Being from Wuhan, China, Kay Zhang is intimately aware of the ways COVID-19 tore apart families and affected Chinese society. One story from this crisis that particularly struck a chord with her was of a woman who attempted to journey from China’s countryside to Wuhan in order to reach her newborn child. Kay portrays this harrowing story in her short film  Mother in the Mist, which has appeared in numerous film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and San Diego International Film Festival. On the pod, she details how she brought the story to the screen, and the ideas of American individualism and Chinese collectivism that are behind the film. She also talks about the way globalization has changed because of COVID and how artists in the U.S. and China are affected by politics.