White Rabbit (2018) - full transcript

[Music playing]

[Exhaling forcefully]

[Echoing]
Can you hear me?

[In Korean accent]
I come to America nine years ago

with my two boys and a husband,

five and seven years old.

We come to America because we believe

America to be place
where dream come true.

Work hard and you can make it.

So my husband and I, we work very hard.

Sixteen-hour days, seven days a week,



no holidays, no weekends,

and we do this every day
for about two years

until we finally save enough money
to buy our own store.

But when we buy our own store,

we work even more because it's just us.

We never see our children.

I miss my boys so, so much,

but I call them every day after school.

My husband,
he reminds me why I work so hard

in support my children's education--

my children education in the future.

[Music playing]

[Panting]

- [Dog barks]
- [Train horn blows]



[Music continues]

[Music stops]

[Sighs]

[Exhales]

[Woman speaking Korean on phone]

[Man speaking Korean on phone]

[Beeps]

[Crunches]

[Sighs]

[Woman]
No, I talked to him about the price.

I talked to him about the price twice.

It's just that, like--
I don't know,

I?m just in a totally different headspace
right now.

Like, I?m a mother and I have a kid

and it's really intense

and these are people who I feel like

don't even know
what skin-to-skin contact is.

They probably think it's some form of,
like,

ultra thin condom or something.

Like,
they're just not my people right now.

[Knock on door]

- Hello? Hey.
- Hi.

- Can I help you?
- I?m Sophia.

Oh.

Oh, I?m the task rabbit.

- Oh, yeah. - You said you needed help
with reorganizing or...

Okay, come in. Sorry.

Yeah, no problem.
Oh, shoes on or shoes off?

If you can take them off, yeah,
that would be great.

Where do you want me to--
can I put my shoes?

Um, you know what?
You can just put them right here.

- Okay.
- Just put them--

- Um, okay, that's fine.
- Is that--? Okay.

Um, so...

the baby's toys are a real disaster
right now,

and he's just starting preschool

and I really want him to start focusing,

and so I was thinking of the best thing
to do-- I mean, do you have kids?

- No, I don't have kids.
- No, okay.

So, it's fine.

Um,
I just really want the toys to be focused

based on their objective.

You know what I mean? So the bottom shelf

should be toys with wheels

that go in a specific direction,

and the middle shelf could be
musical instruments that you blow.

Oh, yeah, so you just want them
organized, like, per their function.

Yeah, yeah, and then, like, maybe
you could even take it a step further.

I mean, I know your--
On your profile it says

you're, like, super organized.

- That's awesome.
- Yeah.

So you could do something where

maybe they're organized
by size or by color, too.

Just-- I really want to just
get his brain stimulated.

- No, yeah, I get it. Yeah, no problem.
- Yeah.

- Okay.
- Okay, all right.

Um, and then also

there's this weird spot right here.

If you could just do this
while you're doing that,

that would be great.

- I just...
- Oh, I don't-- I?m, um--

You just spray it and just let it sit.

- You know what? Sure.
- Okay, thank you.

I actually--
I?m not, like, a cleaner.

That's okay, though.
You don't have to be.

- It's really easy.
- I'll just spray it and let it sit.

You just spray it. Okay, thank you.

Yeah, no problem.

Nice to meet you.

[Playing discordant notes, babbling]

Hello.

Hi.

Wow.

Who are you?

Emmanuel.

Oh, you're Emmanuel.

I like your toys.

Can I ride on your back like a pony?

You want to what?

Ride on your back like a pony.

You want to ride on my back like a pony?

- Um...
- [Playing discordant notes]

[Babbling]

So...

Okay.

- Was that like a pony?
- [Babbles]

Um, Alice?

Alice?

Fuck! Fuck!

Hi, this is Sophie, your task rabbit.

I?m sorry, um...

I--
This is so crazy,

but I?m just gonna be, like,
a few minutes late.

Hello?

Does anyone have a bike, a white bike,

that's parked on the corner?

Hey, is that your bike?

Yeah.

What--
what the fuck?

It's not cool.
You locked your bike against mine.

- You didn't see that?
- I?m sorry.

- I?m so sorry. - What the fuck?
I missed my job because of you.

I was supposed to digitize
this guy's high-8 tapes

and now I?m like an hour late.

Didn't you even, like, check?

I didn't.

Just-- Can you just, like--
Whoa! Sorry.

You just dropped my bike.
You know that, right?

Yeah, well, fuck that.

Fuck you!

No, fuck you!

Fuck!

