‘Didi’ - Review

Sean Wang's Didi excavates the soul of Fremont, California, a city I spent 18 years trying to escape—and a lifetime learning to love. 

Watching a film that vividly captures the essence of your hometown is a profoundly moving experience. Often celebrated as the "happiest city in America," Fremont always confused me. For years, I harbored discontent toward it—resenting the city, my roots, and any association with them. Yet, as I watched Didi, I was overcome with a blend of nostalgia and an overwhelming gravity of belonging for the place that shaped my formative years. 

Didi is a mirror reflecting the journey of self-discovery and reconciliation that many of us from Fremont have undergone. It's a testament to the enduring impact of our roots and a celebration of the place that, despite our best efforts to escape, has always been home.

Chris, the protagonist, isn't particularly like me, yet his portrayal carries an undeniable authenticity that feels intrinsically tied to Fremont. His navigation of family dynamics, particularly with his mother (masterfully portrayed by Joan Chen) and his grandmother, while different from my own, feels strangely familiar. Wang's depiction of the tension between cultural expectations and the desire to assimilate into the American lifestyle is remarkably accurate and painfully nostalgic. He presents Fremont as more than just a backdrop; it's a dynamic space where cultural intersections create a profound sense of belonging. 

Growing up in a deeply rooted immigrant community, I often felt like I was living a double life. I tried to distance myself from the melting pot of cultures that defined Fremont and conform to a more "American" identity. Despite my Middle Eastern heritage, I used my white-passing appearance as a way to seem cool and separate myself from Fremont. Like Chris, who struggled with his cultural identity and sought to water it down, I spent my early years trying to get away from everything Fremont represented.

The friendships depicted in Didi are particularly special. Chris and his friends, with their antics and attempts to impress others, mirror my own experiences with striking accuracy. While we often disparaged Fremont in our youth, I now realize that the bonds forged in the Fremont public school system are irreplicable. We tried to pull away from Fremont and what it symbolized, but we always came back. The pull of Fremont proved irresistible - to this day, my closest friends are those I met during those formative years, all of us grappling with our identities in a place that felt both constraining and infinite. 

My friends and I were among the first generations trying to navigate the delicate balance between our inherited cultures and our emerging American identities, often drowning in pools of awkwardness, both painful and formative. Together, we fumbled through our own cultural misunderstandings and the constant push-pull of tradition versus assimilation, forging our own unique bonds. Didi dissects the American children of immigrant experience with surgical precision and unexpected warmth.

Since September, I’ve been traveling back to Fremont for work. My coworkers, accustomed to bigger cities like San Francisco, view it as a form of punishment, but for me, it’s become a sweet opportunity to revisit the places that played a crucial role in my development. I’m grateful for everything Fremont offers—the cultural touchstones and unique aspects that make it unlike anywhere else in the world.

I once believed that Fremont’s academic rigor and emphasis on STEM stifled creativity, but in truth, it strengthened us and fostered a broader cultural affinity. This continues to be validated by observing the accomplishments of Fremont natives like Sean Wang and the exciting paths my friends are forging. Each of my friends is achieving something remarkable—whether in medicine, business, art, or science—and witnessing their successes reaffirms the value of the foundation our hometown provided.

There’s a common riff about New York City being a character in Sex and the City, but in Didi, Fremont truly emerges as a fully realized character. It’s deeply gratifying to see a film that understands and elevates the specific beauty of the environment that shaped us. Didi isn’t solely Chris's story or Sean Wang’s narrative; it’s a reflection of the stories of everyone who grew up feeling that Fremont was a place to escape, only to later recognize how deeply it molded us. 

Recently, I reconnected with a friend who said I remind them of Fremont. Once an insult, I now wear this as a badge of pride—a symbol of the identities we built through our experiences there. Didi, being semi-autobiographical, reflects Sean’s struggle to unpack his relationship with Fremont. Chris, Sean’s stand-in for himself, fought to distance himself from Fremont and what it stood for, but ultimately, Didi’s existence proves that Fremont pulled both Sean and Chris back. Watching Didi, I experienced an unexpected sense of pride towards Fremont - my teenage purgatory turned into an unlikely muse. While I may have once dreamed of escaping, I am beyond grateful for the unique, sometimes challenging, but ultimately beautiful experience of growing up in this corner of the Bay Area. Fremont, in all its complexities, will always be a part of who I am, and Didi has helped me embrace that fact with newfound appreciation. I’m thankful for the people who made Fremont what it was for me, especially my mom and dad for giving me the best adolescent experience I could have possibly had.