The words "artist, writer, and director" that my guest, filmmaker Suki Chan, uses to describe herself, do not come close to encompassing the artistic brilliance of her feature directorial debut, CONSCIOUS (2026), which she premiered at CPH:DOX this year in Denmark.

The film delves into the stories of three people who "navigate dementia in transformative ways", and even that gives short shrift to what we see on screen. I don't think I've seen a documentary get closer to explaining the frailty of the human mind in visual form.

It's no surprise to people who've seen Suki's art, though -- they say this gorgeously shot film is in line with her signature style. I cannot wait for you to see this film and for what's next for Suki.

In this episode, Suki and I talk about:

how she decided to approach making CONSCIOUS and what that tells us about documentary filmmaking;
how she went from a fine art degree to expanding into moving image;
her signature style, whether it's sculpture or a film;
the medium of documentary and where she thinks it's going in the future;
incorporating dramatizations into the film and what she learned about that process -- and people who wanted to play themself!;
how she assembled a team that does not normally work on documentaries;
what's next for her and when can viewers get an opportunity to see this brilliant film.

Memorable Quotes:

" I didn't set out to make a film that was at such a high level for documentary. I made the film in the way that feels the most natural to me as an artist."

" It then made me realize that dementia wasn't just gonna be one chapter. It was actually quite integral to understanding consciousness."

" I decided to create moving image, because for me, it's something that can unfold over time. And I think people always describe my sculptures, my installations as being cinematic and working with lights and shadows."

" How come we don't see the brain? How come you're talking about consciousness? And we don't see the brain?"

Links:

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