In NIGHT, the carefree dynamic between four friends suddenly shifts following an unpleasant encounter with a nightclub bouncer.

Director’s Statement

In NIGHT, a small but arguably racist and inconsiderate gesture changes the relationship between women from different backgrounds. The film shows that micro-aggressions which people might not think of as racist can still hurt others, making people think twice about their seemingly harmless actions.

While writing the screenplay for the short, I talked to many African-American women in New York, who helped me edit and revise the script. They explained to me that it’s hard for white women to understand their privilege unless they were to experience what it is like to be a minority in the United States. When something racist occurs, many people feel like minorities are being ‘too sensitive,’ but what would they say when they were the ones being discriminated against? NIGHT plays with that question and gives people a glimpse of what it’s like to be in a minority’s shoes.

The setting of the film is a nightclub. The characters are young women we see around us in New York everywhere. By making the audience easily relate to the women on screen, I hope to get my message across effectively. I’d love for NIGHT to be a story inspiring people to feel confident talking about race in a positive and stimulating way.