Side By Side

Seventeen-year-old Adam, a driven student fixated on getting into Princeton, isolates himself from his friends and pushes them aside in his quest for academic success, in hopes to resolve the unraveling of his parents' marriage and discovers that true achievement lies in reconnecting with those he loves.

A girl uses her sport to disassociate what's going on in her life. But can she truly escape the realities of 'the outside world'?

"Graduation" is a poignant drama about 12-year-old Kai, who discovers his caretaker, Marie, unconscious in bed one morning, leading to her sudden death. As his family struggles with the aftermath, Kai uncovers the hidden truths about Marie’s life and death —truths that were invisible to the family until it was too late. Through its lens, Graduation calls attention to the often-overlooked role of domestic helpers in Hong Kong households, illustrating how these essential figures are rendered invisible despite their integral presence. Kai, who sees Marie as a second mother, must navigate the complexities of grief, loss, and family dynamics, all while confronting the social structures that allowed Marie’s contributions to go unnoticed. In a film that explores childhood, family bonds, and the systemic erasure of domestic workers. Forced to face uncomfortable truths, Kai seeks solace in memory and ritual, finding that some truths, though invisible, can no longer be ignored.