Fishtank, set in modern-day Los Angeles, follows Jules, a Chinese American woman. Jules, who is newly sober, discovers that the vomiting never goes away as expected. She now vomits fish whenever she reacts to negative stimuli. She usually keeps this a secret, but every now and then, she tells it as a joke that no one believes. Jules, who is organized, caring, and trying to find her place in society, jumps between jobs and goes on casual dates. Things never go exactly as planned. However, Jules finally meets a person, who is a fish enthusiast, after a string of bad dates. Things quickly escalate between them, forcing Jules to confront something she’s avoided her entire life.

Director’s Vision for ‘Fishtank’

Goldfish symbolize good fortune and good luck in many Asian cultures. When I had my first goldfish as a kid however, looking into its eyes through the tiny glass bowl, all I felt was isolation and sadness. Growing up, I somehow related to them and felt that they were me in a sense, trapped in an invisible tank, fighting against my fellow fish for food tossed to us. I didn’t ever like that feeling, and I think this scenario needs to change. The film combines a traditional narrative form with experimental, surreal elements, for instance, vomiting goldfish after getting sober, to introduce the audience to a world they’re unfamiliar with and challenge their understanding of the norms ingrained in society. The film uses Jules’s perspective and her fascinating yet terrifying experience to open up the complex and dimensional world that indeed exists inside every woman.