Chris Wan — Personal Website

1. Soviet Theme

Soviet-Themed Political Jokes

I built a series of satirical short videos on Soviet-era political jokes. With 3D-printed props, live-actor performance and AI-assisted editing, I used dark humour to examine power dynamics. After these videos were removed from China's domestic platforms, I reflected on satire's limits and potential as a tool for historical education.

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Photo 1: images/soviet-jokes.png Political jokes photo 1

Documentary: Finding China's Utopia

In this road-trip documentary, I tried to trace how 20th-century Soviet-born utopian ideals travelled and were locally reinterpreted within China. Through visits and field observation, I investigated the complicated legacy of collectivist social experiments. Official Selection, All-American High School Film Festival 2026.

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Photo 1: images/utopia-laurel.png Finding China's Utopia photo 1

Semi-Documentary: Becoming Stalin

Inspired by the film Look Who's Back (Hitler returns), I imagined Stalin's home-coming to modern-day Georgia. Combining original screenwriting, on-site filming and re-enactment, I explored divided collective memory of Stalin.

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Photo 1: images/becoming-stalin.png Becoming Stalin photo 1

Academic Research: Workers' Theatre in Early Soviet Russia

In my essay on Soviet agit-prop theatre, I analyzed how state-sponsored performance functioned both as state propaganda and a carrier of public critique. I studied the tension between top-down cultural governance and grassroots popular expression.

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Photo 1: images/workers-theatre.png Workers' theatre photo 1

2. Creative Expressions

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Gaming in History

Rejecting textbook-style rote history learning, I built an interactive strategy game simulating 19th-century industrialization and imperialism. I balance historical truth with playable mechanics to let players experience the real-world economic logic behind imperial expansion.

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Photo 1: images/gaming-history.png Gaming in history photo 1

Photo 2: images/creative/game-economy.jpg A second game screen showing resource and production statistics

Photo 3: images/creative/game-branches.jpg A third game screen showing branch decisions and their consequences

Acting Experiences

My years of stage performance ranged from student musicals, immersive haunted-house theatre to solo dramatic roles. I portrayed Patrick Bateman in my first full solo musical piece and completed professional actor training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama summer school. Performance skills later informed my documentary re-enactment work.

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Photo 1: images/creative/musical-little-princess.jpg Cast of a school musical posing together with bouquets after the show

Photo 2: images/creative/musical-fame.jpg Production photo from the musical FAME

Photo 3: images/creative/musical-showcase.jpg Production photo from Showcase, a compilation of scenes and songs from well-known musicals

Photo 4: images/creative/musical-bateman.jpg Chris Wan in a suit with a red tie, dressed as Patrick Bateman for a solo musical theatre piece

Greek Mythology through EPIC: The Musical

As an enthusiast of ancient Greek theatre, I reconstructed Homeric myth-worlds inside Minecraft. Building Troy and the Trojan Horse, I created interpretive short videos inspired by EPIC: The Musical, making ancient epic stories accessible for young Chinese-speaking audiences.

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Photo 1: images/creative/minecraft-still.jpg Still from a Minecraft cinematic showing a figure before a tall doorway, from the animation The Horse and the Infant

Still from a Minecraft cinematic showing a figure before a tall doorway, from the animation The Horse and the Infant

Find Your Voice (Debate)

Competitive public-forum debate reshaped my understanding of persuasion. Repeated second-place finishes taught me that persuasion is less about defeating opponents, and more about listening and meeting your audience. This mindset carries over into all my creative projects.

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Photo 1: images/creative/debate-table.jpg Chris Wan speaking and gesturing from behind a laptop during a public forum debate round

Photo 2: images/creative/cert-1.jpg WSDA Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Speaker, Public Forum Debate, Regional Championship, June 2025

WSDA Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Speaker, Public Forum Debate, Regional Championship, June 2025

Photo 3: images/creative/cert-2.jpg WSDA Certificate of Achievement for 2nd Place, Public Forum Debate, Regional Championship, June 2025

Photo 4: images/creative/cert-3.jpg Three TOC ASIA debate trophies: 2025 Winter Invitational Outstanding Speaker, plus Regional Tournament 2nd Place and Outstanding Speaker

Three TOC ASIA debate trophies: 2025 Winter Invitational Outstanding Speaker, plus Regional Tournament 2nd Place and Outstanding Speaker

Photo 5: images/creative/cert-4.jpg TOC ASIA Certificate of Achievement for Outstanding Speaker, Public Forum Debate, 2025 Winter Invitational

3. Sports

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Defying Gravity

My paragliding journey began at age 12. Through injuries, mishaps including getting caught in trees, I learned you must anticipate the possibility of falling before you can truly taste flight.

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Photo 1: images/paragliding-cover.png Defying Gravity photo 1

Photo 2: images/sports/takeoff-hill.png Defying Gravity photo 2

Photo 3: images/sports/walk-to-field.png Defying Gravity photo 3

Photo 4: images/sports/ground-break.png Defying Gravity photo 4

4. Social Impact

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The Awakening (Volunteer & Social Impact)

Field research, environmental fundraising and community-based volunteer work taught me meaningful service centers on listening to community needs rather than just checking service-hour boxes.

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Photo 1: images/awakening-cover.png The Awakening photo 1

Photo 2: images/social/banyan-shrine.png

Photo 4: images/social/nextgen-group.jpeg

Photo 5: images/social/nextgen-class.jpeg