Experiencing Interruptions?

Dumplings Before I Go

Set in Chinatown in the 1980s, two restaurant workers—a woman living a life of stability and a traveler about to embark on his next journey—form an unlikely bond during their last night in the same kitchen.

  • Kelsey Sha
    Director
  • Kelsey Sha
    Writer
  • Kelsey Sha
    Producer
  • Athena Cheris
    Producer
  • Lisa Shiomi
    Producer
  • Yanli Feng
    Producer
  • Iris Liu
    Key Cast
    "OLI"
  • Jason Ko
    Key Cast
    "ANDY"
  • Timothy Shin
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Romance
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 37 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Loyola Marymount University
Director Biography - Kelsey Sha

Kelsey Sha is a Film & TV Production student at Loyola Marymount University, LA. Born in New York City and having grown up in China, Hong Kong, and California, Kelsey comes from a culturally diverse background. With a foundation in STEM, she has strong organizational skills and is adept at creative problem-solving. She is a versatile writer, filmmaker, and producer driven by a fervent commitment to bringing vision-filled projects to life.

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Director Statement

There’s a tradition back home on my father’s side of the family: you always make dumplings before someone leaves. Ever since I could remember, whenever I went to visit my grandparents, they would always make us dumplings before our flight. No matter what time of the day it was, they would get up and make dumplings from scratch. Growing up, I never quite understood why they did, but in recent years, the pieces have begun to fall into place.

It’s been over a year since my grandfather’s passing. Although he had long forgotten me before then, I will always remember him by the silhouetted bend of his back as he rolled out dumpling wrappers in front of the kitchen window. Although he had long forgotten that the girl in front of him was his granddaughter, a child he raised from birth and used to chase around the house laughing and grumbling under his breath, he will never forget to make her dumplings—not just because it’s tradition, but because deep down, he knows. Whoever this girl was, he wanted her to chase after her dreams and to be safe on all her journeys.

In my family, we seldom say goodbyes. Instead, we make dumplings.

In recent years, I’ve finally come to understand. All along, it had been an excuse—an excuse to spend just a little more time together, to sit in each other’s company and simply be. It’s a wishing of luck, a reminder of courage. And we all need a little bit of that sometimes. I know I certainly do. And that is why I want to tell this story.

What scares me most in life isn’t being unsuccessful or even being a failure, but rather it’s regretting not doing something. I think a lot of us feel that way, yet still, we often find ourselves stagnant, scared to go, scared to change. And that is totally valid. Change is scary. It’s hard to take that first step. But every journey starts somewhere and ultimately comes to an end. You might not have it all figured out now, but you have an entire lifetime. So take that step, say those words, do the thing that scares you most. This film is your sign.