After his stubborn father suffers a stroke, a sensitive son becomes his caretaker, and the tensions of their estranged relationship come to the surface.

Director Biography - Ziling “Jolyn” Mei

Ziling Mei is a screenwriter-director from Ningbo, China. Her film journey started when she was an extra in Stephen Chow's movie "CJ7". It's Ziling's first time seeing the behind-the-scenes. She soon became deeply interested in those dedicated and humorous filmmakers. When she went to watch "CJ7" in the cinema, her first time realizing the magic of movies could turn the mundane reality into a new possibility that she had never imagined before. On that day, a seed named "filmmaking" was planted in the 10-year-old Ziling's mind, and it grew as she grew up.

At 12, she edited a short documentary for her brother as a birthday present, and her work was well-received by her family. Ziling enjoyed the joy of sharing stories and confirmed her goal - to become a storyteller. At 16, Ziling went to England to study fine art and photography that laid her aesthetic foundation.

At 22, Ziling graduated from the University of Westminster in the UK with an undergraduate degree in Film, specializing in cinematography. At 24, she received an MFA from the Art Center College of Design's Film Department in Los Angeles, CA. She studied with Oscar-nominated live-action short film director Matia Karrell and famous director Bobby Roth, who directed "Prison Break" and "Lost."

Ziling likes to observe and takes inspiration from life. She has traveled to several cities worldwide for a two-year street photography project, aiming at strangers on the street and documenting their stories through images. Ziling combined her street observation and her family life. Her work often focuses on family relationships and contradictions between individuals. Currently, she is writing her first feature, "Born in Blood."

Director Statement

The story is inspired by the relationship between my brother and my father. They would often get into a heated argument, and the most serious one being years ago when my level-headed brother exploded in front of my father and kicked the glass door in anger. My father stopped his speech and left the room. I can never forget the back of my father walking with disappointment, the unfixable broken glass door, and the sobbing sound from my brother's bedroom. The conflict between them got severe, yet, they were also the ones who cared about each other the most. My brother would stay up to look after my drunken father and my father would always leave a light on for his late working son. Their loves are hidden in the details of their lives.

Michael and Phil are the demonstrations of this complex and contradicted father-and-son relationship. In their life, there would always be unavoidable arguments. They would attack each other with the worst word they could think of and even hate each other. Time may never heal their broken heart, but there would always be a moment when they realize that deep down they still love each other and learn to forgive.