This film started from something simple: we wanted to tell a story about a woman figuring herself out-through love, through two very different relationships, and through the quiet changes in her inner world.
The story takes place in the U.S., which is naturally a multicultural, multi-ethnic society. But we didn't want to make that the point, we didn't want to make a "statement" about race or immigration. Instead, we let that diversity live in the background, as something that simply exists in the world she moves through.
The main character is a new immigrant. She lives among people who've been in this country for generations. It's part of the texture of her life. But again, the real focus is her, what she wants, what she struggles with, what she grows into.
We notice that some people respond strongly to the fact that the Asian female lead has a relationship with a white man instead of her Asian fiancé. Some ask, "Is this about her worshipping whiteness?" or "Is this just another white guy with an Asian fetish?" These are questions people still bring up, even now.
It's true: relationships between Asian women and white men often come with baggage. There's a long history of stereotypes and exotization in media, and people are right to question how those dynamics show up in stories.
But that's not what this film is about. We're not trying to comment on those tropes, or argue with them. The relationship in this story isn't symbolic. It's not there to prove a point. It's just part of this woman's life-something that feels real to her, in that moment. She's not a stereotype. She's a full, complicated person.
If we reduce her experience to just a racial debate or a take on "Asian fetish," we miss the real emotional truth of what she's going through. We're not denying that those dynamics exist out there-we're just choosing not to center them here. What matters more to us is: how does love feel to her? What does loneliness look like through her eyes?
The story is intentionally quiet and simple. But watching a film is never just about what's on screen. Every viewer brings their own ideas, expectations, and personal history. So part of the experience is also about how you see the story.
We hope people come to it with openness. Not to decode it, but to feel it.
