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This film block contains both documentaries and narratives all centered on finding a stronger sense of belonging through community and kinships. Many of these films center on the importance of building and maintaining bonds in their examination of the dynamics of diasporic Asian American identity.
This screening features 8 films. Toggle between film descriptions by scrolling and clicking on the buttons on the top right.
A reserved Southeast Asian woman tries to understand the life of her American housemate solely through the groceries of their shared refrigerator, sticky notes, and a series of voicemails.
Director Biography - Cedric Christophorus, Victoria Gunawan
Cedric Christophorus
Cedric Christophorus is an Indonesian-born writer and director whose films focus on quirky and comedic reflections on societal norms. Currently, he works at ARRAY, a leading Black-owned production company in the United States, while independently producing films through Cinema Inclusion where his team is dedicated to nurturing and developing genre-bending narratives led by Indonesian filmmakers.
Cedric contributed as a writer for Ava DuVernay’s ORIGIN learning companion and is part of the producing team for DuVernay’s MasterClass "Reframe Your Thinking" and the ABC Special "Our America: Hidden Stories." His film projects have screened at Academy-Award qualifying festivals and earned a nomination from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - Michigan Chapter.
Victoria Gunawan
Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Victoria Gunawan is now an LA and Atlanta based Filmmaker. Victoria aspires to tell stories that bring light to human conditions that resonate with audiences on a profound level. Her short "Icing on Her Cake" in which she directed and co-wrote, along side her long time collaborator, recently premiered at LA Shorts International Film Festival 2024. Other than filmmaking she enjoys going to the theatre, having good conversations, meeting new people, and trying out dishes.
Director Statement
In the heat of summer of 2023, I moved to a temporary sub-lease place to save money upon graduation. Jobless, I searched the cheapest housing option without knowing whom I was living with. All I had was their phone number. Our schedules never aligned and I was only able to know them through their groceries and text. Subconsciously, I automatically made assumptions on their gender and race. And I was gravely mistaken.
At its essence, “Icing on Her Cake” is my reaction to this experience, which I hope to expand into a story that I wish speak both to people back in Indonesia and my Asian-American friends who grew up here. The message is simple. In a world where some Asians have been raised in their respective native countries and others have experienced diverse cultural upbringings, we should try to confront our biases on stereotypes that we traditionally consider to be "Asian."
- Year2024
- Runtime10 minutes
- LanguageIndonesian
- CountryUnited States
- PremierePacific Northwest
- GenreDrama, Comedy
- DirectorCedric Christophorus, Victoria Gunawan
- ScreenwriterCedric Christophorus, Victoria Gunawan, Gwendy Soendjojo
- ProducerCedric Christophorus
- CastChristabelle Marbun, Raina Abigail, Cassidy Burroughs, Emiko Susilo
This film block contains both documentaries and narratives all centered on finding a stronger sense of belonging through community and kinships. Many of these films center on the importance of building and maintaining bonds in their examination of the dynamics of diasporic Asian American identity.
This screening features 8 films. Toggle between film descriptions by scrolling and clicking on the buttons on the top right.
A reserved Southeast Asian woman tries to understand the life of her American housemate solely through the groceries of their shared refrigerator, sticky notes, and a series of voicemails.
Director Biography - Cedric Christophorus, Victoria Gunawan
Cedric Christophorus
Cedric Christophorus is an Indonesian-born writer and director whose films focus on quirky and comedic reflections on societal norms. Currently, he works at ARRAY, a leading Black-owned production company in the United States, while independently producing films through Cinema Inclusion where his team is dedicated to nurturing and developing genre-bending narratives led by Indonesian filmmakers.
Cedric contributed as a writer for Ava DuVernay’s ORIGIN learning companion and is part of the producing team for DuVernay’s MasterClass "Reframe Your Thinking" and the ABC Special "Our America: Hidden Stories." His film projects have screened at Academy-Award qualifying festivals and earned a nomination from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences - Michigan Chapter.
Victoria Gunawan
Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Victoria Gunawan is now an LA and Atlanta based Filmmaker. Victoria aspires to tell stories that bring light to human conditions that resonate with audiences on a profound level. Her short "Icing on Her Cake" in which she directed and co-wrote, along side her long time collaborator, recently premiered at LA Shorts International Film Festival 2024. Other than filmmaking she enjoys going to the theatre, having good conversations, meeting new people, and trying out dishes.
Director Statement
In the heat of summer of 2023, I moved to a temporary sub-lease place to save money upon graduation. Jobless, I searched the cheapest housing option without knowing whom I was living with. All I had was their phone number. Our schedules never aligned and I was only able to know them through their groceries and text. Subconsciously, I automatically made assumptions on their gender and race. And I was gravely mistaken.
At its essence, “Icing on Her Cake” is my reaction to this experience, which I hope to expand into a story that I wish speak both to people back in Indonesia and my Asian-American friends who grew up here. The message is simple. In a world where some Asians have been raised in their respective native countries and others have experienced diverse cultural upbringings, we should try to confront our biases on stereotypes that we traditionally consider to be "Asian."
- Year2024
- Runtime10 minutes
- LanguageIndonesian
- CountryUnited States
- PremierePacific Northwest
- GenreDrama, Comedy
- DirectorCedric Christophorus, Victoria Gunawan
- ScreenwriterCedric Christophorus, Victoria Gunawan, Gwendy Soendjojo
- ProducerCedric Christophorus
- CastChristabelle Marbun, Raina Abigail, Cassidy Burroughs, Emiko Susilo
