Dian Ling

Project title: The Cycle Breaker
Level: Young Creator Video

Full Documentary

Group Photo with David’s family at the Film Premiere

The Cycle Breaker tells the story of David Moore, a local Syracuse barbershop owner who breaks generational cycles of negativity, where many individuals engage in illegal activities and fathers often do not raise their children due to broken families.

The documentary shows how David became the first person in his family in 100 years to raise his children to adulthood and demonstrates that a person is not merely a product of their environment, but can choose to bring positivity to their community.

Since I was little, I have always been drawn to human resilience. My father grew up in poverty, and my parents came from nothing but gave me everything. Their journey shaped my upbringing and made me a deep thinker who uses documentary filmmaking to explore how people grow through adversity and to highlight the strength of the human spirit.

I have always been inspired by the remarkable resilience of the people I meet. I feel fortunate that many of these individuals have also become the subjects of my documentaries, giving me the opportunity to use my creative talents to tell the stories of real-life heroes. Through filmmaking, I hope to share with the world the hope and encouragement I have found through the people I meet — people who have taught me what it means to embrace life fully and live it to the fullest.

Dian Ling

The Cycle Breaker

Artist bio