NARRATIVE SHORT
MARCH 1, 2021
CAN | 11 minutes | 2020
Drama short film directed by Roanna De Guzman
Starring Valerie Chan, Jocelyn Tam
Happy Birthday to Us
Twins Gwen and Grace reunite for a birthday dinner a year after a family tragedy.
The Roanna De Guzman directed, Nikita Zhang written short, Happy Birthday to Us, is an emotional, intimate look at sisterhood, family bonds, and learning to move on following a family tragedy.
Gwen (Valerie Chan) meets with twin sister, Grace (Jocelyn Tam), for a birthday dinner. It’s clear that the two haven’t connected much over the last year, and there’s a lot of unspoken tension between them. Gwen has been avoiding her family as she still harbors guilt for what happened. Grace, on the other hand, has a hard time understanding Gwen’s absence and has a hard time keeping that it in. The tension between them boils until they’re forced to face what they’ve been avoiding head on.
The two leads play off each other’s emotional beats very well, with the editing creating a balanced pacing. The result of Happy Birthday to Us is a touching, introspective portrait between two sisters who are searching for understanding and closure.
Happy Birthday To Us is one of the many great projects shared with CineAsian Films through our submissions process. If you’d like to join them, submit your film.
Credits
Director, Editor: Roanna De Guzman
Writer, Producer: Nikita Zhang
Cinematographer: Ernest Ng
Also featuring: Ian Kim
CineAsian Films 