Wenqing Yao

Wenqing Yao is an experimental filmmaker and artist based in London. Rooted in the culture in which she grew up, Yao's works incorporate traditional Chinese philosophy into experimental film, with the aim of challenging the conventions of filmmaking methods and placing the audience in a more sincere relationship with films.

Deeply engaging with the topics of post-humanism and mass media, Yao’s works use moving images and installation as mediums to question what human beings are doing.

Her films were officially selected by HiShorts! Film Festival 2021 (China) and the London Short Film Festival 2022 (UK), and she has exhibited with Stanley Arts, Safehouse2, and Ircam Paris.

“Londoners want 'killer seagulls' chased out of town after woman and dog attacked”, “London battles its urban fox problem”...

The urban wild animals who share the same heterogeneous city as us have been described as dangerous, filthy, disgusting, evil, and representing a bad omen by the mass media.

MYSTERIOUS CREATURE SIGHTED IN CENTRAL LONDON is an experimental film which tells the news of a “mysterious creature” that had been seen and described as a potential threat to human beings. Different characters from the news report try to use this “mysterious creature” to inject horror into the public and profit from it. At this time, the "mysterious creature" has become a gimmick and no one is interested in establishing the truth.

By capturing abstract visuals to tell this absurd news-story, the film aims to re-examine how the current publicity surrounding urban wildlife in the mass media provokes anxiety, and exacerbates the alienation people can feel towards the animals that share their city space, giving an entirely distorted view of these creatures' natures, distorts the truth and spreads distrust and fear. I wish to use this to help the audience re-examine the relationship between people and urban wildlife, and create a better understanding of the reality.