Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Can you spare a few dollars for my basketball team?”
Dressed in oversized shoes, ripped jeans, a bright yellow shirt, with a blue backpack almost as big as her, seven-year-old Queenie is a little hustler trying all kinds of tricks to make money. A stranger asks her why she isn’t at school on a Wednesday morning, and she spiritedly responds with, “I am trying to save it.”
Written and directed by Lloyd Lee Choi, the short film Closing Dynasty rests on the shoulders of child actor Milinka Winata, who plays protagonist Queenie, and immediately draws viewers into what a weekday in her life is like.
“You are adorbs,” a stranger tells Queenie, and that about sums up the little Chinese-American girl’s character. She is adorable but also a clever little hustler, who steals bouquets from a shop and then sells the flowers individually to strangers. Queenie bargains like an adult but also sees the world through childlike eyes, getting easily excited and optimistic about things. Sometimes, though, her antics get her into trouble.
Throughout its short 16-minute runtime, the creators maintain suspense over why Queenie is out on the streets of New York trying to earn a few dollars any way she can. The ending minute of Closing Dynasty subtly reveals the kind of influence her parents unwittingly have on Queenie’s behavior. For instance, she hums like her mother and stresses over things like her dad. Milinka Winata is confident, cheeky, and charming in all her scenes.
The short film subtly and entertainingly demonstrates how children imitate adults and how skipping important conversations with their kids can have a drastic impact on their psyche. Closing Dynasty ends with a simple scene of a tired Queenie laying her head down, drowning in her own worries. Is the next day going to be any better? Who knows.
Watch ‘Closing Dynasty’ on Netflix.
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