MUSIC VIDEO
JUNE 10, 2021
CAN | 4 minutes | 2020
Directed by Mayumi Yoshida
Featuring Amanda Sum
Groupthink
A charming video for Amanda Sum’s debut single directed by Mayumi Yoshida. Reflecting on the relationship between humans and machinery, “Groupthink” explores the idea of breaking free from societal expectations with an all female line up donning traditional cheongsam dresses.
Director’s Statement
When COVID hit hard in April, we were all out of jobs, isolated and dropped in the uncertainty of where the world was going. But there was also another thing that started happening since the pandemic started. Racism towards the Asian community. To this day, we are still getting harassed, insulted and blamed for no reason.
Many posted videos of support to end racism. I did not. I didn’t want to be part of a campaign trend. This is something that deserve more than that. My job as a storyteller, as an artist is to send a message that I believe in, raise a question through art. That is how I came up with the concept for this Music Video “Groupthink”.
It features 3 Chinese women breaking their own boundaries, escaping their routine mundane life and finding their inner strength. The artist is Amanda Sum who’s a Chinese Canadian. I wanted to highlight Asian women owning themselves and rebelling against the stereotype so hopefully we can shift people’s prejudice towards us and give a middle finger to all racists out there. We don’t all look the same. We are not all quiet meek and emotionless. Owning your own culture and reclaiming it is powerful.
I hope that message comes through in a gentle way just like Amanda’s voice.
Lastly, I hope this video will encourage others to create work safely during COVID times, because we shot this in July 2020 with total of 11 cast and crew, with a $700 budget, shot in 2 days, all guerilla.
Groupthink is one of the many great projects shared with CineAsian Films through our submissions process. If you’d like to join them, submit your project.
Credits
Director: Mayumi Yoshida
Producers: John Alviz, Mayumi Yoshida, Amanda Sum
Cinematographer: Wai Sun Cheng
Choreographer: Amanda Sum
Editor: Nach Dudsdeemaytha
Also featuring: Sarah Wong, Marissa Wong
More from Mayumi Yoshida: Tokyo Lovers
CineAsian Films 