To Write From Memory

TEDDY 40 2026

Meticulously, they inspect their own body as the camera looks on, documenting every step of their transition. Yet what begins as a young filmmaker’s audiovisual diary soon expands into a confrontation with their own past. It is not easy to break out of a cocoon spun from motherly demands and grievances – especially when your body gets treated as a family matter, and when your need for autonomy is met with incomprehension.

by Emory Chao Johnson (Director, Screenplay) USA 2023 English, Mandarin 19' Colour Documentary form

TEDDY 40

To Write From Memory celebrated its Berlinale premiere at the 2023 Generation.

Crew

Director	Emory Chao Johnson
Screenplay	Emory Chao Johnson
Cinematography	Farrah Su
Editing	Emory Chao Johnson
Sound Design	Jackie! Zhou, Torin Geller, Guin Frehling Jackie! Zhou, Torin Geller, Guin Frehling
Producer	Emory Chao Johnson

Photos

Emory Chao Johnson

Born in the USA in 1995, the filmmaker studied film at the University of California, Los Angeles and works in documentary and hybrid cinema. His films have screened at festivals including the Hawai‘i International Film Festival and the Champs-Élysées Film Festival. To Write From Memory was presented in the Berlinale Generation section in 2023.

Filmography

2019 Bind 2020 Shu Mai Online; Documentary Form 2021 F1-10; Documentary Form 2023 To Write From Memory; Documentary Form, Berlinale 2023

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026