[Groans]

[Music playing]

- Ethan?
- Yeah, hi.

- Hey.
- Sophia, nice to see--

Hey, nice to--
Nice to meet you.

- Come on.
- Um...

I got, um, coffee.

Oh, you ordered for me?

- Yeah.
- That's so nice.

- It's-- It's cool.
- I don't drink coffee, though.

- Okay.
- Thank you.

- Well, then I'll drink two.
- I feel bad.

- No, that's okay. Don't worry.
- Thank you. Sorry.

But I?m so happy
that you came to meet me today

and I wanted to talk to you

because I saw your stuff on YouTube...

- Oh, which piece?
- ...and it blew me away.

The supermarket piece.

- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, my God.

You know, if I?m not gonna get,

you know, my voice in the institutions,

then I?m just gonna take
this corporate grocery store

and make it--
turn it into my stage.

- Yeah.
- Yeah, and, so, that was really fun.

I see you as this incredibly powerful
Asian American woman.

- Thanks.
- Yeah.

[Chuckles]
And, uh, your-- You-- I was not--

Your accent is incredible.

You sound totally American.

- Oh--
- You know, it's just in the--

In the--
In the piece you, um--

I guess you were doing your--

Yeah, I was, like, impersonating...

- Yeah.
- ...a character from the past.

Yeah.

- It's a-- It's a-- Yeah.
- So, she was an immigrant,

- But I-- Yeah.
- Right, right, right.

So, I have this film

and there's an incredibly powerful role

for an Asian American woman in it.

And when I saw you doing your work,

I thought you just were the part.

If you want to know about it,

it's about a social media conglomerate,

and you would play a character

who has a very powerful role
in the accounting department

of this conglomerate.

And it's, like, such a--

I?m not sure
if I could really embody that

because I?m not really good with math.

You're not gonna be
crunching numbers onscreen.

That would be so boring.

- I know, but...
- It's about your dynamic.

- ...I?m not sure that I could--
- It's your dynamic with this head guy,

- And so--
- Wait, so the movie's about her?

No, no, the movie is about him.

- Okay. - And what he's doing
in the world right now.

But this is
such an important counterpoint

- so that he knows that, a...
- You said-- You said--

...there are strong,
intelligent women in the work force

that he needs to respect,
and that they are

of, you know, many different backgrounds.

- And that's what you would encapsulate.
- But didn't you--

Didn't you say it was, like,
just a couple of lines?

Yeah, it's a couple of lines.

It's a very small scene,
but it's very important.

Okay, I mean,
I?d have to read the script.

I don't know in what context,
but how could just, like--

I mean, sorry, I don't know that--
This much about your world...

- Right.
- But how-- I?m not sure

that in such a few lines,

you could get all of that across.

Because you're talking about--

it's not about the words.

I look at you and all I see is
strength and will and determination,

and that's all that I want you to bring
to this piece is that energy.

[Music playing]

[Woman singing in foreign language]

What I didn't understand was

why was this injustice then
redirected at Korean Americans?

Why were the rioters mostly targeting

and burning down Korean stores?

Over 2,000 Korean businesses

were destroyed, targeted, looted,

burnt down during the L.A. riots.

And then at the same time, the L.A. media

was constantly creating and publishing

ready-made racial tension

by reporting on all the black crimes

on Korean stores and violence.

Black crimes on Korean stores
and violence.

Repeatedly.

For every robbery,
they would always mention

that the store was owned by Korean-born

and that the criminal was black,

even if race
had nothing to do with the crime.

[Imitating Korean accent]
After city tried to rebuild,

they all take away our liquor license.

Because liquor license,
they have to be active for 30 days.

If not active, they took away.

They say,
"unless it act of God like earthquake

or earth--
or rainstorm, is not active."

Huh? Oh, my God.

Oh, my God, how is massive burning

of your store not an act of God, huh?

I not plan, huh? I not do, I not.

Oh, Hananim, why city punish the victim,
huh?

Why city take away our voice?

We have no political power.

We have no voice.

Oh, Hananim, oh, Hananim...

[Speaking Korean]

Oh, Hananim, oh, Hananim.

Hey.

[Normal accent]
Hey.

Why are you talking about the riots?

Um, hi.

You don't recognize me, right?

Um, we--
We...

It must be, like, my costume.

We had, like, a thing two days ago.

- You-- Your bike.
- You.

- Yeah.
- You.

- I?m so sorry, actually--
- You are fucking crazy.

I know. I actually--
I was thinking about you,

because that's not really me.

