Hold the Sun is a film about our ability and inability to connect. It is about loneliness, magic and politics all existing simultaneously within the fabric of our everyday lives. Gwennie (Nicole Mills- Novoa) is a 20-something taxidermist who spends just as much time in her head as she does in reality. Bonnie (Ching-Yi Tseng) is a painter having trouble coming up with ideas of her own and Ellen (Maya Mahrer) is a travel writer who spends most of her time in the confines of her apartment. Through these characters and the many people they encounter, the film portrays a community of queer women overcoming the self-doubt and fear that haunts them.

This debut feature film by Laura Zaylea and David Yun moves beyond traditional identity politics and instead depicts queer lives that are nuanced, complex and full of the same emotions and desires that drive us all. In exploring these themes, Hold the Sun puts forth a visual lexicon where intonation, body language, and gesture are just as important as words. One that acknowledges how technology has transformed the way we communicate and where traditional ideas about what “queer” looks like are challenged.

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2009, 93 Minutes, HDCAM
Genre: Experimental Drama
Written and Directed by David Yun & Laura Zaylea
Co-Producer: Sarah Wylie Ammerman Van Meter
Director of Photography: Seo Won-Tae

Premiere screening:
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
San Francisco, CA. 2010

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