An Elevated Pictures Production

MAIN GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Family

RUNNING TIME: 11 Min 58 Secs

LOGLINE: A divorced woman pretends she is still happily married for the benefit of her aging, traditional-minded ailing father.

Director Statement

This short will explore various aspects of communication verbal and non-verbal. Most of the time, we communicate based on the assumptions we have regarding each other. Hong, lost his wife long ago. As an over-protective single dad, he’s very opinionated about his daughter’s upbringing, correcting Alice on very little things: what to eat, how to behave, what a happy life should be like. He think his daughter doesn’t know enough due to young age and lack of experience. He’s constantly on the lookout for his daughter. He’s always assume that his daughter need someone to take good care of her and she won’t be well-off alone.

On the other hand, Alice growing up by constantly having her dad by her side, making decisions for her and by way of this, limiting her own individual growth. Her husband Matt is a great person who has a great job with a stable income.  And while Matt is the embodiment of everything Hong looked for in a partner for his daughter Alice, she doesn’t see the compatibility as clearly. Alice wants an equal relationship where a couple can share common interests, have honest and stimulating communication and spend quality time together. Matt is a lawyer whose lifestyle seems to revolve solely around his work.  A life that is somewhat dull and one dimensional for Alice. These differences in aspirations and lifestyles is what causes their marriage to ultimately end.  And it is Alice who initiates this decision.  In being the first life changing decision she has made individually, she is filled almost immediately with self-doubt and worry over her future.  Alice assumes her father will not accept this decision and view her as a failure for it.  To further complicate matters, Hong has just had heart surgery and Alice is mindful of his seemingly increased fragile state of being.  This is the main motivation behind Alice’s decision to conceal the truth and force a united front with her now EX, Matt.

From Alice’s  perspective, the most painful part is not her failed marriage but rather the need to hide it.  Eventually the truth comes out and to Alice’s surprise, none of her fears or worries compare with reality.  Her father Hong, doesn’t have a heart attack, her world does not come crashing down.  In fact, this is the first time Alice and her father are able to have an honest and real conversation with one another.  Her guard is let down and she allows herself to become vulnerable to him again.  In doing so, they both realize the error of their ways.  Hong simply wants happiness for his daughter.  Alice wants to be an individual.