"Dead Center"
2026 | short doc | 30:06
“A diamond is made in a very hostile environment. The pressure. The temperature. But what comes out of it is just an amazing, unbreakable thing.”
Trailer
The man, the myth, the legend in USA bodybuilding from Fresno: Kenneth "Flex" Wheeler's redemptive life story told through the lens of his protege from Hong Kong, Aiko Liu. Under Flex's mentorship, Aiko chases the elusive dream that drives every amateur: a pro card. This is a story told across two continents and two generations. A legend still fighting to stand. A protégé still fighting to rise. Where heartbreak and heartfelt collide.
Director: Hugo Liu
Produced and Written by Hugo Liu
Director of Photography by Atharv Saini
Music by Kevin Edilson
Camera Operators: Jarriel Bolusan, Chawin Piriyagagul
Editor: Hugo Liu
Assistant Editor: Claudia Yu
Colorist: Chawin Piriyagagul
Graphic Design: Yoon Lee
Special thanks to Ryan Lampe, Ien Chi
Executive Producer: Jan Lin Lee
This project is a personal tribute to and made in collaboration with Aiko Liu and Flex Wheeler. The material used in this project is for the purpose of educational illustration. They are presented in a not-for-profit intent and manner that does not negatively affect the market for the original work.
About the Director
Hugo Liu is an award-winning Producer and Director based in the Bay Area. Originally from Hong Kong, he started a career in film working at a camera rental shop, and since then interned at Turner Broadcasting and accepted two Hong Kong International Film Festival selections before the age of 18. After his BA in Motion Picture and Television, he continued to produce and direct narratives, documentaries, and commercials under his production company 1111, spearheading multiple national and international festival selections and wins. A versatile film creative, he’s also worked on projects for clients such as AMC+, AppleTV, Google, eBay, and more. | hugoliu.com
About Fourthly by Eight Parables
The presenting partner of Hugo Liu’s “Dead Center” project, Fourthly is Eight Parables’ flagship film incubator: an experimental fourth space for artists and creatives — the sage, the seeker and the sojourner to pilot a global collection of parabolic short films like an artful ode to living true to a flourishing life.