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Set in 2015, Dallas, Texas, The Gift follows 10-year-old Lexie as she prepares for her best friend Isa’s birthday party. She picks out a pricey birthday gift, but her mother explains that they couldn’t afford it. At the party, another girl gives Isa that same gift, and Isa likes it the most. Seeing her own gift left aside, Lexie blurts out that her mother said no to that gift because of the price. The room falls silent. Isa’s mother is especially displeased. After the party, Isa becomes distant, and Lexie blames it on her gift. When Lexie wins prize money from a ballet performance, she immediately heads to the store, intending to buy Isa a better gift and save their friendship, but ultimately realizes who the gift should truly be for.
"When I was in elementary school, my mother became a visiting scholar in Texas and brought me along. As the new Chinese kid, I was awkward, and I struggled to fit in. I often felt embarrassed for being different and pretended to be someone I’m not. When I met another Chinese girl in my ballet class, I was so desperate for her friendship and approval that I ignored my family. Eventually, I learned to understand my mother and accept myself, even if it meant losing that friendship...
...Ten years later, now in New York, I’m still that awkward Chinese kid, but a bit more confident, a bit more proud. As a filmmaker, I love digging into my past for authentic stories that speak for me, and The Gift is definitely one of them. Through this heartwarming narrative, I’ll explore the unique bond between me and my mother, a close yet un-lasting friendship from my childhood, and most important of all, the theme of personal growth."
The Gift is a film for every family. It speaks to those who share a close relationship with their loved ones, inviting them to find nostalgia for their childhood and look back on the memories that guided them through adulthood. By exploring the culture of gift-giving within the Chinese community, the film also impacts its audience to embrace and appreciate diverse cultures, bringing together, and eventually enriching, a community.