Summer Nostalgia, Skateboarding, and the Art of Being 13: Dìdi (弟弟)

I hate spoilers to the extent that I have made it a habit to not read the blurbs of books or movies before starting them. That’s what made me think this film had something to do with the main character’s relationship with his older sister (languages are confusing). Ironically, here’s a spoiler alert; I was very wrong. 

Dìdi is a heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age movie with a hint of identity crisis and struggles of navigating adolescence. It follows 13-year-old Taiwanese American Chris Wang during the summer before high school in 2008 Fremont, California. As he bounces between awkward friendships, a confusing crush, and a home life full of love and friction, he tries to figure out who he’s supposed to be — both online and off. It has the awkward innocence of Eighth Grade, the aesthetic of Mid90s and the charm of Lady Bird.

The word Dìdi (弟弟) translates to younger brother from Chinese, which is what Chris’s family calls him affectionately. This film is the feature directorial debut of Sean Wang, premiered at Sundance 2024, and it won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award. Drawing from his personal memories and experiences, Sean brings authenticity to the story. Notably, Chris’s bedroom is actually Sean’s childhood bedroom, and the role of Chris’s grandmother is portrayed by Sean’s own grandmother, Chang Li Hua.

The tagline “For anyone who’s ever been a teenager” isn’t clickbait, but the perfect encapsulation of how true to life this captures each excruciatingly awkward and terribly cringe moment that plagued us all. In his quest for acceptance from a group of older skaters and his supposed friends at school, Chris pulls apart his personality and interests. He argues with his sister who realizes what he’s going through, and yells at his mum who’s doing her best to keep the house running. The film doesn’t dramatize family; it just shows it, in all its contradictions. 

There are many racial slippages in Dìdi, such as Chris telling people he’s only half Asian, or him offhandedly commenting on his mom being ‘too Asian’, or the way a group of boys add the word “Asian” to “Chris” when they chant his name. He mostly surrounds himself with other people of color, but they’re adapting to the majorly white Freemont, and Chris finds himself feeling out of place. 

The movie captures the essence of 2008—a pivotal moment for technology and culture— which also happens to be the year I was born. Sean had screened the film for 12 year olds, soon after its release, and while they didn’t live the late 2000 experiences, they related to Chris’s character. 

Pretending to like a movie to get closer to a crush, being compared to other kids your age when your mums are friends, getting called ‘weird’ when you don’t talk a lot in a social situation; the film has its way of feeling personal. 

What makes all of this work is how natural it feels. The acting is never overdone. The dialogue sounds like real teens talking — not thirty-year-olds writing teen talk. Visually, the movie leans into warmth and haze, like a memory you're not sure actually happened. The fact that there’s nothing special about the production design, cinematography, or soundtrack shows just how intentional the film is about its realism. 

It’s not a loud film. It won’t scream its meaning at you. But if you’ve ever shape-shifted just to belong, it’ll sit with you long after the credits.

Written by Zainab Wani

Zainab wrote this article while working as an Intern at the Media Makers Fellowship.

This article was created for the program zine, The MMF Summer Rewind.

This zine was established to showcase the work of students and interns at the Media-Makers Fellowship's May '25 cohort.