That's not who I am. I just--
You caught me in a really, like--

Wait, so you went so fucking nuts on me

and now you're here
talking about politics?

- Like, I?m...
- Well, I?m an artist,

and I?m just--
yeah, I?m doing this performance here

because I feel like it's a marginalized
part of history, untold history,

that I wanted to revisit

because it really reflects
our current state right now.

- Do you think...? - I mean,
were you here during the L.A. riots?

- No, I wasn't.
- Yeah, well, neither was I.

But I know that--

You know, I was doing a lot of research

and, like, I was just a kid.

Somehow the Koreans
were taking this blame

for, you know, all, like,

sort of the racial tensions go--
you know, happening.

- And I just--
- Yeah, well, the woman shot--

I mean, she shot the 15-year-old girl
in the back.

That's not what my piece is about.

I?m trying to explore that the media

sort of took that footage and kind of--

They're manipulating the people

to kind of sort of misdirect
all the real issues.

I feel like if we had real dialogue

and if we could really talk
about these issues,

we would know that we're,
like, actually connected

and that we all want peace.

Okay, well, I hear you talking,
and this is not dialogue

'cause you're doing all the talking
and I?m just--

If you want to have a proper dialogue,

I want to talk to you about this

because I find you so interesting,

and you being here.

But I feel like you're talking at me,

you're not listening to me.

- So...
- Yeah, sorry.

- It's okay.
- I?m sorry, I just--

You know, we had that thing

and then I?ve had some other,
like, friends of mine

who are very dear friends,
like, you know, attack me

and say that it was kind of like
anti-black and blackness.

- And--
- Are you anti-black?

- No, of course not!
- Okay, good.

Course--
Are you kidding?

Like, my best friends are, like--
yeah, like, whatever.

- No.
- What I thought was interesting

is how you embodied your culture.

The voice, the empathy,

the love, the understanding.

That came from a very truthful place.

- Uh, thank you.
- I appreciate that.

I?m so sorry that I came at you.

It's just been a really hard time.

Like, everyone's--

every time I look in the news,

- there's another person being shot...
- Yeah.

...there's another person
being pulled down the street,

and I?m just so--
I?m just--

That's exactly
what I?m trying to draw attention to.

- Me, too. - Yeah,
so we're trying to do the same thing.

- I think--
- It's cool, it's cool, girl.

Like, fucking,
keep doing what you're doing.

What's your name?

- I?m Sophia. What's yours?
- Sophia. I?m Victoria.

- Victoria.
- Nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you.

- See you around.
- Yeah.

- 'Kay. bye.
- Thanks for--

Thanks for coming to talk to me.

You know, I really appreciate that.

Thank you.
We're just trying to understand, right?

Yeah. Yeah.

- Peace.
- Bye.

[Music playing]

[Woman singing in foreign language]

[Horn honking]

[Music continues]

Go around. Fuck.

What the fuck is the matter
with these people?

Just go around.

[Music continues]

[Music stops]

[Phone beeps]

[Coughs]

[Crinkling on video]

[Laughs]

[Music playing]

# Who watched the dog? #

# Lost in the fog #

# Squat down below #

# Jump to the snow #

# Coyote call... #

I don't know, I--
Like, it made sense to text you.

- Uh-huh.
- And then as soon as I did it,

- I was like, "no."
- [Laughs]

"Bring back the text! Bring it back!"

Um, yeah, so I just wanted to see you
because, um...

I don't know, I just, um--

I keep thinking about you, you know.

Okay. Uh-huh.

I mean, I know--
I know it's been a while.

Um...

And, uh, I don't know.

I just--
I was, like, curious

about how you were and...

I--
Like, what happened,

you know? 'Cause I...

With us?

Yeah, what happened? I mean...

I just always felt like there was no--

Like, we--
like, day to day--

Day to day, I loved being with you.

And I loved you.

I just felt like the priority was always,
like, your work,

which was always pulling you in,
like, all these crazy directions

and I was just kind of like--

felt like I was always here for you,

but, like, where was I being seen?

I mean, we were living together.

We, like, you know--

We made all these compromises together.

We were like a team.

I mean, absolutely.
But it just felt like...

And then, like, I don't know,

like, out of the blue you're, like, gone.

You're, like, not--
You're not, like...

- I mean, honestly, when I...
- ...accessible to me.

I don't doubt that you,
like, cared about me.

I always knew that you did,
and you always made it super clear.

But do you remember
when I went to visit my mom?

Is that what this is about?

Because you never--
You never said that.

Of course I would've been there for you.

I, like, love you.

