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Logline

Asher (she/they, late 20s, Chinese American) spends her last night in Shanghai with Hip Hop dance teacher Tori (she/her, late 20s, native Chinese). Their attraction towards each other grows as the night progresses. But Asher knows that it’s unlikely they will see each other again after her return to Los Angeles.

Synopsis

In post-pandemic Shanghai, Asher (late 20s, Chinese American, cheerful and outgoing) walks and records a vlog, telling her followers she will return to Los Angeles tomorrow. She then goes to a dance studio to practice Hip Hop. While working hard on her moves, her eyes frequently fall on the dance instructor, Tori (late 20s, native Chinese, gentle but not without an edge).

After class, Asher lingers to say goodbye to Tori. They barely know each other. Asher leaves but quickly returns to invite Tori for coffee. They sit at a café, watching the evening rush. Tori becomes intrigued by Asher’s life, and Asher wants to extend the night.

As they walk aimlessly, they learn more about each other. They visit a noodle stand that Tori frequents. Tori tells Asher about a secret between her and the noodle shop owner during the pandemic lockdown. They chat and don’t leave the noodle shop until nightfall, engulfed in the magical feeling.

The feeling continues at a venue where an idiosyncratic singer performs. Tori and Asher kiss passionately. After that, they linger at an open-air shopping center and enjoy the whole space to themselves during after hours.

Later, Asher exclaims when she passes an unremarkable street corner, thinking it was her elementary school, only to realize she was mistaken. Asher then reveals her father, who has Alzheimer’s, no longer remembers her.

They continue the evening at a bistro. A lesbian couple sits nearby, apparently arguing fiercely in a language that no one understands. Asher knows that she has to tell Tori that she’s leaving for good. It leads to their first argument.

They return to the café where their conversation started, fantasizing about several endings for themselves. As dawn breaks, they embrace and say goodbye. Tori stays outside the café, lost in thought.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Shan Jiang – Writer/Director
Shan Jiang is an independent writer-director based in Los Angeles. She holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University. As an Asian, queer individual who has spent the past decade studying cinema in the US, Shan is profoundly influenced by New Hollywood and its subversiveness. She believes that exploiting existing narrative tropes while incorporating new perspectives is one of the most impactful ways to engage with a wide range of audiences. Shan’s feature screenplay Love, Elephant & Tourbillon is the Grand Prize Winner at BlueCat Screenplay Competition 2024.

Ashley Jiang – Co-Writer
Ashley is an influencer and Hip Hop dancer from Shanghai, based in New York and Los Angeles. She has an MFA in Communication Management from the University of Southern California. She’s the founder of OutChina (https://www.chinalgbt.org), a multimedia nonprofit project focused on China’s queer community. She has produced documentaries, explainer videos, and a podcast with millions of views worldwide.

Jane Zheng – Producer
Founder of Seesaw Productions (The Farewell, Deadpigs), Jane produced various internationally acclaimed films such as Breathless, Red Light Dream, King of Peking, The Shadow Play, and The Farewell. Among these, The Shadow Play won the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and The Farewell received awards at the Golden Globe Awards, Gotham Independent Film Awards, National Board of Review Awards, and Hollywood Critics Association Awards. A Song Sung Blue was selected for the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival.

Kennie Zhou – Producer
Kennie Zhou is a New York-based producer dedicated to creating opportunities for Asian diasporas and queer communities. With experience ranging from development, production to post-production, Kennie has successfully produced projects with the scale of over 100 people in both the United States and China, for clients such as Apple, iQiyi, Bytedance, Reelshort, 88Rising, and DirectTV. Their work has been showcased at renowned international film festivals such as BFI Flare, AAIFF, NOFF, Outfest, Newfest, and FRIIFF, as well as developing viral content on global social media platforms.

Sol Ye – Co-Producer
Ye Sol is a producer dedicated to bringing original and groundbreaking Asian stories to global audiences. Her latest short film, “Across the Waters,” has been selected for the main competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Her documentary feature “The Last Year of Darkness” was selected for the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam and the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, and is acquired by MUBI. Her narrative feature “Some Rain Must Fall” won the Special Jury Prize in the Encounters section at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival.

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Contact

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