"An Asian American man escapes his dead-end life working at a mortuary and decides to attend his 20-year high school reunion, in search of old friends who might save him. But he winds up at the wrong reunion, where everyone mistakes him for a reclusive Asian billionaire tech bro, the wrong school's most successful alumni that no one has seen since high school."
"Surrounded by former prom queens, class presidents and football heroes, the protagonist thus slips into a lie that begins as survival and degenerates into temptation. As the night stretches on, old dreams resurface, romantic sparks flicker, his adventure becomes less about what's true and more about what it means to finally be seen and accepted."
"Reunion confronts many themes: What happens when toxic alienation and the grudges of youth percolate for 20 years? How does the way in which we define success affect our relationships, especially the failed ones? Why can some people just never seem to grow in life? And, if you're the only Asian dude, or the only Black dude in high school, well, it seriously affects you."
Cinequest celebrates cinema's influence through reunions, exemplified by John W. Kim's film 'Reunion.' The protagonist, an Asian American mortuary worker, attends his 20-year high school reunion seeking old friends but arrives at the wrong event. Mistaken for a reclusive billionaire tech entrepreneur, he assumes this false identity. As the night progresses, his initial survival strategy transforms into temptation, blending humor and romance. The film examines themes including how toxic alienation from youth persists over decades, how success definitions impact relationships, personal stagnation, and the profound effects of racial isolation in high school. Kim, a first-generation Korean American born in Seoul, brings authentic perspective to these narratives, having transitioned from Bay Area journalism to filmmaking.
#indie-comedy #identity-and-mistaken-identity #high-school-reunion #asian-american-representation #themes-of-acceptance-and-belonging
Read at Metro Silicon Valley | Silicon Valley's Leading Weekly
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