Experiencing Interruptions?

Contract of Love

When a Chinese father visits his daughter in the U.S., he brings an unexpected gift—a deed to a family property. But beneath this generous gesture lies an unspoken demand: stay, succeed, and make the family's sacrifice worthwhile.

  • Manni "Nebula" Li
    Director
    Durian, Cold Call
  • Manni Nebula Li
    Writer
    Durian
  • Nate Randolph
    Producer
  • Andy Sun
    Key Cast
    "Wang"
    Neither Donkey nor Horse
  • Effy Han
    Key Cast
    "Jing"
    Paper marriage
  • Shangbai Jiang
    Cinematographer
    A Haircut
  • Xiyue Sally Zhang
    Editor
    Daydreamer
  • Xilu Lucia Deng
    Sound Designer
  • Wenyuxuan Devon Du
    Composer
    Hi, womb!
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    合作愉快
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 20, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    China, United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    Chinese, English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Chapman University
Director Biography - Manni "Nebula" Li

Manni "Nebula" Li was born and raised in Shenzhen, China, and is currently pursuing her MFA in Directing at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Chapman University. She received her BFA in Film Production from Hong Kong Baptist University. Growing up under China’s one-child policy, Nebula has long contemplated the meaning of existence and the weight of being "chosen to be born"—themes that quietly inform much of her work.

Nebula’s earlier short films often centered around minors, inspired by the delicate emotionality of Hayao Miyazaki and Shunji Iwai. Her style has since evolved into something darker and more psychologically charged, often balancing restrained realism with a surreal edge to unearth emotional truths.

Her recent short, Contract of Love, tells the story of a Chinese father visiting his daughter in the U.S., hoping to regain closeness and authority under the guise of gifting her property. The film explores intergenerational tensions, cultural dislocation, and the impossibility of quantifying love through a contract. Blending minimalist aesthetics with deep emotional undercurrents, Nebula captures the subtle but painful miscommunications between people who love each other, yet speak in different emotional languages.

As a cross-cultural storyteller, Nebula is drawn to stories shaped by language, identity, and invisible power structures. She believes filmmaking is not just about telling good stories—but about giving voice to the unheard.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a Chinese filmmaker living in the U.S., Contract of Love is my attempt to capture the emotional contradictions of the Asian diasporic experience—especially within families, where love is often entangled with duty, pride, and silence.

The story follows a Chinese father who flies to the U.S. to “visit” his daughter, only to reveal a deeper motive: he’s brought a property deed to transfer to her, in hopes that she will remain in America, succeed, and fulfill his long-standing expectations. The daughter, an art curator in her institution, is already navigating subtle marginalization in her professional world—and now finds herself trapped in a different kind of emotional negotiation at home.

Growing up under China’s one-child policy, I’ve always been hyperaware of the invisible contract between generations: You exist because we fought for you. You owe us. This film confronts that unspoken deal—how even love, in immigrant families, can feel conditional, especially for daughters.

At its core, Contract of Love is about a kind of quiet grief—the grief of being loved the wrong way, and the guilt of not being able to return it the right way. Through minimalist visuals, restrained dialogue, and moments of emotional claustrophobia, I wanted to capture the awkward closeness between two people who want to reconnect, but don't know how without hurting each other.
I hope this film resonates as a mirror, or perhaps a question:
What do we inherit—not just in blood, but in expectations? And what do we do with that?