Valerie Soe, a former Pacific Ties editor-in-chief (1981) and currently an associate professor at San Francisco State University, is an award-winning filmmaker. Most of her works are shorts, focusing on one social theme such as dismissing the stereotype of all Asians looking the same in her short All Orientals look the same. Soe will be filming and conducting interviews in Taiwan for her full-length documentary Love Boat: Taiwan this summer.

In the upcoming documentary, Valerie Soe will investigate an international phenomenon. Love boat originally was a Taiwanese cultural enrichment program that quickly became a popular site for romance and relationships. Soe aims to explore how a cultural program transformed to a popular dating location and how it has impacted particular communities. More information on the project can be found on her campaign page.