Of course I would've been there,

but you ever asked me.

For me, really, it just comes down to,
like...

I don't know.
Maybe it was, like, the time--

Like, the moment that we were together.

I mean, some couples,
like, have their moment

and then it's over.

I just remember, like--
I don't know,

I just remember, like,

you holding me and telling me that...

you know, that you, like, want to be...

[Sniffles]

That, like, we were home.

[Feedback squeals]

[Sophia on microphone]
Hello?

Can you hear me?

So, in 1992, I was just a kid.

I didn't really understand
what was happening.

Every time I turned on the news,

I?d hear about some Korean grocer

getting shot by black Americans

or some rappers
rapping about how racist Koreans are.

So I asked my parents, "What's going on?

Why do black people hate us so much?"

And then I remember at the time,
my best friend was black,

Mikita Jackson.

I, like, loved her,

and I thought we were so close,

but when all of this was happening,

I couldn't even talk to her
or admit to her

that I was having
all these awkward feelings.

I don't know. I mean, like, you know.

I?m, like, at the restaurant
like seven days a week.

- Oh, my God.
- I make no money.

I cannot work.
I can't work a restaurant job.

They would pay me
not to come to the restaurant,

I?m such a bad waitress.

- I don't know.
- Oh, man.

They don't tell you in art school

you have to, like,
marry rich or whatever.

Yeah, that's what they should teach
in art school.

- Marry rich.
- How do you trap the spouse

- that's gonna be making the money?
- Support your artwork.

The only people I know

who, like, are continuously making work

are the people whose, like,
husbands or wives are making...

- Yeah, or you come from money, right?
- ...any money, yeah.

Like, are we just making work
for our friends here?

We're just, like,
being privileged bitches

who, like, had, I don't know,

somehow got lucky and went to art school

and now we're, like,
jacking off into the art circle?

- Like, masturbating?
- No.

Like everyone's in a fucking circle jerk?

Is it just, like,
self-indulgent to, like,

be like, "okay, I can still be an artist"

today when the world's,
like, going crazy.

I don't know. I have to--

I have to make stuff.

If I don't make performances
or if I don't--

If I don't find, like,
a way to express myself,

like, I'll go insane.

We've looked at this from every angle.

We can't pull the trigger
on the initiative.

- That's great.
- Yeah.

- That was great.
- Okay, great.

Yeah, how'd that feel?

- Um...
- The-- Yeah.

- Yeah, you're making a stand.
- Yeah, yeah, I felt like--

Um, sorry?

You're making a stand.

- Right.
- Yeah.

Would it be more helpful for you

if you said it in, like, your native...

dialect?

What do you mean, my native dialect?

Like in the YouTube spot.

- Oh, no, that's not my--
- Yeah.

English is my native dialect.

I was just putting on
that character for...

You want me to put, like,
an Asian character--

- Yeah, do you want to do that?
- I mean, Asian accent on this?

Do you want to, like, try that?

Um, no. No.

I just feel as though...

[Voice breaks] I just feel as though
that would be so powerful,

to hear that voice...

come through at that time.

I don't understand what her being, like--

Having an accent has anything to do with,
like...

She has had to overcome so much
with her family

and her history in this country,

and now she's actually been given a voice

in a company that has an economy, like,
the size of Morocco.

So this is a huge moment for her,

and I think it would be so powerful

if she was saying it--

If she spoke in, like, broken English

because just speaking English
is a challenge for her.

That wasn't really in the script.

It didn't say anything--

She wasn't a foreigner in this company.

No, but you're not a foreigner.

- You just--
- But you're making her a foreigner.

You're making her the other.

Why does she have to have an accent?

That doesn't make any sense to me.

I don't understand what "the other" is.

What is "the other"?

Why does she have to have an accent?

- She's, like--
- So, you won't try that?

No.

I feel terrible
that I?ve made you uncomfortable.

[Voice breaks] I?m sorry,
I?m having a hard time right now.

[Sniffles]

I mean...

I?m sorry.

You're just so lucky...

that you have this thing, this, um...

This heritage and this power to speak

and you have actually
something meaningful to say.

I just--
I feel like

my life is meaningless, you know...

- I?m sure you have meaning in your life.
- ...in comparison.

It's kind of like what you make of it.

No, everything has been handed to me
on a plate.

- What? - Everything
has been handed to me on a plate.

I?ve struggled for nothing in my life.

Oh, I?m sorry,
I?m not gonna feel sorry for you

'cause everything's been handed to you.

I don't want you to feel sorry for me.

I gotta--
I gotta go.

