Interpersonal connection is the most important part of people’s lives. Whether that connection is with family, friends, or strangers - it doesn’t matter. What matters is that at the end of the day, one has someone that they can confide in. Someone that they can share their thoughts and emotions with without fear, or that they can experience a moment of comfort with. 

 

Family, in particular, is a large focus of this festival. Family is a very important part of Asian American culture. It’s an important part of identity. Where these families came from is a source of immense pride, but it can also cause great hardship in America. Its importance is not lost in the films presented today.

 

The films playing today capture many relationships in many different forms: the love between a family even though they have been through so much, the calming presence of a stranger at the end of an awful day, the acceptance from a community that you had never been a part of before, and the pain that comes with the loss of a loved one, forever altering your existence. 

 

We hope that you come out of this festival with a greater understanding of who those people are for you and how much they mean to you.

 

-Makayla Murphy