The Global Search for Education: Director May-Lynn Le Explains Why Headspace is a Very Personal Story

Posted By C. M. Rubin on Mar 11, 2022

This month, audiences can screen May-Lynn Le’s highly acclaimed experimental film, Headspace, curated by NFFTY, on the Planet Classroom Network. Director May-Lynn Le is a second-generation Vietnamese-American student studying film production and screenwriting. Le likes to work on projects that push her out of her comfort zone and help her grow as a storyteller – films like Headspace. Her story uses dynamic visuals and distorted cinematography combined with a powerful poem to illustrate a deep, heartfelt message about the challenges and anxieties of growing up.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome May-Lynn Le.

May-Lynn, the cinematography, editing, and directing are all fantastic, and all done by you. How long have you been making films and where do you hope to go from here?

At the time of making Headspace, I had been making films for about 2 1/2 to 3 years. I’m currently in college studying film production and screenwriting, and I hope to continue to make films from my personal experience that leave an impact on audiences. My goal is to become a director so that I can not only tell my stories but also help other people tell their stories.

Clearly Headspace is a very personal story. What made you want to share your feelings on the screen for anyone to see?

Headspace is an extremely personal story and it took a lot of time just to prepare myself to even talk about how I felt at the time. It felt necessary for me to put all of my thoughts and feelings together so that I could acknowledge to myself that this was a chapter in my life that is now over and I have grown from it. It was a battle that was really hard but I got through it.

I found that the message of the film was truly beautiful. What do you want young audiences to take away from watching your film?

By experiencing this journey through Headspace, I also want people to feel hopeful and know that even though it takes time, things can and do get better!

What advice would you give to someone who is seeing a loved one struggle but doesn’t know what to do?

When I was experiencing the negative emotions, I tended to pull away and isolate myself. Something that was really helpful was having the support from my friends with them giving me the space I needed, but also reassuring me that they’re there to support me and are there for me. So I would suggest letting them know that you love and care about them. That you’re always there to listen and they aren’t a burden at all!

Thank you May-Lynn.