- I don't want you to--
- I was just trying to be open-minded.

- I was like, why don't I try something?
- I don't want this.

I don't want this to be
the experience you had.

It's--
I...

You know, I got all up in my own shit

- and it's not, um...
- It's okay, dude.

Like, I tried it.
It didn't--

I know, I just don't want you
to leave here

feeling, like,
icky or anything like that.

No, I don't feel icky.

I mean, I do, but, like, that's cool.

It's just some stuff came up for me

- and I just-- No, I just--
- No, it's cool, we all--

- No, hey. Sorry.
- Oh.

I just, um--
Cool. Bye.

[Door opens]

[Music playing]

# You remind me of a firework, boy #

# You touch the ceiling,
you touch the floor #

# You sparkle and burn,
but you take your time #

# And I bet I could carry you
across state lines #

# I?d tell you why #

# But I don't know #

# It's simple and #

# So complicated #

# I could walk all day #

# On the railroad tracks #

# But there's much more #

# To it than that... #

[Laughs]

# You know all of my secret ideas #

# The ones I'm giving up on
and the ones I'll keep #

# And everybody sees
a funny look in our eyes #

# 'Cause we know that we already
won the sweepstakes prize #

# I?d tell you why #

# But I don't know #

# It's simple and #

# So complicated #

# I could walk all day #

# On the railroad tracks #

- # But there's much more... #
- [Laughing]

# To it than that... #

I love that you just jumped right in.

- Three times.
- Yeah.

Three times in, like, a week. I...

What are you doing?

I just--
This is my spot. I come here to...

This is my spot.

This is where I come and...

[Sighs]

...give my appreciation, search.

Yeah.

Look at the sunset.

Yeah, that's why I come out here.

Hmm.

[Chattering]

Okay, I will have, um...

four quesadillas.

I?m sorry.
[Laughs]

Wow, you're hungry.

I'll have a beef tripe.

[Man singing in Spanish on radio]

So, tell me about you. What's your story?

I mean, what--
Are you from Los Angeles?

No, I?m from Ghana, West Africa.

- You know that?
- Oh, wow. Course.

Wow.

So, when did you come here?

I?ve been here for, like, 10 years.

- Wow. Okay.
- Yeah.

What about you? Where are you from?

Actually, I was born in Korea.

Yeah.

When did you move here?

I moved when I was seven.

Yeah, I learned my English

watching John Hughes films
when I was seven.

That's why I talk
like a permanent teenager.

- [Laughs]
- That's how I learned to--

- That's so amazing.
- That's why I have this permanent,

like, valley girl accent.

I speak like Molly Ringwald, basically.

- Oh, my God, I love that.
- She created me.

That's so awesome.
You know how I learned English?

- How, what?
- Watching "Friends."

- No, that's even worse!
- I know.

Between the two of us,
we're speaking Pop Americana.

# Trying to get to know you. #

Ah-ah, oh.

[Both laugh]

Sorry, I?m so weird.

You're funny.

- Um...
- Have you been back since?

Yeah, I?ve been back,
but I still wouldn't,

like, identify myself with,
like, being Korean.

You know, it's funny, this immigrant life

'cause you're not, like, fully a Korean

and you're not fully American,

so you're this hyphenated American.

So, what do you do here?

I?m a photographer.

Mm.

I?ve been photographing since I was 16.

Yeah.

When I came to America,
I realized there wasn't--

There weren't that many pictures of me
growing up,

and so I think I became a photographer

because it was my own way
of cataloguing my life,

you know, and archiving myself.

Great job. I mean, I get it.

- Thank you.
- I think that's beautiful.

I?ve never heard--
you know, it's true.

I think...

It's like "I was here," right?

[Music playing]

[Traditional Korean music playing]

Come with me.

It's kind of like appropriating identity

and, I don't know, I love it.

[Growls]

The Earth Mother

catches her children

in the net,

and they fly away.

[Squeals]

Shh.

Your--
feet is tied with a rock

and you're on the ocean.

You're trying to, like, swim upstream

and it just keeps pulling you down,
you know.

It's like...

It's, like, so good.

So consistent. Huh.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Hey, darling.

[Smooches]

- Hi.
- Thank you for having us.

[Music playing, chattering]

I know.
So this is all I based on the harvest.

Wow. Installation.

[Chattering indistinctly]

Which one are you? Are you gentle,

or are you a monster?

That's Gary Vaseman, everyone.

- Hello, Gary Vaseman.
- Hi, Gary Vaseman.

Hey, Theodore. Hey.

