SELF. is an experimental short film that delves into the shifting and fractured nature of human identity. Rooted in personal experience and philosophical thought, the film draws inspiration from Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Sigmund Freud’s theory of the id, ego, and superego. It reflects the inner turmoil of an individual who has lived between two cultural spheres for most of their life, embodying the term “banana,” which is often used to describe Eastern Asians who have assimilated into Western culture. This term reflects the experience of being "yellow on the outside, white on the inside," and encapsulates the sense of alienation and dislocation from both cultural identities.

The narrative of the film unfolds through the surreal transformation of a banana, a symbol of the protagonist’s identity, into raw meat. This metamorphosis is used to confront ideas of conformity, perception, and internal conflict. The transformation into meat reveals the core essence of human existence: flesh that is vulnerable, raw, and honest. Meat represents desire, hunger, instinct, and shame. It is both nourishment and taboo. The film confronts the viewer with what society often tells us to hide, and in doing so, it reclaims the body as a site of universal truth.

As the banana sheds its shell and reveals its inner flesh, the protagonist moves away from imposed identities and begins to explore a sense of freedom that exists beyond cultural expectations. This freedom, however, is not without isolation. The film then shifts focus to the aspects of life that bind all humans together. Through symbolic sequences exploring sex, voice, perception, and shared biology, SELF. touches on the fundamental need for connection. Sexual desire, in particular, is portrayed not simply as an act of reproduction, but as a deeper yearning to be seen, touched, and needed by another. The film reminds us that even in the most intimate moments, we are revealing our most instinctive selves.

The story continues by zooming into the body, specifically the vocal cords, as a metaphor for expression and identity. Every person has a voice, a vibration that reflects their inner world. However, the film also questions whether merely seeing or hearing is enough to understand someone. A blinking eye through a peephole represents the limited perception of others, and the fear that often precedes human interaction. What we see is always filtered through the mind, and the film asks whether perception alone can ever be enough to truly know someone.

Additional imagery such as the belly button and blood refer to shared origin. The umbilical cord, once a source of life, is severed, signifying separation. But even in separation, all humans are connected by this same beginning. The film presents destruction and creation as inseparable forces, illustrating how loss often makes space for new growth.

Throughout the film, color symbolism reinforces the structure of Freud’s psychic model. Red represents the primal and instinctive id. Blue symbolizes the moral and rational superego. Black stands for the self, the fragile identity floating between the chaos of instinct and the structure of social expectation. In one scene, pieces of meat fall onto a table and begin to collide. Each piece has its own sound, its own voice. As they connect, society begins to take shape, formed from the instinctual need to coexist. This society is delicate and held together by a thin layer of selfhood, surrounded and pressured by the overwhelming mass of the superego.

Later in the film, meat is served in a container as the sound of a bell echoes. A dog chewing and the subsequent cleaning process expose how society trains individuals to conceal their raw instincts to be consumed. The bell and cleaning spray symbolize the way civilization disciplines human nature, categorizing wildness as sin and evil, while suggesting that the process of hiding our true selves is both exhausting and artificial.

The film concludes in a minimalist and philosophical tone. The final image is with a small black dot, symbolizing not only the end but also certainty and truth. It represents both death and completion. Just as our world is built from countless tiny particles, the dot holds everything together. It is the closing moment of the film and of life itself, a quiet but powerful reminder that existence requires no justification, no names, and no labels. It exists simply because it does.SELF. is a deeply personal and philosophical meditation on identity, transformation, and shared humanity. It questions the structures that shape us, challenges what we are taught to suppress, and ultimately encourages viewers to embrace the raw, imperfect, and instinctive truth of being alive.

Exhibition- The beginning, London Gallery West, university of Westminster, Catching Cloud, 2024- Rogue, Harrow Arts Center, Self-portrait, 2025Education- BA Fine art mixed media, University of Westminster
- Future games
- Kodaikanal international school