New beginnings can be hard, whether you're traveling across the country, or coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy.

I'm a "transplant"—quotations mark and all. I was born in L.A. but raised in Korea. I view the latter as my home and childhood; I celebrated eleven birthdays, learned to play sports, and watched movies every weekend with my family. I had spunk. I felt invincible. So, when I moved to California, I thought the world was my oyster—but it wasn't.

I moved to California by myself when I was eighteen. Nothing could've prepared me for the heartache that came with leaving my country. In retrospect, my feelings were valid; suddenly, my friends and parents were across the world, and I was too anxious to meet anyone new. Yet, I was ashamed to express these pains because I thought entering my early adulthood meant that I need to have my life together.

Only children cry for their parents.

These were the lies that I would tell myself at night... Now that I'm in my thirties, I find myself often jealous of those who still live with their parents. "That's smart. You're saving a lot of money," I'd tell them, "I'd kill to live with my parents." Of course, I'm joking. I don't need to kill anyone to fly to Korea—home's just a flight away for me. But I've come too far in my life to leave my career and community in Los Angeles. And, that's okay. It's okay to still miss home while living your life. Adulthood isn't about having your life on track—it's about accepting your pains and growing from them.

Besides, life's full of pain—if I'm not missing my parents, I'm dealing with questions regarding my childless marriage.

"Oh, you're going to regret it."

"That's because you don't know that you want children."

"Have them first. You'll change your mind."

God forbid a woman wants to live happily with her cat and husband.

SHE WHO HATES CHILDREN is a vampiric retelling of my adulthood pains, wrapped around the unforgettable moment when my friend cried at my casual question: "Will you be my bridesmaid?"

SHE WHO HATES CHILDREN follows two lifelong friends—a vampire and a human—who haven't seen each other in ten years and finally reunite at one of their birthday parties. Ellie (not-vampire, not-birthday-girl) hides her pregnancy from Sunny (yes-vampire, yes-birthday-girl) because there's a rumor going around saying Sunny hates children…

SUNNY (30s)

A vampire with a temper that could shake all of Los Angeles. Though youthful in appearance, she’s here to celebrate her eighty-third birthday—so whatever you do, don’t underestimate her.

Born into wealth, Sunny is a nepo-baby from a long line of distinguished South Korean vampires. She left her home ten years ago to pursue a successful career free from her family’s influence. Now, however, she’s stuck in a dead-end job, with anxiety levels through the roof. She might seem chill, but it’s safe to assume she could blow up at any moment. Oh, and on top of everything else, she’s trying to plan her vampire-human hybrid wedding. Good luck, Sunny!

P.S. She does NOT hate children.

ELLIE (40s, Korean)

Round-eyed and demure, Ellie dons a modest, floral dress for Sunny’s birthday party. People mistake her kindness for weakness, but she’s a no-nonsense girl who isn’t afraid of an angry vampire.

Ellie was the first human to befriend Sunny. Now, a decade later, the two are reunited, but Ellie can’t help wondering if her old friend has changed too much.

P.S. Ellie moved to Los Angeles to live with her parents and prepare for her pregnancy. Her partner’s not in the picture—but that’s a story for another time.

According to the Geena Davis Institute, "From 2010 to 2024, API representation in top-grossing films grew modestly... While API characters remained a small share of leads, supporting, and minor roles (7.4% of all characters were API), their share of all characters slightly increased over time."

SHE WHO HATES CHILDREN consists of four Asian-American female characters. But there's range in being an Asian-American. There are those who wholly identify as American, those who identify as Asian, and those who are stuck in the in-between, uncertain of their culture and place in the country. Sunny and Ellie are Koreans who moved to Los Angeles at different times—and there's a question of how much a person can change over time and distance.

There's much love for Koreans out there (thank you, BTS). However, I want to show love for my Asian-American women, especially those looking for community. SHE WHO HATES CHILDREN is about our adult friendships, struggles, and expanding representation.

Times are tough and we want to be transparent. We're aiming to raise $15,000 for production:

• $1200 for crew and cast meals.
• $1000 for production insurance 
• $500 for wardrobe 
• $500 for set decoration and props
• $2000 for location fees & permit
• $9800 for cast & crew

Our stretch goal is to raise $20,000 to pull us through post-production! Regardless, I already appreciate you taking the time to read and watch my story. Every cent matters!

We haven't stopped planning SHE WHO HATES CHILDREN! I'm blessed to have Hiram Borges as my Director of Photography and Sarah MacAaron as my producer. We're slated to film by mid-September and wrap post-production latest by January of 2026. As a first-time independent director and writer (having co-directed before), I'm intentionally pacing myself to ensure we do the story justice. I've got a long journey ahead of me, but it'll be worth it! After all, who doesn't love a slice-of-life drama with an Asian vampire?

Follow us on Seed & Spark and Instagram @shewhohateschildren for more updates. Remember, it's bad to spread rumors, but I'll make an exception this time—let's spread the word about SHE WHO HATES CHILDREN!