Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Ai.
Hi Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I came into filmmaking through a deep love for storytelling—especially the kind that lives in the in-between moments: tension, stillness, subtle shifts in emotion. I didn’t follow a straight path into the film industry, but I kept finding myself in these creative spaces because storytelling was the one place where I could express things I didn’t have language for elsewhere.
I’ve been producing films for over a decade, but something shifted in 2018 when I was pregnant. I felt an urgency I hadn’t felt before…an inner push to tell a story about my community. NEW WAVE began as a quiet idea, inspired by the music I grew up with as a child. It lingered in the back of my mind, and over time, it evolved into something deeper—a meditation on family, identity, memory, and the emotional weight we carry but rarely speak about.
Making this film was deeply personal. It challenged me to collaborate in new ways, to trust my creative instincts more fully, and to lead with vulnerability. It came together through a series of small, persistent steps: writing late at night, crying with my producers and editors, making mistakes, and receiving so much grace from the people around me.
NEW WAVE isn’t just a film, it’s a reflection of years of growth, questioning, and care. I’m still very much in the process, but I’m proud of this work and excited for what’s next.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been anything but smooth. The road to making New Wave was filled with uncertainty, heartbreak, and a lot of stops and starts. I lost team members early on, faced major funding setbacks, and often questioned whether the story I wanted to tell even had space in the industry. As a woman of color, I’ve had to navigate so many moments where I was either underestimated or asked to flatten my story to fit a more “familiar” or “broader” narrative.
There were also personal struggles—revisiting family history, opening old wounds, and asking loved ones and film participants to confront things they weren’t always ready to talk about. And all of this while parenting, freelancing, and just trying to survive the day-to-day. But those struggles became the crux of the film. They shaped its emotional honesty and deepened my resolve to finish it on my own terms.
So no, it wasn’t smooth—but it was real. And it changed my life, my relationship with myself, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a filmmaker, writer, and storyteller. I focus on stories rooted in the Vietnamese diaspora, especially ones that center joy, memory, and identity. My debut feature documentary New Wave explores Vietnamese American life in the 1980s through music, fashion, and found family. It’s a personal story, but also one that reflects a larger cultural experience that hasn’t often been seen on screen.
I’m probably best known for blending emotional honesty with archival visuals and a strong sense of place. I make work that’s both cinematic and grounded, and I care deeply about honoring the communities I come from without reducing them to trauma or tropes.
What sets me apart is how personal the work is. I bring all of who I am to each project…as a daughter of refugees, as a mother, and as someone still unpacking her own history. I think people connect to that vulnerability.
I’m most proud of New Wave because it didn’t just tell a story, it changed my life. It helped me reconnect with family, community, and parts of myself I hadn’t been connected to in years. It’s the kind of work I hope I get to keep doing.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is truth and connection. Whether it’s in my storytelling, relationships, or how I move through the world. I care deeply about being honest, even when it’s uncomfortable, and creating spaces where others feel seen and heard.
As someone who grew up navigating multiple identities and silences, I know how powerful it is to feel reflected in a story or conversation. That’s why I make the kind of work I do. Stories can heal, challenge, and bring people together in ways that facts alone can’t. And in a world that often tries to divide or flatten us, that kind of connection feels vital.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://newwavedocumentary.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/newwavedocumentary
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newwavedocumentary/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mn0rHONCKtE
