Filmmaker Statement

I don’t know exactly where this film comes from, but I know who it’s for. There are so many Asian Americans who will immediately recognize this particular version of familial tension. We have in common the experience of that harsh affection and aloof tenderness of our families. We whisper these stories about our fathers and mothers and grandmothers to each other in the dark at sleepovers and laugh at them over dinner, with all of our teeth showing. Writing about Yuki and her family reminds me of where I come from as a Japanese-American, historically and physically. How differently individual generations of the same family deal with hard events, and how it shapes the way they can relate to one another. It reminds me of all the women I grew into adulthood with, with sharp tongues and dark hair, and heavy shoulders. Yuki might be lonely, but she isn’t alone, and seeing her in all her flawed and awkward being makes me feel less alone. I hope it does the same for someone else out there.