Synopsis

Nervous newlyweds Rachel and Eddie hope that they can show that their marriage is real under the scrutiny of the US government during their green card interview, only to find that their relationship is far from perfect. 

Director's Statement

Marriage Interview is born out of my wish to tell an immigrant story that can make an audience laugh. When I moved to Los Angeles in 2016, I encountered limitations and restrictions to study, work, and live in the United States as an international student. Many of my foreign classmates who qualified for job positions did not end up getting work sponsorships. Those who ended up staying in the US were the ones who married an American. Even then, they expressed worry over the green card process. My immigrant friends were concerned about gathering evidence of their relationship and providing proof that their marriage is legitimate. Their immigration status hung in the balance while they tried prove to the government that their love was real. This inspired me to write Marriage Interview.

I wanted to write a love story that encapsulates how silly it is to prove to a stranger that you love your spouse and captures the emotional burden one carries when the immigration status of the person they love is at stake. As luck would have it, around the time I began writing, I started dating an American. As I sipped a cocktail on our date, I imagined what would it be like if I actually fell in love with this guy that I met off the internet. A lot of that experience went into my script. I hoped that by making this film personal, the audience could relate, empathize and root for the immigrant character, and as a result, people would see that the only thing foreign about her is her passport.

In March 2020, we were one week away from shooting the film, when the pandemic shut down California. It took two years before the film was put back into production. In the wildest turn of events, I ended up marrying the American who inspired the script and we went for my official Green Card Interview three days after we wrapped the film. It was a full circle moment where life imitated art. And life was thankfully, a lot less dramatic.

Crew

Shirley Yip – Writer/Director/Producer/Editor

Shirley Yip is a trilingual Chinese-Canadian writer/director based in Los Angeles and Toronto. Born in China, raised in Canada, she found humor and beauty in the struggle of being caught between cultures. Shirley enjoys exploring themes of familial tension, romance and perseverance in her storytelling. As a part of the Canadian Film Centre’s Bell Media Prime Time TV Program, she wrote and directed a TV teaser for her original series 88 Diner. She is an alumna of the Netflix-Banff DOV Initiative, Reelworld E20 program and BIPOC TV & Film Episodic Lab. She was shortlisted for the Sundance Episodic Lab, a semi-finalist for Disney Writing Program and a finalist in the ATX Television Festival. She holds an H.B.A in Drama from the University of Toronto and Professional Certificates in Screenwriting and Directing from UCLA.

Cinematographer – Celab Tou

Caleb is a cinematographer based in Los Angeles. Growing up, he moved around from New Jersey to Northern California and then North Carolina, before ending up in LA. Having lived in different parts of this country while meeting people from all walks of life has shaped his worldview. Caleb looks to explore the many intricacies of the human condition through his camerawork. He went to a little arts college in the south before coming to LA for grad school. But for him, travel can sometimes be the best schooling, learning new things about himself while strengthening the bonds to his ancestral roots. He’s had the opportunity to photograph for a diverse group of filmmakers.

Cast

Cecilia Jing

Cecilia Jing (Gege). A 2024 graduate of the Beijing Film Academy and an expat in China. She earned Best Cast Ensemble and Best Stunt awards for the film "Five Alive" at the 2023 International Shanghai 48 Hour Film Project and appeared in works like "Marriage Interview" (Reelworld Film Festival Toronto 2024) and her most notable experience to date is her 2024 one woman play of "Fleabag," at Beijing's Spotlight venue. A classically trained ballet dancer and violinist to her experiences as a beauty pageant contestant, content creator, actor, and now writer.

Danielle Johnson

Danielle Marie has been performing in community and school theatre productions since she was a child. As an adult she always wanted to pursue her dream again and at the age of 37 decided to quit her full-time job and go for it! Since then, she has been fortunate enough to be cast in several short films, four feature films, including UnFix; which can be seen on Amazon Prime, and a few commercials. (Olly, Target, Thinx…) She continues to audition and hopes to make a career out of this craft she finds beautiful and engaging.