A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.
Writing
Dialogue so specific you can smell the dumpling steam.
Acting
Joan Chen's side-eye could end careers.
Direction
Alice Wu framing desire through grocery store fluorescent lights.
Director
Alice Wu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Alice Wu based Ma's storyline on her own mother's late-in-life pregnancy, which Wu discovered during a casual phone call home.
The film sat on a shelf for years because distributors insisted on a white love interest; Wu refused. It became a landmark for queer Asian-American cinema anyway.
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