NARRATIVE SHORT
OCTOBER 18, 2022
USA | 4 minutes | 2022
Drama short film directed by Patrick Le
Starring Tyler Yath, Junko Cheng
Symptoms of Growth
This story picks up not too long after Peter loses his grandmother. He wrestles with the stages of grief, coping with those feelings by revisiting things they used to do together, and mustering up the strength to live without her.
Director’s Statement
I’ve dealt with death many times throughout my life and with this project I wanted to talk about the waves of emotions it put me through. One the hardest losses I’ve felt was the death of my father. I created “Symptoms of Growth” because I wanted to tackle the
trauma that comes with death.
Like Peter, I fantasized about wanting to spend more time with the people I lost, I struggled to eat and spent a lot of time alone. When the hurt was too much to bear, I tried to talk to friends and family about it. Sometimes it would work but then days later the emotions would come back. Looking back it was a very confusing time.
Someone once told me “you’re not weak for crying, it’s just that you’ve been strong for too long.” I want to let people know that it’s ok to mourn. That your feelings can be confusing but it will be ok. Healing is by being kind to yourself and addressing the hurt. I also hope that people will find comfort in knowing they’re not alone.
– Patrick Le
The statement was edited for grammatical clarity.
Symptoms of Growth is one of the many great projects shared with CineAsian Films through our submissions process. If you’d like to join them, submit your project.
Credits
Director, Writer, Producer, Editor: Patrick Le
Producer: Omar Elgohary
Cinematographer: Conrad Holzman
Music: Good Morning Love by Eldad-Zitrin
CineAsian Films 