GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Directed by: Jason Karman | 120 min | Canada | 2022
Everyone wants something from high school senior Jake: his father is pushing him to try out for the basketball team and his girlfriend wants to take their relationship to the next level.
But it’s not until Aleks, an openly gay teen with a love for basketball, moves in across the street that Jake begins to recognize his own desires. To get closer to Aleks, Jake devotes himself to making the basketball team only to realize it’s not basketball he really wants.
Distraught and confused, Jake pulls away until he’s finally outed as gay. With the truth in the open, Jake and his father come to terms with the reality of their relationship and expectations for each other.
Official Selection: 2022 Vancouver International Film Festival
Director’s Statement:
Working with the youth, I have seen how social media puts enormous pressure on young minds. Many students look like me, and we are exposed to a confusing world that often defends toxic behaviour and celebrates questionable role models. Additionally, there are cultural elements like "saving face" that one must deal with.
“Saving face" is a strategy to avoid humiliation or embarrassment as a method of survival and a core social value in Asian culture; sexuality is often hidden to “save face.” This film continues my exploration of how social media perspectives can connect us but also amplify emotions and alienate us. Many youths face a modern challenge to find themselves amidst a sea of likes, endless chats, YouTube-like videos, and Instagram-like stories. Golden Delicious shows that kids of immigrant families can manage this and, in the end, become stronger.
