Xmas Cake—This American Shelf-life

A coming of middle age story about a female pop singer’s journey from hot to not, and what ensues across cultures — from New York to Tokyo.

Xmas cake: def. Japanese slang for and unmarried woman over 25, or stale dessert.

When a free-spirited American in Tokyo confronts a suicide wave among single women over 25, she forms a pop band in their honor and accidentally gets BIG in Japan, signing with Sony. After briefly living the dream, she loses it all — fame, a fiance, and her livelihood — and must face starting over in a world that's bias against single women over 40.

This is a true story about Petra, a former pop star turned feminist storyteller, who becomes oddly empowered on her journey and is revived by her band's reunion and returning to Japan.