Private Project

Eating Fish

In a remote mountain village, a little girl discovers a mysterious fish in a transparent tank left on her doorstep by an unknown person. While her grandfather shares her curiosity, her two younger brothers see the fish as potential food for the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. Refusing to let it be killed, the girl convinces her brothers to return the fish to its rightful home—the ocean.

  • Hao Zhang
    Director
  • Hao Zhang
    Writer
  • Hao Zhang
    Producer
  • Ivy Yang
    Producer
  • Melody Thi
    Key Cast
    "Kid"
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    夢 魚
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 53 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 21, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    12,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Red Scarlet
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Hao Zhang

Hao Zhang is a passionate filmmaker skilled in writing, directing, producing, cinematography, and editing. Born in China, he moved abroad at 18 to pursue his dreams and began studying filmmaking in New York City and Los Angeles at 23. Through hands-on experience and a love for storytelling, Hao has worked on numerous short films, both during his studies and independently. Each project reflects his commitment to learning and growing as a filmmaker. Hao’s ultimate dream is to create a feature film, bringing his vision to life through every aspect of production. For him, it’s not about the platform—whether in theaters or online—but about sharing meaningful stories with the world. Hao Zhang is a humble yet driven voice in the world of independent filmmaking.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

During my childhood winters in Sanya, China, my family and I often spent time at our vacation home, celebrating the Lunar New Year. One year, an uncle gifted us a large fish—what I later learned was called The Groupers (石斑鱼). None of us knew how to prepare it, so we decided to release it into the ocean, believing it was the right thing to do.

However, during the short drive to the ocean, the fish died from lack of oxygen. Despite our intentions to save it, we returned home, divided it into pieces, and shared it with our neighbors. The event left a deep impression on me, and years later, it became the seed for this short film.

The story explores the loss of innocence in a child as they confront the complex morality of adults through the lens of their own naivety. It reflects on how good intentions can lead to unintended consequences and how these moments shape our understanding of right and wrong.

The idea for Eating Fish was born from this memory—a simple act layered with meaning and emotion, resonating as a universal tale of innocence, morality, and growing up.