Skip to content
Wherever I Look Logo

Wherever I Look

  • HomeExpand
    • About Wherever I LookExpand
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Wherever I Look Logo
Wherever I Look

Home - Shorts - Apart, Together (2021) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

Apart, Together (2021) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

Apart, Together is a touching story focused on a woman looking for the daughter she was forced to give up.

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted onOctober 2, 2021 3:29 AM
Yiru (Shavvon Lin) in a promotional poster

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.


Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.


  • Film Summary
    • Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered
  • Cast & Character Guide
    • Jia (Leann Lei)
    • Yiru (Shavvon Lin)
    • Stephanie (Michele Panu)
  • Review/ Commentary
    • Highlights
      • A Different Story
  • Overall

Apart, Together is a touching story focused on a woman looking for the daughter she was forced to give up.


Director(s) Olivia Hang Zhou
Screenplay By Olivia Hang Zhou, Jess Kohs
Date Released 9/30/2021
Where Can You Watch? Film Festival (Urban World)
Genre(s) Drama, Young Adult, Non-English
Duration 19 Minutes
Rating Not Rated

Film Summary

A woman and her youngest daughter, Yiru, come to Los Angeles in hopes of finding Mei, Yiru’s older sister. However, the longer they spend in Los Angeles looking for Mei, the more desperate the mother seems, and the more secondary Yiru feels.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

  • Reason(s) for Film Rating: This is a tame film with nothing notable to worry about

Cast & Character Guide

Please Note: This is not an exhaustive list of every cast member.

Jia (Leann Lei)

Forced to abandon her daughter due to China’s One-Child Policy at the time, decades later, Mei’s (now known as Stephanie) mother is looking for her child and to hopefully make amends.

Yiru (Shavvon Lin)

Mei’s would-be little sister grew up with her mother in China and is hoping to find some time to look at colleges while they are in the United States.

Stephanie (Michele Panu)

A young woman adopted by a church family, by means not explicitly revealed.

Review/ Commentary

Highlights

A Different Story

Often, when you get stories like this, the focus is on the child who feels disconnected and is in search of their parents. It isn’t too often the situation is spun around, never mind, a second child is involved who is less excited and more worried about what it means if their parent finds their firstborn.

Through watching both trying to process the possibility of finding Mei and how that could change things, you get a film that seeks to trigger new ways of looking at international adoption.

Overall

Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing) – Recommended

Apart, Together is recommended because it presents a story not done to death. It explores the other side to the international adoption, from the possibility of Mei being stolen and sold to all the feelings which go into reuniting with your child and meeting a sister you never met. All the while, not addressing the meeting, regarding Yiru, as this wonderful and exciting thing, but with a healthy dose of fear and anxiety. Especially considering the person who abandoned your sister in some random place is raising you and having you in a foreign country.

[ninja_tables id=”46802″]

Yiru (Shavvon Lin) in a promotional poster
Apart, Together (2021) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
Highlights
A Different Story
Disputable
85

Follow/Subscribe To Our External Pages

  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • Amazon
  • Google
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X

Sending
User Review
0 (0 votes)

Listed Under Categories: Shorts, Movies, Positive (Worth Seeing), Recommended (Movies)

Related Tags: Drama, Film Festival, Indie, Jess Kohs, Leann Lei, Michele Panu, Non-English, Not Rated, Olivia Hang Zhou, Shavvon Lin, Urban World Film Festival, Young Adult

Amari Allah

Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been writing reviews since 2010, with a focus on dramas and comedies.

Facebook Instagram YouTube

Post navigation

Previous Previous
The Black Disquision (2021) – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)
NextContinue
Mr. Corman: Season 1 – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

Site Pages

  • Home
  • About Wherever I Look
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie & Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer & Disclosure Policy
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • HTML Sitemap
  • Our Writers
The Wherever I Look logo featuring a film reel, a video game controller, old school TV set, a stage, and more done by artist Dean Nelson.

The overall goal of Wherever I Look is to fill in that space between the average fan and critic and advise you on what’s worth experiencing.

Category Pages

  • Articles
  • Character Guide
  • Collected Quotes
  • Live Peformances
  • Movies
  • Our Latest Reviews
  • TV Series
  • Video Page
Scroll to top

Wherever I Look logo

Welcome to Wherever I Look, your go-to destination for insightful and personable reviews of the latest TV episodes, movies, and live performances. Also, dive into our character guides and discover what’s truly worth your time.

  • Home
    • About Wherever I Look
      • Our Writers
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Cookie & Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
    • HTML Sitemap
  • TV Shows
  • Movies
  • Character Guide
  • Live Performances
  • Videos
Search