After graduating from a Swiss dance school, 22-year-old Joyce (or Aisi – her Chinese name) faces a dilemma: should she follow the expectations of her mother Xuexin, a successful TikTok influencer who supports the family financially, or follow her own desire to be a dancer in Europe?
Xuexin, who has hundreds of thousands of followers, has been filming Joyce her entire life. What once began as a way to document family moments has now become a business model that provides the family’s livelihood – and, in turn, helps finance Joyce’s dreams. Joyce finds herself torn between acknowledging this reality and asserting control over her own life.
“The project was supported by regional and national funds Switzerland and we were able to get Swiss television as a co-producer,” producer Olivier Zobrist (Langfilm) tells BDE of the film’s appeal to local funding bodies. “I think they were convinced from the outset of the uniqueness of the protagonist and her life situation, as well as her unique relationship with her mother, which unfolds in the tension between filial piety and tiger mothering within the contemporary context of a mixed-race family.”
“At the same time, the film deals with universal themes that many of us can relate to, such as the search for independence, migration and globalisation, identity and the attempt to preserve real moments in an increasingly staged world. I am sure that this combination will also grab the audience, as Joyce will bring a great energy to the screen, especially when she dances.”
The film’s synopsis details how, as Joyce’s dance career in Europe flourishes, driven by her talent and eclectic dance influences, she faces significant obstacles: an uncertain residency status, precarious working conditions, and the constant pressure of a loving yet demanding mother which make her independence a delicate balancing act.
These are sensitive areas that feature debutant Benjamin Bucher is well able to navigate, Zobrist argues. “Themes around parent-child relationships in mixed-race families raise questions that have always resonated with Benjamin personally, as a Swiss-Korean,” he tells BDE. “His strengths lie in a great flexibility, empathy, commitment and perseverance as well as a good feel for strong images. He was often filming alone with Joyce and her family, which allowed him to be close to the protagonists and shoot unobtrusively in their everyday lives. I am convinced that this closeness can be felt in the film.”
“I see the strengths or the role of the production here mainly as an important counterpart for the director, on the one hand to discuss the material shot with regard to the story to be told [and] to plan the next steps, but above all to maintain energy and focus over the four-year production period,” Zobrist adds.
The 80-minute film, shot across Switzerland, France, Netherlands, Italy, China, is fully funded with an expected release date of October 2025.
“At the moment we are in the editing of the film, which should be completed by the end of May. Accordingly, the Swiss Films Previews are the right moment to present the project to the outside world,” the producer stresses. “On the one hand, we hope to arouse the interest of festivals and distributors in Nyon, to whom we will then send the final cut version. On the other hand, we are keen to see how the project is received and what feedbacks and questions we get. I am sure that this will also be helpful for the further editing process.”
