Miao Wang an award-winning filmmaker who focuses on documentaries that inspire cultural understanding and a humanist perspective of the world. Her previous directing credits include “Beijing Taxi,” “Yellow Ox Mountain,” and “Made by China in America.”

“Maineland” will premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival on March 11.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

MW: “Maineland” is a coming-of-age film that follows a boy and girl from China’s wealthy elite as they settle into a boarding school in a small town in Maine. They are part of the enormous wave of “parachute students” who are sent alone to a boarding school in a foreign country.

The film weaves between vérité scenes and lyrical cinematic sequences. While told through personal stories and anchored by the universal theme of [the awkwardness of] growing up, the film illuminates many larger timely and relevant contexts such as China/U.S. relations, education, and immigration.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

MW: “Maineland” is Part 2 of my trilogy on China’s rise — “Beijing Taxi” was the first part. I wanted each film in the trilogy to look at China’s rise in a time of constant change, as well as its interconnectedness with the West.

I grew up in Beijing, and at age 12, I immigrated to the U.S. with my parents. When I set foot in the U.S., I didn’t speak any English. The next five years were very difficult but formative. In high school, I struggled to learn and master both the English language and the social behaviors of my American peers.

Crossing continents from one culture into another at that age is the most important turning point for anyone who has gone through this experience. I embrace both my Chinese upbringing and Western education. My transnational identity provides a bridged perspective that reveals the nuances and humor of both cultures.

Following “Beijing Taxi’s” world premiere at SXSW, I spent three months in China working on a job. Everywhere I turned, parents and students talked about studying abroad and their dissatisfaction with Chinese education. I spent a few months speaking with different students to get a sense of their dreams and desires, but with so many kids wanting to study abroad, and no way of finding out in advance whether or not they will ever make it to the U.S., this was a logistical challenge. I was determined to film the entire journey of transformation — from before they leave China to after they spend a couple of years in the U.S.

That fall, I was invited to screen “Beijing Taxi”at a boarding school in Maine. I landed in Portland expecting the school to be nearby, only to find myself bumping along on the school bus for an hour and a half. The screening took place inside a large auditorium and was ushered by a couple of Chinese students. Two teachers invited me to join them for dinner, where I found out that the school’s admissions officer travels to China twice a year to recruit Chinese students.

As I departed, I told the teachers that I will probably be back here soon and often.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

MW: “Maineland” questions the expectations that Chinese families and students themselves have about America, the discrepancies they experience, and the conflict that arises as a result.

The film also raises some important questions: Does studying abroad necessarily guarantee a better life for them? Some may integrate into American society, some may never make any non-Chinese friends, while others may return to China sometime after college as government or business leaders.

Also, how will an overseas perspective change a new generation of young Chinese, and what may that lasting impact be on the future of China and the world? Could they perhaps eventually bridge the cultural divide? These are questions I hope to leave with the audience at the end of the film.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

MW: The biggest challenge with this project was dealing with teenagers and being back in high school!

I never felt comfortable in high school. I also associate my high school years with alienation and feeling like an outsider. I had spent all these years getting away from that, and now, suddenly, I found myself back in high school and constantly feeling rejected!

It is truly hard to wrangle teenagers, and even more so with groups of them in a high school setting.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

MW: This project was self-financed with some support from my family. My parents are research scientists; they definitely don’t come from wealth, but they simply believe in supporting my endeavors in any way they can. I mostly funded this film through paid work, including branded and corporate projects.

With my first feature doc, “Beijing Taxi,” I spent large chunks of time applying for documentary grants. The funding is increasingly limited. The process generally takes a significant amount of time and energy. I was traveling a lot for work and filming “Maineland” in between the jobs. I hardly had the time or energy outside of that for the work required for grant applications.

So, I just decided to put aside some of the money I made from jobs to fund my own film so I could continue to work on it. I filmed several trips myself and, along with an assistant editor, edited for a long period of time, so I was able to keep my expenses low. I used my miles to book my trips to China. It is not an ideal situation by any means, but I wanted to keep working on the film and finish it.

I plan to actively seek financing prior to starting production on my next project.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at SXSW?

MW: I’m honored to return to SXSW with my sophomore feature doc. It means a lot to screen at a top-tier festival with high quality programming, where the film gains immediate visibility.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

MW: The best advice is to be persistent. It never becomes easy.

The worst advice is to listen to everyone’s advice.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

MW: Treat yourself as equals to your peers. Find people who believe in your vision. Find collaborators with a shared sensibility.

Find people with critical eyes and ears to provide valuable feedback and critique. Listen to suggestions and consider them carefully, but don’t lose sight of your own vision.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

MW: Claire Denis is one of my favorite directors, male or female. “Beau Travail” is one of my favorite woman-directed films. I love how she captures body movements and physical gestures. The soldiers exercising under the hot, glaring sun and the last scene of interpretive dance in the club are two of the most memorable scenes. The language of the body is always intensely present in Claire Denis’ films.

W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic.

MW: I don’t know if one can be optimistic about change until more funding and directing work is given to female directors. The number of women directors is dismal. It’s incredible that when you do a Google search for “female directors,” you can easily scroll through the 50 or so thumbnails.

Until the day comes when almost as many female directors are hired for a whole range of work — from the studio, to commercials, to TV, to art films — I won’t feel like enough progress has been made.