A queer coming-of-age romance set in a Chinese restaurant - Lucky Fish
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- In her debut short film, writer and director Emily May Jampel stages the perfect meet-cute between two Asian-American teenagers who share a similar distaste for their respective families’ expectations about who they should be. In Lucky Fish, Lukita Maxwell (AppleTV+'s Shrinking, HBOMax’s Genera+ion) stars as Maggie, a young girl aspiring to attend Sarah Lawrence a.k.a. “the lesbian art school?” who tries to dissociate during a dinner with overbearing adults at a Chinese restaurant.
In the bathroom, Maggie encounters Celine (Anna Mikami from The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, Birds of Prey) who leads her into a room with a fish tank - a dreamy, almost-forgotten world where anything seems possible. In the midst of making awkward conversation and stealing glances at each other, Maggie and Celine find reasons to be slightly less miserable at dinner.
From the get-go, Lucky Fish feels like a journey into a familiar world of fleeting crushes, teen angst, and the thrill of quiet, unexpected desires and rebellions. Jampel meticulously invokes nostalgia for liminal spaces à la 90s teen romances like Romeo + Juliet. Unlike these films, however, the stakes are relatively low for the leads in Lucky Fish (no one dies and families are not torn apart, phew). It really just is a short, sweet film about sapphic euphoria which, some would argue, is rare these days.
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having the deepest conversation with a stranger and then you guys kiss, my dreams have fabricated into reality!!!
Got me laughing in good few mins
the color grading is beautiful and the acting is so natural and everything was perfect and so cute 😭💗
hey emily why are you crying
@@thicipaprika but thats not even emily
Ikr 😭
Look who’s here
@@ilikedogs4176 lmaooo
we need more sapphic content like this one cos most sapphic movies/shows usually ends up being tragic. imagine how tired we are.
Fr it’s annoying
This right here
So so so so true like wtf I've been noticing this pattern
Hermoso
Probably cuz the people who greenlight those stories are homophobic probably cis hetero men who don't want to see happy queer stories. I do see more but still most of them are tragic
crying. throwing up vomiting. as a late bloomer queer asian girl dating a girl for the first time im sobbing because this is exactly what it feels like
Beautiful aww
Aww ❤️❤️
i need a show about them NOW
FR
1000 yes
ABSOLUTELY 😭😭
Yes
YES
2:12 if a girl looked at me like that i'd probably die
Me too 😭😭
same 😭😭
If a girl looked at me I’d die-
MEER
@@leftover_rice you’re so pretty 🤭 and i mean it 🙃
those shy grins after they kiss is EVERYTHING- i'm all giddy and heart-fluttery ;-;
I know right 😭
I’ll never understand why society has such an issue with something so beautiful
"trying to get me to be some version that I don't wanna be, instead of actually trying to get to know me" that hit me hard.
„i‘d rather be selfish than miserable“ this.
OMG! I felt a million butterflies in my stomach for the entire eight minutes. That was so adorable 😫💛
their voices are so relaxing
This is just adorable , thank you
This was one of the first sapphic short films that I watched when I started watching them a few months ago. And since then I've seen a lot , and I mean a LOT of them. And this still remains one of my top favourites. Conveyed so much in such
can you please recommend some of your other favorites
I need this to be a movie 😢💕
more Asian sapphic films like this would be so nice :(
The audio engineering in this is fantastic, give the person who did it a raise
Well written, well acted, and well produced! I wholeheartedly agree with every comment on a further production of this. May we comment and like so that you may have the encouragement to spread this masterpiece! Seriously, HUGE potential for closeted asian lesbians.
