as a guest of the U.S. Embassy, I toured various cities throughout Haiti to screen my film La Source. 7 times I’ve traveled to “the poorest country in the western hemisphere” and I’ve had some incredible meals in the company of some of the most generous, resilient, and joyful people I’ve ever encountered. And for the record: cats, dogs, and geese were never on the menu. And for the record: these people are truly amazing. If those who continue to spread rumors and hateful rhetoric could see what I’ve seen, they’d be fighting to keep them here (i.e. more funding and resources to help them assimilate and to alleviate the stress on schools, services, and long-time residents) rather than demonizing them and threatening deportation. 📸 @jesskoehlerphoto
Evening in Melbourne // July 2024 Evening in Melbourne // July 2024
Views from hotel rooms captured over the past few Views from hotel rooms captured over the past few mos snapped at the end of a long day of filming. Been going thru my camera roll to put together some posts to make up for my lack of sharing this year and was struck by 1) how much I've been on the road in 2024 and 2) the sense of longing in these pics. They made me think of the German word "sehnsucht" as well as Rumi's "Love Dogs" ("this longing you express is the return message") among others. Joy and longing are used interchangeably to define sehnsucht, which C.S. Lewis once described as an awakening of our "pilgrim status". I like to think of it as the tension from which our heart leaps outward and breathes life into the seemingly mundane. The more I think about it, sehnsucht kind of sums up all of my work. [Music by the excellent @brendan_angelides] #sehnsucht
“Time bends. Space is boundless. It squashes a m “Time bends. Space is boundless. It squashes a man's ego. I feel lonely. Tell me, though. Does man, that marvel of the universe, that glorious paradox who sent me to the stars, still make war against his brother? Keep his neighbor's children starving?” — Taylor, Planet of the Apes (1968)
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🙏🏼to @filmindependent for including "In Purs 🙏🏼to @filmindependent for including "In Pursuit of Silence" in their list of "Six Films To Help You Stick With Your New Year’s Resolutions"
"To catch the invisible wind, to map the itinerary "To catch the invisible wind, to map the itinerary of the spirit, study the outlines of longing. Just as an echo in a cave brings news of unfathomable depths, in our yearning is our nostalgia for the future. In the emptiness between breaths, we hear a whispered promise of fulfillment, we sense the redolence of a rose now only in the bud." -Sam Keen
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So honored that the Sundance Institute (@sundanceo So honored that the Sundance Institute (@sundanceorg) has asked me to write + lead this self-paced course about all the core aspects of doc filmmaking. This was a beast to write + shoot but I'm so proud of how it came together. Register by 11/30 using promo code: DOCALLY10 for a 10% discount. [link in bio] 🙏🏼
One of the highlights of teaching at USC is gettin One of the highlights of teaching at USC is getting to invite your super talented friends to share their work and talk to students. Thx @e.sylvia.mirzaei (right) for making the time and sharing your excellent new film "Natalia". Love love that film. Also pictured: Margaret, one of my students who asks the best questions and star teaching asst / talented filmmaker Ed Fan who keeps our class running.
"Ask the questions that have no answers." –Wende "Ask the questions that have no answers." –Wendell Berry
Osaka // July 2023 Osaka // July 2023
"...silence is something deep and also very active "...silence is something deep and also very active. In Japanese the word for this silence is mokurai. Moku means “silence” and rai means “thunder.” So silence is quiet, but there is an enormous voice like thunder there.” -Dainin Katagiri, Each Moment is the Universe
That's a wrap on screenings of our students' final That's a wrap on screenings of our students' final films and my first semester teaching at USC. What an incredible honor to be supporting these brilliant students who care so deeply about the world. And to hear from the podium that one of them not only learned a lot about directing from me but also how to be human, nearly destroyed me. What a gift. Thx to my fellow faculty for showing me the ropes and for inviting me to do it all over again in the fall! [📷 2-4 by Lisa Leeman]
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