Adapted from a 2014 novel by Atticus Lish, Preparation for the Next Life is the feature film debut of documentary filmmaker Bing Liu. With the help of screenwriter Martyna Majok, he paints a realistic and somber portrayal of Aishe, a Uyghur immigrant, as she struggles to make a living while undocumented in the United States.
Soon after arriving in New York, Aishe, played superbly by Sebiye Behtiyar, meets Skinner, a 23-year-old American soldier recently returned from the Middle East, brought to life by Fred Hechinger in a powerful performance. While Hechinger already has an impressive list of movies in his portfolio, including the Fear Street trilogy, Thelma, The Woman in the Window, and the widely acclaimed The White Lotus, this is the first feature film for Behtiyar, and she’s absolutely striking in the role.
From the moment they meet and form an instant connection, the film focuses on the contrast between their personalities and personal struggles as they navigate a relationship built on minimal knowledge of each other’s backgrounds. Aishe is hard-working and determined to make a life of her own in Chinatown, while Skinner is battling PTSD and mental health issues from his time in the war. She’ll soon have to face the fact that love isn’t enough, and she can’t help someone unwilling or unable to help himself.
Aishe, a Uyghur woman trained by her military father, migrates to New York City where she finds herself laboring in Chinatown’s underground kitchens. She fatefully encounters Skinner, a young American soldier who has just returned from three tours in the Middle East. While falling in love, they discover the possibility of a better life together than the ones they believed they were destined to live alone.
Bing Liu
Director
Bing Liu
Director
Sebiye Behtiyar
Aishe
Fred Hechinger
Skinner
Landyn Lu
Munro
Ella Rouwen Chen
Chen
B. Todd Johnston
Jim
Maxwell Almono
Luis
Justin Cotta
Cop (Times Square)
Alicher Adill
Aziz
Dralla Aierken
Arzu
Erden Uyghur
Young Aishe
Esther Chen
Min
The Djinn is about childhood traumas and lifestyle changes. It tells the story of Dylan (Ezra Dewey), a mute boy who blames himself for his mom’s death. He also condemns himself for being speech-impaired, and he thinks that if he did not have that condition, everything could had been different.
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