Ad Age is marking Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2023 with our Honoring Creative Excellence package. (Read the introduction here.) Today, our guest editor JJ Augustavo turns the spotlight to Mego Lin, the director of photography known for music videos and work with brands including Puma, Nike, Toyota and Airbnb. Here, Lin writes about the making of “Defy,” the short film he shot with Augustavo.

When thinking of projects that influenced me, “Defy” came to mind first. “Defy” is a visual poem that Filipino American director—and dear friend of mine—Jonathan Augustavo (professionally known as JJ Augustavo) and I did last year. It consists of a series of portraits of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from all walks of life.

The project really started as an innocent thought: As Asian American and Asian, Jon and I wanted to make something for AANHPI Heritage Month on our own. We weren’t really sure what exactly this would be at the beginning. In the midst of the pandemic, there were so many anti-Asian hate crimes being broadcast that there was a sense our identity had been shrunk into the “victim” column, and we wanted to make something to reiterate that we are human and part of this society.

It was mostly just Jon and I meeting up with the person we were interviewing in a restaurant, cafe or wherever we could meet. With me shooting with a Sony A7S, Jon recording with a H6N—sometimes he’d have to be a human C-stand—it’s like we were back in film school, doing a run-and-gun music video. Even though we didn’t have any budget, we had total freedom and creative control, and there was something liberating about our small operation.

What surprised me was the sincere conversations we were able to have. I was deeply moved by how honest and open our interviewees were, considering the majority of them were total strangers to us before the day we met. Through the conversations, I couldn’t help but notice the theme of generational trauma that our community has been through and is still living with.

I believe it was our heritage that gave us a base layer of trust. I also feel like because the AANHPI community doesn’t get highlighted much by the mainstream media (when it does, it’s most often because something negative was involved), when we asked people if they would like to be part of “Defy,” I could tell they were genuinely excited about it.

Jon and I wanted “Defy” to show that we of Asian descent have value more than being just a nerdy sidekick, comic relief, a kung fu master or victim. The AANHPI community has such beautiful, diverse cultures and I am glad we get to showcase a glimpse of that in “Defy.”

The making of “Defy” had a pronounced influence on me personally, not only because I learned so much from everyone we met through the process, but because it filled my heart with warmth that everyone involved was so generous and kind (there was no compensation)—a true form of community helping each other. It was a truly rewarding moment when we learned that Tribeca picked up “Defy”—for me, it comes full circle to validate AANHPI’s value.

For that, “Defy” will always be one of my proudest works.