Director's Statement

When I read about Yiwu Market, I was attracted to the scale, aesthetic, and contextual layers operating there: all of these things were both distant yet relevant to my life. As an American consumer I give little thought to my relationship to the people producing the goods I buy from abroad, and being of mixed Chinese ethnicity, my relationship to China poses an open question. 

Directors’ Statement 

Life in Russia, especially for gay people, is still very much a mystery to the rest of the world. Now more than ever the story is relevant with its themes of immigrant quests for the American Dream, government corruption, social oppression, Russia-U.S. politics, violence against women, and gay/trans rights. But despite the heavy subject matter, the story of my mom and I coming to America is as hopeful and positive as any Hollywood happy ending. 

Director’s Statement

The story evolved many times over 10 years until I thought what that day would be like from the point of view of a young sibling. As I wrote down one of that girl’s thoughts, “I didn’t want you to think that nobody fought for you,” I realized why I hadn’t been able to let this story go. This was the core of our  film. If a story is hard to find, then it’s probably the most important one you can tell. 

Director's Statement

​I wanted to tell a story about pursuing dreams and playing at the top of your game. Sometimes this requires pushing past limitations and expectations. AJ challenges the rules and takes risks and Coach ultimately acknowledges the talent and drive unconditionally. the relationship between Coach and AJ speaks to a willingness to reward ambition, hard work, and equal talent with equal opportunities. 

Directors' Statement:

This project was a dream come true for me, honestly. In this age of freakishly short attention spans and reality TV-style editing, it was really important to me to tell this story in a way that was (hopefully) immersive for a willing audience and respectful to the Kulung culture. I felt a sense of responsibility to the people who gave us their trust to tell their story in a way that didn’t feel exploitive or overly dramatized.