Empty by Design

Synopsis

Struggling with identity is the core of Andrea A. Walter’s feature debut EMPTY BY DESIGN. The film follows two young adults: Samantha (Rhian Ramos), a mixed-race woman who was asked to return to the Philippines to help after her parents passed away, and Eric (Osric Chau), a stuntman whose work brings him back home after living in the US for years. Samantha and Eric’s paths cross one night when she lends him cash to get into a club, and soon after they recognize another from school they begin to reconnect. Aimless like your 20s should feel, EMPTY BY DESIGN is a confident drama that explores what it feels like to be lost as a young adult: from careers choices to the desire to find yourself in a childhood that feels long lost. Pulling from her own experiences, Walter creates a wandering drama that perfectly depicts to feel torn between multiple countries and lives. – Jenny Nulf, Director of Programming