On the night of their anniversary, a Chinese woman must decide whether to keep her Asian-American girlfriend a secret from her traditional family with the upcoming Chinese New Year or live out her dream as her true self.
Acting
Lydia Jialu Li's silent panic speaks volumes.
Direction
Guo packs a feature's worth of tension into 15 minutes.
Editing
Quick cuts mirror the protagonist's fracturing loyalties.
Director
Caroline Guo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The title references Chinese New Year fireworks — traditionally lit to scare away evil spirits, here repurposed as a symbol of self-destruction and rebirth.
Director Caroline Guo based this on friends' real experiences; the 15-minute runtime mirrors how quickly a closet can collapse under pressure.
US
