Dragon City: Asian American Feature Film
Synopsis
In Dragon City, Maximus Zhang (Vihn Nguyen) is a rebellious, college dropout who struggles to create his own artistic identity and maintain the turbulent bond with his mother after an estrangement of a family member. His wildly loving, strong-willed mom, Katherine Zhang (Serene Lee) works at both her accounting firm and the restaurant, Dragon City, to keep bills paid. With two-generational differences living in the same house, they only want to find balance in their own lives and make peace with each other. Dragon City defines the deep humanity of character through each of the Zhang family’s individual goals, relationships, and needs.
Official Trailer
Meet the Cast
Vinh Nguyen
Serene Lee
Christopher Lange
Marian Lee
Brandon Tjhang
Connor Lyons
Ibukun Omotowa
Brian D Long
Director's Thoughts
Thank you for allowing me to share my personal adaptation of what it means to grow up as an Asian American restaurant kid. The landscape of Asian American representation in media has changed so much over the years—from being boxed into stereotypes to finally carving out spaces where our voices are heard and our stories are told authentically. It’s been a long time coming, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead.
Dragon City is my love letter to this movement, a deeply personal story that explores the unspoken struggles between first-generation Asian Americans and their immigrant parents. It’s about identity, forgiveness, and the complicated, beautiful love within families. My hope is that it resonates with people from all backgrounds, reminding us all of the universal journey to understanding where we come from and who we are meant to be.
With love and gratitude,
Maythavee Tjhang