LIMITATION OF LIFE

< AN NYU STUDENT THESIS FILM >

/WINTER 2019/

Limitation of Life tells the struggles of assimilation and identity conflicts within a first generation Chinese-American family in 1950s New York. A riff on Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life, Limitation of Life is both a homage to the lush 1950s melodramas and a subversion on the genre by front-and-centering a family of POC immigrants, whom 1950s Hollywood rendered voiceless. "'Limitation of Life' balances commentary with a love for the golden era of Hollywood, making for a pretty and moving experience with meaning."

–– Renkai Tan, Director

Inspired by Wes Anderson’s film set colors, the different rooms of the Chinese immigrant apartment take on contrasting colors and cultures through the hints of Chinese art and decorations, reminiscing 1950s New York. The character’s repression weaves itself into everything ranging from the colors of their clothing to the walls and materials of the home bearing down on them. This reclaimed narrative informed the design and build of the rooms on the soundstage, the character’s repression weaving itself into everything ranging from the colors of their clothing to the walls and materials of the home bearing down on them.