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When a scheduling mishap forces grieving photographer Peter to share his late sister’s New York apartment with the bold and chaotic Alice, an unexpected weekend unfolds. As the two Asian Americans clash, bond, and explore the city, they confront identity, loss, and the strange intimacy of shared spaces. Banana Split is a bittersweet portrait of grief, culture, and accidental connection.
Director Biography - Walter Kim
Walter Kim is a New York-based filmmaker whose work behind the scenes at the Late Show with David Letterman shaped his distinctive approach to storytelling, mixing sharp comedy with melancholy. "Banana Split" marks his feature directorial debut.
Director Statement
For Banana Split, I drew inspiration from films like Before Sunrise, Lost in Translation and Frances Ha. I wanted to tell a story about Asian-Americans who are complicated, three-dimensional humans wrestling with identity, the weight of cultural expectations, and belonging. So many Asian-Americans born in the US live with an internal conflict: we're not quite one thing or the other. I wanted to explore that tension authentically and without easy answers.
After years of working at Late Show with David Letterman, I wanted to make something deeply personal. Banana Split is my attempt to create a film that's honest, messy, and specific yet also universal.
When a scheduling mishap forces grieving photographer Peter to share his late sister’s New York apartment with the bold and chaotic Alice, an unexpected weekend unfolds. As the two Asian Americans clash, bond, and explore the city, they confront identity, loss, and the strange intimacy of shared spaces. Banana Split is a bittersweet portrait of grief, culture, and accidental connection.
Director Biography - Walter Kim
Walter Kim is a New York-based filmmaker whose work behind the scenes at the Late Show with David Letterman shaped his distinctive approach to storytelling, mixing sharp comedy with melancholy. "Banana Split" marks his feature directorial debut.
Director Statement
For Banana Split, I drew inspiration from films like Before Sunrise, Lost in Translation and Frances Ha. I wanted to tell a story about Asian-Americans who are complicated, three-dimensional humans wrestling with identity, the weight of cultural expectations, and belonging. So many Asian-Americans born in the US live with an internal conflict: we're not quite one thing or the other. I wanted to explore that tension authentically and without easy answers.
After years of working at Late Show with David Letterman, I wanted to make something deeply personal. Banana Split is my attempt to create a film that's honest, messy, and specific yet also universal.