F-1 is a feature documentary about four university students from Mali, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Taiwan confront the challenges as they pursue their dreams of graduation, employment, and family in the midst of the pandemic. The film explores issues of education, immigration, and the search for belonging.

In March 2020, many campuses shut down and classes turned virtual. I decided to talk to the students and see how they were coping with the situation. Knowing how difficult it is to deal with loneliness, cultural differences, and heavy school work, it is hard for me to imagine being in their shoes. After meeting with them, I decided to document their lives.

As the country debates racial and social issues, I want this film to provide a different perspective. We see how they navigate their life during the pandemic and the 2020 presidential election. We also witness the ways of their complex maneuverings through immigration policies, while making sense of the growing anti-immigration sentiment.

I followed the students from 2020 to 2023 while simultaneously developing film proposals for various grants. The post-production process took a year, during which I focused on editing, research, and sound design. The film has been officially selected for the 2024 International Migration and Environmental Film Festival.

F-1 is directed and produced by Ya-Chi Yang, co-produced by Mengxu Pan and featuring Nouman Kante, Tamanna Badhan, Mahmoud Elmehlawy, Che Chang, with Tanvir Ahmad, Nesma Abdin, and Shawn Li.