What happens when generational dependency causes a pressurized role reversal that is both tender and heartbreaking when the child becomes the caretaker, and the mother becomes the dependent? Writer-director Ziyu Luo explores this intricate and delicate dynamic in her debut short film, American Daydream . Set in New York’s Chinatown, the story centers on the life of Marilyn (Jessica Lee), a young Chinese American gynecologist who yearns to follow her dreams of moving to Los Angeles and trying her hand at acting. The only caveat is the guilt she carries from potentially leaving her undocumented immigrant mother ( Yan Cui ), who has come to rely on her for survival in the U.
S. Here with Deadline, Luo breaks down her poignant story of love, sacrifice and our difficult bonds with our families. DEADLINE: How did you end up in filmmaking? Were your parents creative? ZIYU LUO: I always wanted to be an artist when I was a kid.
However, in China, filmmaking is very expensive compared to other art forms. So, my parents encouraged me to learn painting, which is much cheaper. I tried it, but it didn’t go well, and I didn’t have much passion for it.
So, once I became an adult and got a good savings, I decided to do the things I always wanted to do. I wanted to be a director. The ambition for filmmaking was part of my own belief and part from my parents.
I think they had a great impact on me making films. They were born in a very chaotic time in China during the cultural revolution in.