The Dragon Dream

The common phrase 望子成龍 in the Chinese language translates as “to see one’s son become a dragon.” It means to wish for one’s child, especially if male, to become very successful in life. (Phoenix for is substituted for dragon with female children). The Dragon Dream is a ten-minute narrative film that explores the way this cultural imperative places great academic pressure on young people in Asian communities. In particular, it addresses the serious mental health problems caused by the phenomenon.

Even as a third grader in primary school in my native Hong Kong, I remember often doing homework and studying for tests long past dinner time. As students, our common goal was to achieve the best grades possible, in order to enter the most prestigious universities. It didn’t matter if the work reflected our true interests or passions. As a sophomore at a prestigious university in Hong Kong, I began to question the meaning, value, and consequences of this social aspiration when five of my fellow students had commited suicide just six months into the academic year. There were many other student suicides in other educational institutions. As I reached my senior year, three of my close personal friends had attempted suicide. All were male.

Before proceeding with the film, I interviewed friends and family who have experienced these type of problems, and with that formed the basis for its plot. The academic pressure that The Dragon Dream addresses is particularly intense for young men, and toxic notions of masculinity and familial relationships are vital elements in the film. This is why its protagonist, Sam, is male.

Asian societies and subcultures tend to disregard mental health issues. Many see depressed people as “crazy,” and are unwilling or unable to recognize the symptoms of the disorder. Furthermore, Sam has difficulty revealing his true feelings to his parents, a reflection of many modern familial relationships. To generalize the pressure to perform that Asian society places on its children, the faces of the film’s parents—representatives of the larger Asian community—are always turned away from the camera, making them anonymous.

The heart and the clock are significant symbols in The Dragon Dream. Sam is often seen studying the structure and function of the heart. The heart represents the emotion and passion that are so lacking in his efforts to be studious. As the film approaches its climax, we can hear Sam’s heart beating louder and louder, which represents his erupting emotions. The heartbeat can even be viewed as a representation of his anticipation of the freedom he associates with his final decision. The clock is a symbol of time, in particular a countdown of the time that Sam has left, and more generally the short time that suicidal students have on earth. Two main color palettes dominate the film, yellow and blue. Yellow represents the reality of Sam’s situation and blue represents his mind. The film opens with yellow and begins to mix with blue as it progresses. As the mental health of protagonist deteriorates and starts to overpower reality, it ends with a blue/white scheme, white being the color associated with death in Asia.

Overall, The Dragon Dream is my effort to bring attention to the destructive cultural expectation that leads to suicides such as Sam’s. The film exposes the terrible pressure these expectations impose on young Asians, in the hope that it will shine a light on this issue.