Although Dìdi may initially start to play out as a coming-of-age type story focusing on a young man overcoming cultural barriers, it becomes obvious quite quickly that the heart of the film lies in the boy’s relationship with his mother and how exactly that shapes and directs his life.

Set during the summer of 2008, the film follows the exploits of a 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy who is coming to terms with his adolescence as well as an often confrontational relationship with his mother.

Director Sean Wang makes his narrative feature directorial debut – he previously helmed numerous shorts and a pair of feature-length documentaries with A Marble Travelogue (2021) and Lady of the Harbour (2017) – with this film. Given the emotional impact the film carries and the depth with which the story is handled, it portends more quality work from Wang as he continues to hone and define his narrative voice. Working from his own script,...