When a rising Actress comes under consideration for a large Superhero role, her life and sanity begin to fall apart as she battles a physical manifestation of the stress and fear she feels.

Director’s Vision for ‘All That Glitters is Not Marigold’

I have been raised to be a perfectionist and a dreamer. I have always been a top student since I was little, and the stress of faltering skyrocketed during my college years. I was scared, scared of falling, scared of being exposed, scared of becoming a joke. Being a woman in China only made it worse. You are expected to work hard but not be too aggressive, to want but not desire too much, to be special but not too loud. All those societal pressures became a part of me unconsciously. Through this film, I reflected on my own stress and fears, and I realized that I have become my own worst enemy.

I wanted the protagonist to be an actress because I am also an actress. I especially loved acting during my most anxious times. It was like therapy, and a time to escape from myself. Suddenly, I became free of my shame and guilt. Ultimately, I still need to face my day-to-day feelings and either give in or fight back.

This film was our first bigger project in Chapman University, and it was shot over a period of three days. I am super proud of how it turned out despite the time crunch. The process of bringing people from different cultural backgrounds together with the same creative vision was more than fulfilling.