Dìdi (Dìdi (弟弟))

Summer 2008 in Fremont, California. Chris Wang, thirteen and Taiwanese-American, is trying to find a place in a group of friends. He films skate videos, talks over MySpace and AIM, tries to get near the girl he likes, and at one point lies about his own background to be accepted. At home he is in constant conflict with his mother and sister. Sean Wang wrote and directed; it is his first feature. Izaac Wang plays Chris and Joan Chen plays his mother. It was shot in Fremont in July 2023, with most of the cast drawn from Bay Area residents who had never acted. It premiered at Sundance on 19 January 2024 and won the Audience Award in US Dramatic along with a Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble. It opened on 26 July 2024 and took 5.1 million dollars domestically. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 96 percent. It won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards and made Barack Obama's list of favourite films of the year. Who it is for: anyone who remembers adolescence and growing up online, especially the second generation of immigrant families. Who it is not for: viewers who need a likeable lead. Chris lies often and hurts people around him, and the film does not tidy that up.