Desert - The Real Story Behind Kiwi-Asian Marriages

Young Kiwi-Korean director Stephen Kang is set to release his second feature film Desert at the Rialto on May 5. Based on real life events, Desert follows the story of Jenny, a pregnant young Asian girl living in Auckland who is left to fend for herself when she is abandoned at the altar by her Kiwi boyfriend. Not only is she abandoned by the cad but she is also rejected by her own community for getting pregnant to a Westerner, out of wedlock. She goes in search of the miscreant partner but in the end is forced to look inside herself to find a solution for her and her unborn baby. Shot in the late night fluorescent world of Auckland laundromats and familiar landmarks, and subtitled in English, the film marks not only a huge step up for the fledgling director but also a sentient moment in Asian-New Zealand equivalence. Desert, a Severe/Curious Film production, starring Jane Kim, Andrew Han and Marek Sumich, directed by Stephen Kang at The Rialto from May 5.