A few months ago, we announced that Portola High School alumna Cecilia Mou had been selected for the prestigious Television Academy Foundation Fall Internship Program. She was one of just nine students from across the nation chosen by Television Academy members for the program.
Cecilia is now ready to begin filming her first short film, Margo, which she wrote and will be directing. It’s a beautiful and yet heartbreaking story focused on the Asian American immigrant experience.
The film unravels the clandestine efforts of a teenage daughter, Margo, who unbeknownst to her single mother, toils as a waitress in an effort to alleviate her mother’s financial strains. However, tensions escalate when Margo’s mother discovers her daughter’s sacrifices, propelling the story into a touching exploration of familial duty versus individual sacrifices, revealing deep-seated generational divides.
The children of immigrants often overlook the gravity of the sacrifices their parents have made to carefully craft a life for their children that they never had. They sacrificed their own dreams and passions for something more practical: a future where their children can chase their dreams and pursue their passions. Too often, mothers endure this trauma silently, projecting their hidden insecurities onto their daughters.
Cecilia hopes that her film will resonate with much of Irvine’s diverse community. She says: “I first wrote this story right here in high school, and so much of the film was inspired by the cultural nuances in my family and in those around me in Irvine. There’s such a wealth of lessons to be learned from these characters through an examination of inherited burdens, cultural identity, and the struggle for autonomy amidst familial obligations.”
Cecilia has established a crowdfunding campaign to raise $8.5K so that she can bring the film to production. To watch a clip from this beautiful story and to help support the film, click here.
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