Kasie, stuck in LA’s Koreatown, works as a karaoke hostess getting paid for her companionship by drunken men. When her dad’s hospice nurse quits she reconnects with her estranged brother, Carey, forcing them to enter a period of intense self-reflection as their single father who raised them nears death.
Acting
Tiffany Chu's face does the heavy lifting—devastating restraint.
Cinematography
LA's Koreatown glows with loneliness in every frame.
Direction
Justin Chon captures immigrant family silence perfectly.
Director
Justin Chon
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Justin Chon shot this in 10 days for under $250K, filming in actual Koreatown karaoke bars after hours.
The 'doumi' hostess role Kasie works is rarely depicted in Western cinema—Chon based it on real women's stories from LA's Koreatown.
US