"i'd rather be selfish than miserable "
Shut up this is so beautiful, also the girl in the blue outfit is so beautiful, the best 8 minutes of my existence for real, we need more content like this, the convo about being selfish rather than miserable is so real, not only for their preferences but also for everything else, the way you live your life it might be disappointing for them but at the end of the day is our life, aaaaaa I loved it so so much
this was adorable, can yall please turn it into a mini series? that would be awesome!!
this totally happened to me too except for the bathroom scene onwards (it only happened in my head)
I think this is one of the best things I’ve ever watched. Better than any queer short film. The environment was so relaxing, it was so chill, just a kiss, and Asian girls are sooo pretty. I love this sm.
Dang, that almost whispering conversations and laughing in the middle always brings tension.
Celine's voice is so calm and cute m melting
This is one rare exception where an open end is the best possible end of a film, because it invites you to dream about what could happen next and what your favorite ending would be.
this is such an important short film!!!! a relatable and a safe, cozy watch that I wish we had more of
i’m smiling so hard, it is sooo cute!
The mum must've thought Maggie was taking a shit 🤣 I really love the ambience in this short film, props to the audio staff! The actresses all had good chemistry with each other and the dialogue felt pretty natural.
It made me smile and giggle and smirk omg it’s so cute and lovely💕
I swear to god if y’all don’t make this into a show or movie Im gonna cry.
The background sounds and music are so relaxing. I keep coming back to it because it's sooo sothing
we love you gay people !!!! this was so healing to watch i giggled a little when she called celine pretty then they kissed and i sighed so hard when celine said nevermind like nooooo that was your chance please take it ( even though i probably wouldnt have either ) . Loved it. truly .
Congrats to the director and everyone working on this short movie! One of the best I've ever seen!
GOD!! I NEED THIS TO BE TURNED INTO A MOVIE OR SERIES SO BADLY😭
I swear I had a dream last night about having a meet cute in a restaurant and found this gem of a short film a day later! Hehe I agree with all the comments and hope you're able to turn this into a series! Truly a sapphic masterpiece
My God, what a great short film- they have an otherworldly chemistry and they are so beautiful together aaaaaaaaaa my girls. The actress who plays Maggie also played a sapphic character in another short movie, "the beginning & the middle" on the channel Alexis G. Zall. Please do a series about these girls, they are amazing!!!!!
The cinematography and sound quality was amazing that I was so mesmerized. This is my favorite sapphic short film I ever watched. I really hope this blows up and we can get a longer show with the same characters. Their chemistry is off the charts and it would be nice to see more sapphic stories and representation.
the chemistry between the actresses, the lines and the photography and everything about this short film is perfect, i would peacefully watch a 2 hour movie with their story
The chemistry between them doesn’t seem fake at all, it feels so real which makes the film even more special and beautiful. I love this so much amazing job to everyone involved!
Oo that ethereal sound of aquarium water complimenting the beautiful ambient music ❤
dude i was smiling the whole time, hoping to see more of this
LOVE this. Such a beautiful story, and I'd 10000% watch this if it became a TV show or full length movie!! Stunning work :D
this was so beautiful I can’t even-
the parallels as well with like the fish tank and that one scene in romeo and juliet (1996) is just stunning❤️
SCREAMING CRYING KICKING MY FEET OML THIS WAS SO CUTE
Omg it was so perfect, the directing, the acting, the tension, I need more of these two !!!
this was lovely! thank you so much. i love this channel!
Soooo adorable! Made me smile big! 😍
i want a million part series out of them omg
YALL WHY IS THE MAIN CHARACTER SO SIMILIAR TO ME LIKE ITS CRAZY ALSO THIS FILM IS SO GOOD IM CRYING WE NEED MORE
fr im an upcoming freshman too like 😭
My mom ask me why do i smile while watching the phone, i wanna know too omg i can't stop smiling with these 2 cuties
my heart!!! this was so heartwarming. thank you so much 💗
WHEN I HEARD CHINESE AND JAPANESE I WAS SO HAPPY 😭😭😭 It’s so weird being both, and even the “pick a side/don’t you feel like you’re betraying _ side” stops being offensive and just makes me sad after a while 🥲🥲🥲 Thank you for this amazing film 💛💛💛
I just got this one recommended by YT and I'm glad I watched it! That was a really good short!
