Second Place
United States, 17 mins, Digital
Returning to her hometown, a young woman finds her childhood room gone. Her grandfather offers to buy her a new space. As they search for a home, their summer journey quietly unfolds into a confrontation with memory, loss, and belonging.
Director: Kaia Gao
Writer: Kaia Gao
Producer: Huateng Zhang
Director of Photography: Qiying Lin
Editor: Kaia Gao
Production Designer: Qingjia Cai
Composer: Zexin Nie Jingyu Jiang
Cast: Yue Cheng Xiaoshen Su
Contact: kg2903@columbia.edu
Program A
Friday, May 16th at 7:00 PM
About the Writer/Director
Kaia Gao is a filmmaker from China with a background in documentary. She received her MFA in Directing from Columbia University. Her work explores space, memory, and female identity through a poetic, observational lens.
About the Producer
Huateng Zhang’s works focus on female’s voices. Her recent production credits CHIEN SAUVAGE was shortlisted for the Moscow International Film Festival; 2 PERSON was shortlisted for the First International Film Festival. Currently, Huateng works full time in Finance which leads her future work to focus on how women can build resilience in a tough workplace environment.