Hijo (非情) [ヒジョウ] (2020) 

A young teen tries to find identity and independence through wrestling, but finds instead detachment from himself and those that love him.
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Starring
Castian Cortés
Matthew Mina
Mike Rivas
Directed/Shot/Edited/Colored/Sound Designed by Kevin Chiu
Composer: Enoghene Ajueyitsi
Production Design/SFX Makeup: Sarah Chavarriaga
Special Thanks to
Fabio Clemente Jiu Jitsu
A Bloody Good Record
Aidan Rivera
Camera: Lumix GH5s/GH5
Lenses: Sigma 18-35mm + Canon 100mm Macro
Editor: Premiere Pro
Color: Magic Bullet Looks + VisionColor
Gimbal: Zhiyun Crane 2 + Follow Focus
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Been working on this for roughly 2 years now - it started as a side experiment that evolved over time into a wholehearted attempt to try and explore creating a fairly complete narrative experience - although grounded in the more familiar and expressivist form of the music video.
The title ‘Hijo (非情)(ヒジョウ)’ is a play on multiple languages that share a common Romanization and ended up creating a complimentary meaning that I thought represented the titular character depicted in this short pretty well. Hijo in Spanish is ‘son’ whereas this romanization (in a really far stretch of it) of the kanji in Japanese, in a very specific reading, can be interpreted literally as ‘ruthless’ or ‘unfeeling’ - hence the idea of the ‘ruthless/unfeeling son’.
It was a real pleasure and honor working with Enoghene Ajueyitsi on this score - it was a sort of a first for both of us, but I very much credit the creation of this piece to the enthusiasm, support, and musical ingenuity of this incredible man who breathed life into these visuals in a way I would never have predicted.
Big shouts to Castian Cortes for his incredible eagerness to perform and inhabit these spaces and this role, providing both a professional edge and great humor and for trusting the vision.
Big cheers as well to Sarah Chavarriaga for the fantastic production design, FX makeup, and creative support.
Big cheers also to Mike Rivas and Matthew Mina for jumping onto the cast as coach and wrestler and committing with enthusiasm to the roles. Really wouldn’t have this piece without your contribution.