No Look Pass

Harvard student Emily "Etay" Tay wants a career as a professional basketball player. But her Burmese parents, who fled to the United States with just $65 to their name, would rather see her as a devoted housewife. Basketball is Etay's ticket to a different future. But there's more: she also happens to be a lesbian. This is no problem within her team - in fact, perhaps somewhat predictably, her girlfriend is a cheerleader - but how can she explain this at home? "When my mother finds out, she is going to destroy me," Etay says. This documentary covers her senior year at Harvard, as she wrestles with her identity as an Asian lesbian and copes with the pressure to succeed. In the meantime, she and her best friend Katie dream of an athletic career in Europe. The camera stays close to Etay as she humorously shares her doubts and fears, and when she takes part in a series of thrilling basketball games intended to seal her future. The coming-of-age story that emerges draws the audience into Etay's quest for acceptance. In no small part thanks to the colorful personalities surrounding her, such as Kathy, her explosive and extremely direct coach: "They are rebounding you, 'cause you're horrible!" (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)