# When they fight, they fight #

# And when they come home at night,
they say #

# I love you, baby #

# Ooh, ooh-ooh #

# Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh #

# Ooh, ooh-ooh #

# Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh #

# Was it too much too soon? #

# Or too little too late, babe? #

# He got the message
you left on his car #

# In the rain #

# And then the words, they come to you #

# Driving away... #

I think it's so important
for us to remember to, like,

thank ourselves, you know?

'Cause sometimes we--

Yeah, that's the part
that I need some help with.

'Cause I don't have balance in my life.

Self-help books, Eckhart Tolle,

Dr. Wayne Dyer, Oprah.

No, do you read a lot?

- Got you. I got you.
- No.

Are you serious?

What are some of the, like--

What would be, like, the...

God, you make me sound
like I?m some kind of guru.

I don't know. I don't have any advice.

I don't know, you seem so balanced.

[Hums, laughs]

There's, like, a really beautiful,
like, quality about you.

You're just so, like,
grounded and earthy.

I like your vibe, too. I feel like
you're close to mine in that way, too.

- You know?
- Really?

- Totally. I do.
- You like my vibe?

I think that's probably why the universe
keeps making us run into each other

- in this big-ass fucking town.
- I know.

Like, to see you again is like, whoa.

I just--
I feel, like, so, I don't know...

calm.

Aw.

- Good. I?m glad.
- Yeah?

I love this so much. This is so nice.

[Music playing]

[Quacking]

I didn't realize I was gonna
be modeling today.

I would've, uh...

Like that, hold it, hold it.

- Yes.
- ...gotten in shape.

You're the perfect subject for this.

No, you should be in pictures.
You look fantastic.

Do you always wear that outfit
when you take photos?

- Yes.
- 'Cause I think you should.

This is my studio.
I can wear whatever the fuck I want.

You look amazing.

- Shake it off.
- Okay.

- Shake your head.
- Shake it off.

- Okay, you got this.
- # Shake it off, shake it off #

And now we can do a breathe.

Like one breath.

Oh, my God.

Sophia.

You fucking killed it.

- You're so good.
- I didn't do anything.

Tell me about this work.

What--
What inspires you?

I don't know.
I try to create a space

for-- in my work--
where women can come.

It's a space where it's, like,
nurturing and truthful,

where they can really sort of, like,
be themselves

so I can really capture their essence.

Yeah, but, you know,
your work is so personal

that all of these pictures
of these women,

they actually all remind me of you.

That's what I find so liberating
about you.

You're just so free and I?m so analytical

and I?m always, like, over-thinking

and I have, like, my inner critic. Blah.

And you're just--
I don't know, you're so free.

I think all women should feel free.

You know, this is--
our body--

Our bodies are our vessel.

It's how we move through the world,

and it's sad that society's
made us ashamed of our bodies.

- You're not ashamed.
- Fuck no, bitch.

You're not ashamed of a thing.

With all my flaws.

I?m just gonna scrub
the fuck out of my skin

till I get all these dead cells out.

What are your parents like?

Oh, lovely.

- Are they pretty, like, understanding?
- They're African parents.

So imagine your Korean parents.
How are they?

Oh, my mom--
They're all, like, my inner critic.

I don't need an inner critic

'cause I just have my mom's voice like,

"You're not good enough.
This is not good enough."

- What about you?
- Oh, you're so sad.

Well, what I hear from my mom is like,

"You should get a real job.

You should get a husband.
You should settle down."

She doesn't like you doing pictures?

No, she doesn't understand it.

But it's okay. I think our parents,
especially our mothers,

they didn't have
the freedom that we have.

as the modern woman,
we get to have children later on.

That's what I try to do in this work,

but, actually, speaking of work,

I?m actually going to New York next week.

New York City.

Cheers.

- Cheers, salud.
- Salud.

[Music playing]

Why do you think Koreans were targeted?

Oh, it's very hard to say.

It's not just one thing

that leads to an event like this.

Creating ready-made racial tensions.

Economic recession. Globalization.

They're the new pioneers.

[Music playing]

Hey, Victoria. It's Sophia.

I just woke up.

I think it's like--

I don't know, like, noon over there.

I just wanted to say hi. I miss you.

I can't wait till you're back.

[Pop music playing]

Hey, Victoria. It's Sophia.

I left you a message
a couple of days ago.

I just wanted to make sure
that you got it.

And if not,
I was kind of groggy when I left it.

Anyways,
I just wanted to hear your voice.

I wanna know how New York is.

I don't know.
I?m just curious about what you're up to.

