As a Third Culture Kid myself, I’m deeply invested in this globalized community that is constantly growing, overlapping, and redefining itself. To live between cultures is to exist in a state of ongoing translation of language, identity, and belonging, and that space can feel both expansive and isolating at the same time.
In 2021, while leading the China edition of i-D, I worked alongside many fellow TCKs to create this short film, an independently driven project rooted in lived experience rather than trend forecasting. At the time, its value wasn’t immediately recognized beyond the local context. But for us, the intention of community was abundantly clear.
The film was born from conversations, contradictions, and quiet moments of recognition, those instances when you realize your story doesn’t quite belong to one place, but lives across many. It reflects a shared in-between that is often overlooked, yet deeply felt by those who inhabit it.
My hope is that this film opens up space for dialogue and reflection, and reminds people that they are not alone, that uncertainty and doubt are not personal shortcomings, but collective experiences. And that within this liminal space, there is not only complexity, but connection, resilience, and the possibility of belonging on our own terms.
Executive producer @qzzhang
Photography @hailunma
Video Tongtong
Editor @guazi.jun
Producer @salusliang @kkaijii
Styling @_yawen1300
TCKs @bahachingi @malik_ndiaye @sc_in_tii @tom___bray
#thirdculturekid

“Not here to be Liked” for Nike
Creative direction @qzzhang
Photography @_yeweiming
Styling @akoangyazi
Makeup @freyaisasheep.mua
Hair by Ian
Producer Color
Model @l.i.b.i.n.g
Special thanks to Bella and Lynn

“Not here to be Liked” for Nike
Creative direction @qzzhang
Photography @_yeweiming
Styling @akoangyazi
Makeup @freyaisasheep.mua
Hair by Ian
Producer Color
Model @l.i.b.i.n.g
Special thanks to Bella and Lynn

“Not here to be Liked” for Nike
Creative direction @qzzhang
Photography @_yeweiming
Styling @akoangyazi
Makeup @freyaisasheep.mua
Hair by Ian
Producer Color
Model @l.i.b.i.n.g
Special thanks to Bella and Lynn

“Not here to be Liked” for Nike
Creative direction @qzzhang
Photography @_yeweiming
Styling @akoangyazi
Makeup @freyaisasheep.mua
Hair by Ian
Producer Color
Model @l.i.b.i.n.g
Special thanks to Bella and Lynn
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