I created this short film out of a desire to confront and discuss with my friends and family about my upbringing as a third generation Asian American, specific interactions I’ve had with some of them in the past, and how I felt my larger disconnect from my roots influenced my relationships to them. During the time of this project’s creation, each of the conversations I held had unexpectedly evolved for me to consider them more as components of a social experiment rather than solely interviews about generational differences. Ultimately, I decided to embrace this aspect wholeheartedly, intending for viewers to participate in my exploration of cross-cultural race and identity as well. How would Chinese speakers react or perceive me if they notice the Chinese translation of the title is incorrect? How many viewers will pick up on the messiness of the handwritten Chinese characters next to the neater English words for each title card? How will my conveyed sentiments affect others in relating a story that is simultaneously familiar yet unfamiliar? In these decisions, I hope for spectators to stop and reflect on how it might feel to be a minority within a minority--an outlier within one’s own demographic.