I need a movie or TV series about them NOW. Please!!!
this short film had me giggling and kicking my feet that big shows couldn't even do omg
CELINE IS SO PRETTY ASJDJD THE FIT, THE MAKEUP, EVERYTHING
this is so beautiful, and it feels like a "Carol" ending when they staring at each other
this is sooo cute, I also think to add some fun to it I imagine if she comes out and turns out the mom is like sad but eventually says well at least is Chinese , she will now finally learn (mandarin) hehe
This would totally work in a rom-com version like Saving Face (“At least she’s dating a doctor.”). The mom in this short seems knowing from the way she watches Maggie like a hawk and her reaction to “the lesbian art school.” I have a feeling she’s rather strict.😢
Plz let it become a film or tv show! It’s so good!
I need a series or film. Their chemistry 🥺🥺🥺🥺
We need more wlw content like this cause goddamn that was beautiful 😭
I love those kind of smiles, do they have a name? Wanted to smile so big but instead just try not to and end it with a little silly smile
this literally one of my fav short sapphic films!! we need more of these and more of them❤
The vibes ❤ please make this a movie 😫
i cried!! thank you for this i feel sooo seen by these 8 minutes wow. 5:35 i started balling bc too real 😭
THIS NEEDS MORE VIEWS
So cute. Perfect. Wish there was more but this was perfect as it was too.
I can’t tell if the movement of the fish was intentional but it was so symbolic in some scenes
good script, good performance, good photography, good production, good direction....Oh, damn. 4:11
💓👏🏾💓👏🏾💓 So beautiful. Short, concise with a powerful and meaningful punch in content. Very great. Glad I got this suggestion and clicked!
I cried inside when I watched this since it hit me quite hard as a semi closeted asian teen lesbian, 10/10 would do again
I can die peacefully now, this shit is amazing guys
The aesthetic and simple but raw conversation genuinely made this piece breathtaking to watch ♥️
THATS IS SOOOO CUTE AND AT THE SAME TIME LIKE BRO ??????? THE DEEPEST CONVERSATION W A STRANGER i just love it
the best film i ever watched about 2 girls, i could cry with happiness, masterpiece
Y’all needa make this into a movie😭
I NEED MOREE THEIR RELATIONSHIP😊
The height difference, their mellow voice, the colour grading. This is a dream
This reminded me of "saving face"
Ugh, I love that movie
This is so cute what the heck 😭😭 a movie about these two would be WONDERFUL PLEASE.
i need this to be a movie and out INSTANTLY PLEASE
I love this one actress being so comfortable being in a role like this ❤it's nice to see her in that situation
I need whole show about this ❤❤❤
Gawwd how beautiful this short movie was
I absolutely loved the colours used here
And their voices
The bgm
Everything is so pretty
This is so cute! Such a beautiful film!
oh god. please let this be a movie or a series!! 😍
This had me screaming and giggling into my pillow at 3 AM . HELP
just spent 8.5 mins whispering "oh my god" to myself repeatedly while not breathing
I really love this! ❤ I relate to so many parts of it! Thank you for making this wonderful short film!
this needs to be a movie
omg I need a movie with this where they meet every years until one of them doesn't show up etc etc PLS I NEED MOOOOORE
Wholesome and real. The anticipation of the first touch.
Fantastic work. Great film! Thank you!🤗🤗🤗
this is so beautiful and written so well omg
This was honestly so beautiful, i loved it so much ✨
This is one of those self discoveries/experiences one could possibly have-perfectly depicted in
“have you been upstairs yet” her going up there messed with me, especially coming off an all nighter of horror movies. lowkey expecting a demony evil thing to pop out with a creepy af smile
I’m obsessed. I need more of them
So refreshing to see something so pure and beautiful 🥰 thank you!