When Joss Lotuses to Grandma premiered in 2022, it didn’t command attention through spectacle. Instead, its strength lay in its serenity—the kind that follows loss with the weight of something unfinished. In just six minutes, it captures the gravity of grief, the nuance of memory, and the traditions that shape a return home. At the heart of its emotional precision is Inbetween Animator Rosemary Wu, whose frame-by-frame craftsmanship shapes the film’s transitions.

The film, directed by Stefie Gan and mentored by Academy member Sheila Sofian and veteran animators Tom Sito, Christine Panushka, and Kathy Smith, tells the story of Meimei, a girl returning to Malaysia after her grandmother’s passing. It has screened at numerous festivals that spotlight Asian American and immigrant narratives. Through expressive, hand-drawn animation, the film explores the subtle gestures of regret and self-discovery through rekindling traditional practices once lost to time and distance: folding origami lotuses, lighting incense, and finding reconciliation in the spaces between lives once shared.

Wu’s contribution to the film was to animate what isn’t said aloud. Animation, at its best, captures what live action often cannot: the invisible tensions between memory, identity, and loss. In Joss Lotuses to Grandma, Wu’s task was to create the in-between drawings that connect key poses, which are often the least flashy but most essential part of bringing the animation to life.

Wu worked meticulously to preserve these moments in the spaces between keyframes. Her role involved drawing the transitional frames that guide the scene’s movement and narrative continuity. That meant crafting subtle movements with major emotional weight. Wu worked on characters like Grandma and Meimei, ensuring their gestures felt grounded in cultural specificity and realistic expression. She also worked on prop animation, such as the stick, making sure even the smallest details were thoughtfully integrated into the animation. Whether it was the grandmother’s slow, reverent walk or the granddaughter’s moment of quiet realization as the stick fell from her bag and rolled slowly across the floor, Wu infused each frame with delicate intention.

Joss Lotuses to Grandma has since screened in more than 25 festivals globally, including the Seattle Asian American Film Festival, the RAM Film Festival in Italy, and the Ionian Contemporary Animation Festival in Greece. The film also won the Bernal Bright Star Award at Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema and second place at the MY HERO International Film Festival.

Still, the film’s most lasting impact may be how it renders something many viewers know but rarely see portrayed with such clarity: the experience of grieving across cultures and the quiet strength of tradition.

Wu’s sensitivity to unspoken feelings doesn’t come from theory. It comes from lived experience. Raised between cultures, she understands the delicate spaces where identities overlap but don’t always align. Her perspective is shaped by distance and connection, and by the small rituals that stitch together a sense of home when geography and language fail.

“For me, originality comes from a mix of personal resonance, cultural depth, and creative experimentation,” Wu shares. “I often begin with something small but emotionally honest—a memory, a ritual, or a feeling tied to identity or cultural heritage—and build outward from there.”

That philosophy is evident in her works. In her short film Happily Ever After, Wu examines societal pressures around marriage through the lens of animation. In the multimedia documentary So Much More to Offer, she adapts an interview with writer Lyndzi Ramos into a visual essay about body image and self-worth. Wu doesn’t seek novelty for novelty’s sake. Her originality lies in excavation by digging into authentic emotions, shaping them with care, and creating something that feels both intimate and expansive.

Wu’s artistic voice has been honed at some of the world’s top animation institutions. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the John C. Hench Division of Animation and Digital Arts at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. A double major in Animation and Game Art, she graduated summa cum laude and received distinctions including the Directors’ Scholarship and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. Her training across 2D, stop-motion, and 3D media helped her develop a flexible visual language grounded in storytelling.

As an animator, Wu always considers ways to make the character’s performance more authentic and engaging so that it tells the story or shapes the character in a meaningful way. Wu starts with storyboards and shot assignments from the director, then records or finds live-action references to block the performance. She fine-tunes staging, spacing, and timing with a keen sensitivity to body language, ensuring each character’s motion aligns with their internal state.

Even within the constraints of a production pipeline, Wu searches for moments to interpret and deepen the story. “While my primary goal is always to meet the shot’s functional requirements—like hitting the intended action or emotion—I also look for ways to elevate the performance, such as researching and implementing culturally specific references or pushing poses to reveal characters’ unique personalities,” she says.

As the industry moves toward automation and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, Wu sees space not for fear, but for renewal. “I remain grounded in the belief that our human ability to create with emotion, individuality, and authenticity is what truly sets us apart,” she reflects.

Wu continues to animate, direct, and teach with this mindset. Through her mentorship with CalArts’ Community Arts Partnership, she supports emerging artists while pursuing work that reflects layered human experiences. Her focus remains on telling stories—both new and inherited—with precision, reflection, and a deep respect for cultural and emotional complexity.

The short film is now available to watch on YouTube. To explore more of Rosemary Wu’s work, visit her portfolio website.