Roots That Reach Toward The Sky

Directed By Jess X. Snow

USA, Canada | Narrative | 15 min

New York City Premiere

When her immigrant mother’s Chinese traditional medicine shop gets vandalized, a young botanist is thrust in between her mother’s grief and her partner’s mission for community catharsis, and must confront the healing she most resists.

This lyrical short film draws a constellation of care between two generations of Asian femmes in New York City and the diasporic plants that teach of the healing powers we hold within.

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    Film Details

    1. Noise sensitivity, Racism

    2. Chinese (Mandarin), English

    3. English

    4. New York City Premiere

    5. 2024

    6. 15 minutes

    7. Coming-of-Age, Drama, Romance

    8. Narrative

    9. USA, Canada

      10. Jess X. Snow


      Jess X. Snow (b. 1992) is a non-binary filmmaker, multi-disciplinary artist, and author born in Canada and of JiangXi Chinese heritage. They bring the interior lives of flawed Asian migrant queers to the big screen, infusing poetry, bold visuals, spirituality, and surrealism. One of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film, they have written and directed a body of short films, including ROOTS THAT REACH TOWARD THE SKY and LITTLE SKY. They served as cinematographer and producer for WE WERE THE SCENERY—which won a Sundance Short Film Jury Award—and cinematographer on THIRD ACT.

      11. Akemi Look

        Frisly Soberanis

        Yumeng Han

        Eris Qian

      12. Jess X. Snow

        Kit Yan

      13. Shirley Chen

        Pearl Wu

        Che'Li

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