After a bitter divorce, Chinese immigrant Lee Huan relocates to the Great Lakes with his son, Lee Long, to start afresh. Lee Huan launches a fishing business targeting the invasive Asian Carp in the local river, a venture met with skepticism by his estranged son. Struggling to adapt to their new surroundings, Lee Long grapples with understanding his father's motivations. Through the guidance of Uncle Kuan, a biologist and family friend, they must bridge their cultural and generational divide to find common ground.

Director Biography - Taige Shi

Taige Shi is an LA-based director who graduated from the UCLA School of Television Film and Theater with an MFA in directing.As an international student artist, Taige is interested in pursuing arts that can connect people from different cultural and sociological backgrounds.

He has received the UCLA Mary Pickford Award the George & Sakaye Aratani Fellowship and the John H. and Patricia W. Mitchell Fellowship for his works and contributions.

His short film 'Reconnect,' was selected for several international film festivals, including the semifinals of the Oscar-qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival, as well as the Newfilmmakers NY, Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest, and Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival. His thesis film ‘Koi’ has earned an honorable mention in Grand Jury – Narrative Shorts of Dances with Films.

In addition, Taige actively collaborates with various non-profit organizations, producing public service shorts for Human Rights Watch and showcasing his work at events organized by Creative Visions. Due to his outstanding filmmaking talent, Taige has also served as a screener for the 38th and 39th IDA Documentary Awards. He is also part of the documentary prescreening committee for the 84th 2024 Peabody Awards.

Director Statement

As an Asian international director with a passion for cinema, I aim to bridge cultural divides and promote understanding and empathy through the art of storytelling, while also bringing the beauty and wonder of scientific discovery to the big screen.

This project is a perfect opportunity for me to do that. The inspiration has come from my own interest in environmental science and the immigration experiences of my extended family here. From one of my undergrad environmental science classes, I have acknowledged the issue of invasive species in North America, especially the Asian Carp.

While being adored and constantly used as food dishes in China, the fish here is overpopulating and locals refuse to commercialize it. People here have a stigma towards the fish and view them as “dirty” and “unappealing”. Ironically, the treatment towards the fish has somewhat reflected the immigrant experiences from its origin country.

People are less inclined to accept and change their perspective on new things. The different perceptions of the fish make me wonder if there’s a possibility to change people’s minds on this because it will provide an immediate solution to the issue.

This project is my own attempt at doing that as I look forward to continuing my journey as a filmmaker and collaborating with talented individuals from all over the world to tell stories that will inspire, entertain, and educate.