Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival 2008

During the dawn of the AIDS panic in the 1980's, young McClain is a gay teen that is constantly bullied in his hometown in Colorado. An Amerasian woman, Karen Nakano-O'Neil, returns home to reconnect with her family-owners of a successful martial arts business. When three teens hospitalize McClain after a near-fatal beating and are then released on bail, Annie, McClain's outraged mother, asks Karen to teach McClain the martial ways. Fearful of small town retaliation and her family's disapproval, Karen agrees to secretly teach McClain, training him at night to protect them both. But when McClain intercedes to protect a friend from being bullied, the teacher-student relationship becomes the town scandal, as Karen and her family must ride the wave of hatred and tolerance.