ZHOUCHUNYU YU

Chūnyǔ

pronounced as [ch-uen yü]

My name can be interpreted as “the rain in spring.”
WHAT I DO

Street Photography
Architectural Photography
Filmmaking WORK

Gee - Comercial Architectural Short Film as Director (2019)
Standard Temperature - Debute Short Film as Director (2020)
The One Who Was Not Accompanying You - Photography Book as Author (2021)
Imaginary Moment - Short Novel as Writer/Director (2022)
Temporary Driver - Short Film as Director 
First Light - Vogue Film as Director (2023)
The Water Wall - Short Film as Writer (2023)
Big Little Things - Short Film as Writer and Actress (2023)
Big Little Things - Feature Film as Producer (2025)

Chunyu, Piano Night, 1998

Ground Zero, World Trade Center site, New York City, New York, United States



Before the real estate decline in China, I spent many years documenting the lives of workers on construction sites.


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When a real estate company acquires a piece of land, they typically hire a design firm to create a stunning, competition-level sales office. This leads to numerous sales positions being offered to young men and women, often giving rise to love stories.


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Ground Zero, World Trade Center site, New York City, New York, United States


Each sales office represents a design philosophy and exists to attract buyers, many of whom may vanish once property sales are completed. Its lifespan can be remarkably short compared to the duration of the residential housing itself. This fleeting existence often evokes a sense of loneliness, yet also a sense of independence within me. I look at these spaces and take photos of them, always thinking of Araki Nobuyoshi’s Sentimental Journey.



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Japanese photographer Araki Nobuyoshi's work has profoundly influenced my understanding of storytelling. In his book Sentimental Journey, he captures memories of his wife Yoko from her youth until her passing. Even after her death, she continues to be remembered in Araki's dishes, the skies he observes, and the beauty and mundanity of his daily life, all captured through his lens. I often find myself envying his perspective and the way he perceives things—the objects, gestures, people, and distances—prompting me to wonder how close one must be to another to develop that bond between the intimacy of 'looking' and 'looking back.'
 


Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan



9 The National Day, Portland, Oregon, United States



A Portait of My Best Friend Beijing, China



Orchid Island, Taiwan “The goat looks into the camera in a daze. I move my eyes, counting: one, two, three, it, them… Their ease is interrupted. They look back in stuttering surprise. It seems that the eye of the camera allows them the ability to communicate with me in a language it lacked… until now. Halfway up the hill, the photographer gazes out at the town afar from a space between nature and the city. The surrounding trees cast a window onto the canvas, forming a halo.”

- Danfeng Chan


Shōnan Region，Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Orchid Island, Taiwan



I believe that between ‘looking’ and ‘looking back’ exists a vast imaginative space in which to explore the bonds and separations between individuals and their environment. Behind every moment are rich emotions and relationships. This is why I use photography to capture memories and gather inspiration for filmmaking.


48 Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

49 Lake Kawaguchi, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

89 Sunrise Shōnan Region, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan


101 A Prayer, Sevilla, Spain

119 Yamagata Prefecture, Japan


Orchid Island, Taiwan





As a child, I spent time living with my grandparents. In their bedroom, there was a small TV that surprisingly picked up HBO—quite a rarity for Chinese families in the early 2000s. Back then, I didn’t even know what HBO stood for. Having just moved to a new city and started at a new school, I faced sexual harassment from a taekwondo teacher but felt too frightened to speak out. Every day after school, I would hide in my room and immerse myself in the foreign films on HBO. It was during these quiet moments that I began to discover my courage.

With an early interest in film, I left home at the age of 16 to attend high school in Pennsylvania, United States. During this time, I created a short documentary about a street vendor selling socks in stormy weather, which led to my acceptance at Chapman University, where I pursued film studies and Japanese. In my junior year of college, I studied abroad in Rome and later spent six months in Tokyo living with an incredible single woman and her two teenage daughters. 


Mama Aya Oshiage, Tokyo, Japan


Over the years, I had been thinking about what story I would write and who I would write about. Before I found the answer, I tried many things to expand my life skills, during which I had so much fun. 

I once volunteered at Pueblo, a Spanish restaurant in Costa Mesa, and later became a line cook for almost a year. After returning to Beijing, I began my exploration by working with a German director as his translator in theater, acting as a 'bridge' in the production MOMO. I also trained in photography for architecture and interior design, which took me to many rural areas of China. I collected all the photos that I had taken over the years and edited them into a book with the help of Danfeng Chen, a talented editor. 


The One Who Was Not Accompanying You


MOMO in rehearsal, Beijing, China



Pan Perdido, Costa Mesa, California

Ultimately, in 2020, my first short film, Standard Temperature, draws from these personal experiences and explores how we relate to one another in shared spaces while maintaining our independence amid uncertainty. 



Original Name: Biao Zhun Wen Du (2020)

Characters in my films are usually introverted, feeling invisible in their situations during the early stages of their lives as they try to move beyond their daily routines and emotional struggles, and build bonds with something specific, even if they don’t fully understand what that is yet. I am now placing them in small but uncontrollable changes that could cause upheavals in their current lives. I believe the ‘female gaze’ is inadvertently portrayed, accompanying them as they gain courage and a sense of belonging. 



Cast
Xiaoyi Chen as Her 
in
Imaginary Moment (2022)



Cast
Michelle Zhou as Her
in
Temporary Driver (2022)



Cast
Kara Wai as Her
in
First Light (2023)


I've sought funding for my produced feature film, as well as for my own directorial feature film over the past few years, but I continue to face numerous challenges as the industry has transformed significantly.

Even though the world has undergone tremendous changes, I still believe that each fleeting moment of eye contact may open the door to a conversation, representing a once-in-a-lifetime connection. Meanwhile, the potential for silence can reveal a different kind of familiarity.



Standard Temperature (2020)


And unexpectedly, a different chapter of my life has brought me back to Los Angeles. Now, here I am again, ready to embark on a new adventure, especially with my loved ones and our dog by my side.



If you’re interested in watching Standard Temperature, feel free to email me and I’ll send you the password to the link below.

CONTACT
yuzhchyu1107@gmail.com

Standard Temperature
First LightGEE DesignThe Water Fall (as Writer)