As of Fall 2024, during my senior year, I took on an upper level screenwriting class. For the 30 pages I have written (including the beat sheet) for the first time, I put together this powerful story titled "The Path of Yeumi". Although this course might have been difficult at times, I couldn't be grateful in taking on creative risks like these (that are outside of camera work). I hope people take away from the screenplay that the challenges that follow from the perspectives of any Asian American consist of wanting to fit in (as a common want for the American dream) as well as facing challenges of bullying.

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Logline: A Korean American artist opens up about her 
struggles leading to how she fought for her life.​​

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Synopsis:

Act 1

• In the present day, Yeumi, a Korean American female artist in her mid-20s, speaks with Jonathan, an event director. Yeumi shares her story as she talks about the memories from when she moved from Korea with her family to Minnesota.

• Flashback: Ten-year-old Yeumi gets bullied by a white boy and she meets Danielle, a Chinese American girl who stands up for her. They play on the swings together.

  • By the time Yeumi is 12, she sits at a table by herself at the lunch cafeteria in middle school. Erica, a blonde girl, takes a look at Yeumi’s lunch and gets grossed out. She chucks her bento box container to the floor. Danielle stands up for Yeumi as she picks it up. Yeumi and Danielle go to the table where Danielle’s friends, Kiya and Jinhee sit. 

  • Yeumi shows her presentation of her family tree on a cardboard presentation with images of her family. Erica bullies her again. 

  • Yeumi decides to dedicate herself to taking self-defense
    lessons along with her friends at Yi’s Wellness and Self
    Defense, a gym run by Danielle’s mom.

  • One evening, when she comes home, Hyungji punishes her
    by lashing with a wooden stick.

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Act 2

• Back to the present: Yeumi shows off her back scars to Jonathan. They go outside for a walk right by the Lakefront Trail as Yeumi continues talking about her life.

• Flashback: 15-year-old Yeumi notices Alec, another white guy getting her attention during math class, but has no interest in him.

  • Yeumi gets picked on again during gym class, but this time, she gets targeted by Tess and her best friend, Sarah. The volleyball
    hits Yeumi on the nose, leading her to bleed. 

  • In the locker rooms, Sarah and Tess tease Yeumi, but
    Jinhee and Kiya stand up for her.

  • At the cafeteria, Yeumi enjoys her lunch and draws in her sketchbook. She meets Isaiah, an African American football player as they have an unexpected lunch date. On Valentine’s Day weekend, Yeumi and Isaiah have their first date at a pizza place.

  • One summer evening, Yeumi and Isaiah have dinner at her house with her family. Hyungji drags him out of his chair, but 
    Isaiah releases his hand away from him. Yeumi admits that she loves him. Soomin steps in, but Hyungji pushes her to the wall. Her body hits a cabinet as a vase falls and lacerates her right leg. Hyungji runs to the kitchen counter and pulls out a belt. The belt aims at Yeumi instead of Isaiah as blood drips from her face and down her back. Yeumi and Soomin get rushed to the hospital and the police arrest Hyungji.

  • At the hospital, Eunice, Yeumi's aunt, helps out Yeumi and Soomin.

Act 3

• Jonathan becomes moved as Yeumi reveals that her father was abusive to her family. She shows another scar in the shape of an L near her left eye. 

• Suddenly, Yeumi gets a call from her sister, Grace, saying that their mom got into a car accident.

• Yeumi rushes to the hospital room and reunites with
  Eunice, her mom, and her sisters. Soomin reveals the truth to Yeumi about what happened after the night of the incident. Soomin hands each of them a necklace with a koi fish charm and a jade bead as she slowly dies in the hospital bed. Devastated, Yeumi, Grace, and Rachel admit their love and forgiveness and join Eunice in grief.