Yinuo Shi

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One spring day in 2021, Justin Fairweather was driving around Los Angeles and stumbled upon an art exhibit of what appeared to be paintings of Black cultural icons, such as James Baldwin, Fred Hampton, Nina Simone, and Michael Jordan. When he walked in and took a closer look, he realized the pieces were three-dimensional: small toy soldiers dotted the canvases.

After the journey, back in Los Angeles, Xiang wanted to make his thesis film about Patrick and Naonao, his seven-year-old nephew. The two had formed a close bond on that trip. “I found it to be really touching,” he told me. “They had this very pure and innocent friendship.” Around the same time, Xiang came out to his family, on a video call. His parents struggled with the news; Naonao’s parents, more open-minded and supportive, helped persuade them to be more accepting.