So just give me a call or text me.

Yeah, let me know you're okay.

Okay, bye.

Now, is it the same photographs?

Is this one of signs?

'Cause I know about signs.

I know you know signs.

You bought three of them.

You bought three of my photos.

Well, I was also born under one.

I was born under the Hollywood sign,

right under the letters L and Y.

- Wow.
- Yeah, literally.

- Hollywood baby.
- Hollywood baby.

What are you doing in New York?

Whether it's art or filmmaking,
you come to New York.

You come to New York to show your work.

So I know about that.

- And that's why you're here.
- [Phone chiming]

You're here. What other places
have you shown your work at?

Dusseldorf? Paris?

Okay, okay.

I think that the most--

You may have some
of the most important work you've done.

Sharon has to get picked up

by a certain person who has demands

that she show up at her house.

Yeah, we're gonna go eat.
We should go eat dinner at Botanica.

I heard it's really good.

I heard it's really cute inside.

- Oh, I can't--
- Should I just uber to her house?

[Woman]
She buys less stuff.

So laying her off,
Nordstrom is making less money

'cause she's, like, not shopping as much.

Yeah, she doesn't need to get a job.

She still goes to Nordstrom
like every other day.

[Muffled chattering]

[Overlapping chattering]

[Woman]
Are you okay?

What's wrong?

Sorry, I gotta--
I gotta take this off.

I gotta--
Can I take this off?

- Can you help me?
- Yeah.

I felt like she really got me,

and I, like, understood her.

It was--
You know, I just feel like,

maybe I shouldn't be so open

because every time I?m open,

I just get my heart broken,

and I feel like such a fool.

What do you think would help you move
from this place?

I don't know. Like validation for my work
would be amazing.

Yeah.

Maybe and that has to do with money.

I don't even know what I?m thinking,
actually.

I just--
I miss her so much

and I?m just really so stupid.

- [Sobbing]
- Oh, no.

So how about we take a moment

and just not think about this
for a second,

but I just have to get
to the task rabbit job

that I had you come over to do,

because I?m getting charged, and I just--

I hope maybe this will help you
a little bit

- 'cause the shed is a mess...
- Oh, my God, yes, of course.

so I really need your help today.

Just take care of that.

Of course. No, I?m here for you.

Okay. All right.

- No, I?m sorry.
- Okay, let's go.

- What is it that you--
- It's right back here.

- Sorry.
- That's okay. That's okay.

You think it might be a good idea?

- To tell her that I have a boyfriend?
- Mm-hm.

You're my man.
You have nothing to worry about.

So, I mean,
are you kinda into her at all?

- No.
- No? Not even a little bit?

- [Knocking on window]
- Holy shit.

Who's this?

Fuck.

- What the fuck?
- I thought you were back in town.

Why haven't you returned any of my texts?

I went out of town and I?m just--

I know, but you could've texted me back,

like,
to just tell me that you were alive.

- Did I do something wrong?
- No, you're my friend.

- We had a really nice time.
- Are you mad at me?

- I?m not mad at you.
- Did something happen?

- I?m just trying to do my life.
- No, I know.

I thought we had something, or am I--

- I?m sorry.
- That's my boyfriend.

He's my friend--
my boyfriend.

You have a boyfriend?

Victoria,
don't make me look like an idiot.

- I mean--
- We had a nice time.

- It was great.
- No, I know.

- What the fuck?
- I?m just-- I?m sorry.

Like, "What the fuck"?

What the fuck? You what the fuck!

- You have a boyfriend.
- Hey, what's going on?

- Listen, dude, I?m not talking to you.
- Baby, don't...

- Can you just step away?
- That's cool.

I?m talking to her.
I?m talking to Victoria.

Can you just step away?

You just seem really intense right now.

Will you fucking get rid of him?

You're making me feel like such an idiot.

What? This is too much for me,
this constant texting.

And Facebook and fucking Instagram.

Do you think I would've pursued you

- if I thought you had a boyfriend?
- Pursued?

- I?m not an idiot.
- You're my friend.

You know you're not just my friend.

You're fucking being so crazy right now.

- Just chill. You're my friend.
- Get away from me. Just--

Don't fucking touch him.

Don't touch him. What are you--
Oh, my God!

What the fuck are you--
Hey!

Fuck you!

Okay, stand the fuck back.

- You're fucking crazy.
- Fuck you. Fuck you.

Fuck you.

Fuck you. Fuck! What the fuck?

[Microphone feeds back]

- [Amplified] Fuck you.
- You bit him.

