It’s not easy to fit Nicola Fan into one genre or label, and she’d rather you didn’t, anyway. “I never grew up seeing myself as an Asian female filmmaker per se; I never saw those identifications,” says Fan, a Hong Kong native. “I just saw myself as someone who really likes film and really wants to make a film.”
Fan's big break came with She Objects, a documentary collaboration with The Women's Foundation on how media influences girls’ self-esteem and body image. It was accepted to the 2016 Sundance Film Festival Hong Kong and earned Fan recognition as a Gen.T honouree that year.
She Objects features a mix of real-life interviews, animation, and graphics, and mixing these elements is a signature of Fan’s work, as are social messages. Still, don’t define her as a documentary filmmaker per se; Fan also loves narrative storytelling. “I’ve been working mostly on stories based off of real life, but what I'm really interested in as a filmmaker is surrealism and fantasy—creating a fantasy world and even musicals.”

Fan is travelling to the Canary Islands in October 2021 as one of 50 participants selected for director Werner Herzog’s film accelerator. It’s part of her desire to continue pushing herself creatively, as is writing a narrative feature-length film.
“I’ve been applying to overseas programmes to really hone writing skills and bring forth my vision through words,” she says. “Since Covid-19, I realised, it’s time for me to develop more of my own stories. My ultimate goal is people wanting to see ‘a Nicola Fan film.’” Below Fan reflects on her creative vision and the making of her favourite scenes thus far.
You're reading Through Her Lens, our series showcasing the female visual viewpoint—and launched in partnership with The Women's Foundation, which strives to challenge gender stereotypes, empower women in poverty, and increase the number of women in leadership roles