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Logline

At an inflexible Japanese immersion school, multi-ethnic students battle biases and risk everything not to get expelled in order to beat their Kpop dance team rivals, while untangling who they are inside.

Synopsis

In McLean, Virginia four high school students show us how to model cultural acceptance. Their experiences spotlight the complexity of cultural identity. Each character goes on a journey of self-discovery and even through their differences, they have fun and lots of drama working together toward their common goal.

The Kpop squad is both metaphor and mirror for social tensions and the possibility for collaboration and smashing social walls.

Misa, a seemingly perfect “it” girl from Japan, does everything to meet her father’s expectations to be the best and win no matter what. She’s the lead dancer of her Jpop team and is dating Tok, the hottest guy in school – until he breaks up with her. Her struggle is textbook: trying to live up to everyone else’s standards, especially her father’s. This pressure reflects what many young people face when navigating cultural norms, social status, and parental expectations.

Crash is Japanese-American. Far from being bilingual, her Pikachu Gone Wrong PJs show from under her uniform, she rebels against Japanese customs and the micro-aggressions she feels because she’s “not Japanese enough”. She’s positive that Sooyun is a spy for the Kpop team. Crash’s character represents the challenge of navigating multiple cultures and the feeling of not belonging to either one. This inner conflict is what many may face when their cultural identity is questioned or invalidated. Her suspicion of Sooyun as a “spy” for the Kpop team symbolizes the friction that can arise within cultural communities and the benefit that solidarity can bring in the face of external pressures.

Sooyun’s vibe shows the heat between cultural heritage and personal passion for some Koreans born and raised in Japan. Her talent on the dance floor contrasts with the criticism she faces from her own Korean community for embracing Japanese culture. Her storyline taps in on the pressure to conform to societal expectations, even at the expense of personal fulfillment. It also touches on the war and historical tension between Korea and Japan that has continually sprouted topics of bias and lack of acknowledgement.

Jin was born and raised in Japan yet she’s ethnically Black in a predominantly Japanese environment. Her desire to return to Japan reflects being homesick for her cultural roots and the search for acceptance while living both the Japanese and Black experience. Joining the Jpop team raises questions and challenges the stereotypes of who can participate in certain cultural activities.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Silvano-Mari Robinson – Writer/Director
Silvano-Mari was born in Fukuoka, Japan to a Japanese recording artist and a Native American G.I. Growing up in both countries flamed her love and curiosity of diverse cultures. She has worked in the entertainment industry most of her life for Sony Music, Nintendo, and now Disney. Those experiences have primed her to help others to develop their careers and direction for their lives as well. She has written and directed video games, TV scripts, award winning short films, web series, and produced for the Travel Channel. Her background in the music and fashion industries, coupled with her experience creating celebrity events, is what she draws from in directing films with a unique style and sophistication yet educates on social change.

Albert Vazquez – Creative Director
Albert is a film writer, director, and editor with his last short film, Love Takes Time, circulating worldwide and garnering nominations and awards for Best Film, Best Writing and Best Actor. Albert co-founded ConePackFilm Productions, a small production company, and is currently in post-production on his feature length musical. At a very young age, Albert put on stage shows in his front yard selling tickets to his neighbors and turned his attention later to writing music, forming a band, playing multiple instruments, and producing live stage shows. For nearly two decades Albert has worked for the Walt Disney Company in Los Angeles, California.

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Contact

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