- Fuck you.
- You bit him.

You guys are parasites of the earth.

Fuck--
Fuck off.

Is this, like, hilarious--

Fuck off, Victoria, you two-timing cunt.

You fucking bitch! Fuck.

Fuck you!

It's my fucking coffee.

[Chanting in foreign language]

[Speaking foreign language]

[Sighs]

Umma.

Sophia, so glad to talk to you.

I haven't heard from you for a while.

- Uma.
- Hm?

What is it?

I don't know what I?m doing.
I?m just wasting my life.

Did you break up with a boyfriend
or something?

What's going on?

Huh? Did somebody...

...break your heart?

You're doing a great job,

and I am right because I?m your mother.

No, I?m not.

You are always talented
in your paintings, in your sculptures.

You're an artist.

Uma, I don't make sculptures.

What do you mean,
you don't make sculptures?

I make things that you can't sell.

I make things that you can't sell, Uma.

Then who are you making it for,

whatever you're making?

I don't know.

It's okay.

Somebody someday
is going to appreciate what you're making

even though you're not selling it.

[Speaking foreign language]

You worked so hard

and you always had
so many more obstacles than me,

you and dad,

and I just--
I wanna thank you

and I wanna thank you
for always supporting me

no matter what crazy,
crazy stuff I wanted to do.

Just, thank you so much.

And I?m going to be a little bit busy

so I won't be able to call you, okay?

But don't worry.

Remember to take care of yourself.

- I will.
- Crazy stuff but take care of yourself.

- Okay, I will.
- And eat.

Bye. I love you.

- Bye, Uma.
- Bye bye.

[Typing on keyboard]

I know that saying I overreacted

is an understatement.

We had such fun together, right?

And I think
I did kind of misconstrue or--

I don't know.

I feel like every time
I come across something

that I start to really love,

I just--
I wanna hold onto it

and make it mine or...

I just wanna grasp it

because I already worry about losing it.

I have a lot of Han.
Do you know what that is?

- No.
- It's like Koreans have a lot of Han.

We have a lot of inner demons,

a lot of inner anger

that's just ready to come out.

- Anyway...
- I left just for a week.

I was gone only a week,
and you were just, like...

not getting the hint.

I?m sorry that I bit your boyfriend.

Yeah, I?m sorry, too.

And I?m sorry
that I misread all the signals.

I think I just got really excited

because
a lot of my friends that I?ve had,

they sort of turn this other path

that I don't really recognize.

You know, it's really hard

to make new friends

as adults,

and I just instantly

just--
I, like, loved you.

That was rad. That was connection, right?

Yeah. That was great. We had so much fun.

Yeah.

You know that Osho quote...

about love?

If you love a flower, you don't pick it.

That's how you know love.

Anyway, it's all good.

I won't pick your flower.

Yeah, don't pick my flower.

Just let me bloom, girl.

Over 100,000 people showed

in the march for peace.

Unity and support

from all over Southern California.

It is here that we attracted
the mainstream media

of our plight.

We had been victims of injustice.

And that we want peace.

We want to live in harmony
with our neighbors.

And we want peace.

Can you hear me?

Can you hear me?

[Pop music playing]

[Man singing in foreign language]

Can you hear me, oh, beach?

Can you hear me, oh, beach?

[Laughing]

[Coughing]

# She was a shark smile #

# In a yellow van #

# She came around
and I stole a glance in my youth #

# A vampire #

# Evelyn shown quiet as roses sting #

# It came over me at a bad time #

# But who wouldn't ride
on a moonlit line? #

# Had her in my eye #

# 85 down the road of a dead end gleam #

# And she said woo #

# Baby, take me #

# And I said woo #

# Baby, take me too #

# It came over her at a bad time #

# Riding through Winona
down the dotted line #

# Held us gunning out #

# Ninety miles down the road
of a dead end dream #

# She looked over with a part smile #

# Caught up in the twinkle,
it could take a while #

# And the money pile
on the dashboard fluttering #

# As she said woo #

# Baby, take me #

# And I said woo #

# Baby, take me too #

# Evelyn?s kiss was oxygen #

# I leaned over to take it in #

# As we went howling #

# Through the edge of South Des Moines #

# It came over me at a bad time #

# She burned over the double line #

# And she impaled #

# As I reached my hand
for the guardrail #

# Ooh, the guardrail #

# Ooh, the guardrail #

# And she said woo #

# Baby, take me #

# And I said woo #

# Baby, take me too #

# She said woo #

# Baby, take me #

# And I said woo #

# Baby, take me too #