Sierra Leone - 10 Years of Compassion

In 2025, I was invited by Tzu Chi to direct a nine-part documentary series in Sierra Leone, marking ten years since the organization first began working in the country during the Ebola crisis. What began as emergency response has since evolved into a long-term commitment - supporting communities through food security, disaster relief, education, women’s empowerment, and locally led development.

Over the course of several weeks, I led production across cities, villages, and slum communities working closely with local partners to craft stories that honored the complexity and dignity of life in Sierra Leone. The series includes two short films and seven documentary features, each focusing on a distinct aspect of the challenges and progress shaping the nation today.

As Director, I helped shape each story from concept through final delivery. My responsibilities included field producing, conducting interviews, operating camera alongside our cinematographer, and editing several of the final pieces myself. I also collaborated with post-production teams to ensure narrative clarity and visual consistency across the series.

This project remains one of the most meaningful of my career - not only for its scale and scope, but for the deep relationships formed in the process. The people of Sierra Leone, especially our local partners and subjects, taught me more than any camera ever could.