At a home gathering, a Chinese woman who has recently moved to the United States to live with her daughter tries to keep her daughter's secrets from her new friends.
Director’s Statement As a filmmaker, I’m interested not in the conventional hero's journey of an “active” protagonist, but in the story of the quiet and unassuming “passive” characters, where subtle transformation can unfold. Growing up in a traditional Chinese household, I've discovered that so much lies in the unspoken, and I'm drawn to capturing the ineffable. Contrary to a focus on individuals, I want to depict the dynamics of a collective, as I believe stories exist in a tapestry of relationships. In the film, Lin navigates her daughter's sexuality without ever directly addressing it. She grapples privately, seeking her own answer. Her silent acceptance is conveyed through tender gestures, protective acts, and her choice of Bible verses that emphasize love. To me, cinema's beauty lies in its capacity to illuminate concealed emotions and secrets. Many coming-out stories within the AAPI community are punctuated by struggles and pains. However, I aspire to infuse THREE with a glimmer of hope. The decision to center the story on the mother's journey to acceptance reflects a belief and a hope that we all have the capacity to change for love. Despite their cultural, linguistic, age, and background disparities, the three characters find solace in their shared sense of otherness and the profound love they hold for each other, uniting them in a bond that transcends their differences.
