Dustin was abandoned by his family at a young age. Ever since then, he’s been surviving by stealing. He despises himself but never thinks of changing. Life is hopeless and meaningless for him until he meets Jane - a little girl who lives with her alcoholic single father. Both are outcasts of society, they connect right away and become close friends.

Director Biography - Mingjie Li

Mingjie was born in Kunming, China. She’s now a New York-based actor, casting director, and director. Mingjie has been trained at Stella Adler Studio for acting. Most recently, she played a supporting role in the new MGM feature film Preparation For The Next Life, directed by Oscar nominee Bing Liu. In addition, she has played the lead roles in NYC Women's Fund-winning films My Heavenly City and Yu Under Water; and a supporting role in Same Old (Cannes Short Films Competition). Mingjie is also a filmmaker. She has directed two short films so far- Swans of Hudson River and Sound of Fire. As a casting director, Mingjie has cast one feature film and more than 20 short films and series, many of which have premiered at Oscar-qualifying film festivals worldwide. Before starting her filmmaking career, Mingjie was a researcher at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Mingjie has a Master's degree in Public Health from Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Wuhan University.

Director Statement

When I was a little girl, one time I went shopping with my parents at a mall. I witnessed a group of people circling a young thief and beating him up. Passerby pointed their fingers at the thief. Everyone was saying stealing is wrong and thieves deserve that. But I knew that was not right. No one deserves that brutality and humiliation. That incident has stuck in my mind for years and I regret not doing anything back then. So in this film, I make little Jane the hero who saves Dustin in the end.

The unusual encounter between Dustin and Jane was inspired by a true story that happened in China many years ago. When a young guy got arrested while stealing, a journalist discovered his story. This young guy had been stealing to feed an 8-year-old boy. And to everyone’s surprise, they are not blood-related. The young guy found the boy roaming on the streets, saw himself in him, and decided to take care of him. This heartwarming story left a huge impact on me.

Sound of Fire is a story about kindness, courage, and growth. The love that these two characters have never received from their family, they receive from each other. They find a real home outside of their original family. They are each other’s savior.