An Inspired Chat with Chinen Gau of NYC

We recently had the chance to connect with Chinen Gau and have shared our conversation below.

Chinen, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
As a filmmaker, I know “watching a good movie” is a cliché answer, but I always lose track of time when I’m immersed in a film.

Sometimes it feels like a short journey to a foreign country, or an experience I’ve never had the chance to live myself. We travel through the lens, through the director’s perspective, and try to understand things we may never have thought of before. We laugh, cry, or get angry with the characters—funny enough, even though we all know it’s just a plot and everything is “fake,” we still go on that emotional roller coaster to the unknown. And even if it sometimes means feeling lost or confused, I always come away with something that reflects a part of me. After those two hours (or just ninety minutes for some films now), when I walk out of that dark, comfy room, I understand myself a little better.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure! I’m Chin-En Gau, a filmmaker originally from Taiwan and now based in New York City. I have directed and shot several short and feature films that have been selected by various film festivals. My work often explores human duality and cultural differences. As an immigrant in what’s often called “the capital of the world,” I find it fascinating how powerful stories can unfold right around the corner.

My most recent project, a feature documentary titled Ride with Delivery Workers, tells the stories of Chinese delivery workers in New York. I served as the cinematographer, and the film received support from several organizations, including the Sundance Documentary Fund and Gold House’s AAPI Renaissance Rally. Another upcoming project, The Snow is Singing, a feature film about Bhutanese refugees, is set for theatrical release in South Asia in 2026.

In addition, my debut feature A Journey of Jack (And Tom)—a coming-of-age road movie about two Taiwanese high school graduates who travel to New York to shoot a music video in Times Square—is currently in post-production.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I think it’s when I see the world is divided

What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I’ve learned a lot from failure. One project failed because it started with a lack of trust, and I didn’t have the courage to solve the problems that came up.

I feel like disappointment often comes from high expectations. When things don’t go the way we wish, disappointment follows. Most of the time, we try our best, but when collaborating with others, things can start to go off-plan, and then we feel upset.

So, the main thing I learned from that disappointment is that we shouldn’t have a 100% expectation that things “will go well,” even after all the hard work we put in. What we actually need is resilience. We should, for sure, try our best to achieve whatever we’re assigned, but we must also embrace failure and embrace the unexpected outcome. That experience is always the most valuable and most memorable.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
As a Taiwanese person now living in New York City, collectivism is a value from my background that I think is valuable to protect. I still believe that the power of the group is way more than any individual. The sense of “community”—while still keeping boundaries with each other—is always positive, especially in a city where “career development” and “individualism” are always the priority. I’m grateful for all the “help” I’ve gotten from others, which often comes from them setting aside those values that are so treasured in this city.

For sure, this means some sacrifice, starting with the time we “waste” when we help others instead of investing in ourselves, to the energy we spend achieving something that might not directly benefit us. But I believe everything will pay off. It’s always happier to “be” with people as a team than to always work only toward ourselves. The willingness to “give” is always positive and powerful.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes, that happens a lot. We dream of something and pursue it for a long period, but only realize that it’s not “as we wished” after we finally get whatever we wanted.

But I don’t think it’s an issue at all. It’s about the journey that we pursue, and the experience we gain will for sure help us in the future to pursue the next thing we want. Even though it might also fail, or even if it doesn’t satisfy us after we achieve it, maybe we end up with a better understanding of ourselves. Isn’t that also satisfying?

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chin_en_gau/