The Real Z

My Big Night

On the drive downtown in the family’s Jeep, Dad can’t resist playing announcer, holding up his fist like a microphone to hype up the crowd for “the most buzzed-about young filmmaker on the planet.” Z groans, but secretly loves it. Mari picks up the bit, too, “interviewing” Z about her outfit, a black embroidered skirt and purple shimmery tank top Mari picked out, finished with a long silver necklace. Z credits the look to her stylist “Mariela Ramirez,” whose own clothing line and her band’s first album are both coming out that fall. Mari has dressed for the night herself, in a tie-dye Team Z T-shirt over a white-washed denim skirt, a chunky beaded necklace, and her curls piled high with a yellow butterfly clip pinned in for shine. Mom tells the girls to dream big, and Lauren jokes that while Mari designs clothes and Z makes movies, she’ll be off playing pro soccer. Z’s phone, tucked in the little black clutch Mari lent her, buzzes with good-luck texts from Gigi and Becka. Seattle is about to love Zeattle.

At the theater, Mom asks if Z is ready. Z admits she’s nervous, excited, and freaked out all at once, and wants to remember every second. Mom tells her this is a big night and that she’s really coming into her own. Dad reminds her how hard she worked on the film.

Rounding the corner, Z spots an actual red carpet, photographers, and a camera crew interviewing guests. A woman with a clipboard checks Z’s school photo against her face, welcomes “Suzanne Yang and family” inside the roped-off area, and lets her know her party has reserved seats. She also asks if Z will talk to a reporter from the Seattle Tribune covering the festival’s young filmmakers, and Z happily says yes, pulling Mom, Dad, Mari, and Lauren along onto the carpet with her.

The reporter, Katy, congratulates Z on her CloudSong award and asks what made her entry stand out. Z explains that she got a little lost early on in making the film, but once she focused on the story she really wanted to tell, she realized she wanted to share a piece of Seattle that felt entirely her own. That’s what she tried to capture in Zeattle. After a few more questions, Katy asks for a photo, and the five of them pose together before Z gets her own solo shot, unsure whether to smile, twirl, or both.

Inside, ushers seat everyone under little name cards, and free popcorn and soda make the packed theater feel even more festive. As the lights dim, Mom squeezes Z’s hand, Lauren whispers how excited she is, and Mari leans in to promise the movie is going to be great. The credits roll: Zeattle, a film by Z Yang.

The movie plays out everything Z filmed over the past weeks: drone shots gliding over her block, puddle-splashing with Popcorn, scootering to school with Mari (Dad teases in a whisper that the footage is making him dizzy), a Camera Club montage, and a walk down her favorite Queen Anne street to Sweet Treats, where Andrew and Maddie wait with candy. It closes on a drizzly ride home that leads into her favorite part, Mari’s band, Needles in a Haystack, dancing to their own version of “Singin’ in the Rain,” with footage of Z twirling an umbrella and joining in herself. It winds down with dinner at home over bulgogi and a peek into her filmmaking studio, where movie-Z yawns and says goodnight to Seattle.

Then the screen cuts to black, and the theater erupts in applause. Z’s family and friends leap up for a standing ovation, Dad filming on his phone and Mom snapping pictures with misty eyes. Lauren shouts for Z to stand up so everyone can see her, and Mari cheers for a bow. Blushing, Z rises, smiles bigger, and lets it sink in. After a bumpy road, she’s made a movie she’s truly proud of, and it’s premiered at a real film festival.