On their anniversary night, Sarah and Chris—an interracial couple—find their celebration disrupted when their rideshare driver’s small talk becomes an intrusive interrogation of Chris’s immigrant identity. As Chris tries to maintain his composure while bearing the weight of being othered, Sarah simmers in discomfort. The film is an intimate look at how identity and perception collide in everyday spaces.

Director's Statement

Happy Anniversary is inspired by lived experiences. I was drawn to how ordinary moments can become extraordinary and destabilize one’s sense of belonging. The film reflects the quiet tensions embedded within the immigrant experience and the subtle negotiations of identity in everyday life. The film was shot using virtual production, where I sought to construct an illusion of reality—stress-testing the technology and craft to see whether the film’s emotional truth could emerge within an artificial environment, or whether the technology itself would intrude. Can audiences suspend disbelief if they remain unaware of the technology behind it?

Category: Drama, Short.
Themes: Discrimination.

• Official Website
• Email
• Trailer