ZJ's NYU Thesis Film "Confucius Plaza"

ZJ Wang is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi! My name is ZJ Wang and I am directing and acting in my NYU Thesis film, “Confucius Plaza” at the end of this month. The story follows ZJ, a bike thief who comes across an abused American Pitbull living in the apartment upstairs from him. He decides to take the dog in because he believes the dog could bring him fortune, however things are more difficult than he thought.

The filming will take place in NYC in 4 days with a 10+ people crew. Majority of our budget will be allocated to help feed our cast and crew (including Gummy, Woof!) and transportation, production design, location, and submission to festivals.

I will thank each and every person in the credits if you donate, no matter the amount. It would really be appreciated by the crew and me and Gummy.

This will be the third film production that Gummy is featured in:

So I’m not the owner of Gummy, who’s a mix of American-Pitbull and German Shepherd. I became close to her two Winters ago when she was 11 months old. Her owner adopted her a month before that, but had to leave the city for the holidays.

“Gummy can be aggressive toward men sometimes. Just don’t look her in the eyes. Let her approach you,” her owner said this as she opened the crate. Gummy greeted me for the first time. For the next month and half, Gummy proved that she is not the easiest dog to take care of, with separation anxiety, peeing indoors, random attacks at random guys, chewing shoes, fighting other dogs but getting hurt herself. We spent all hours of the day together, hitting the dog runs and dog cafes. She would even watch me shower if the bathroom door was left cracked open. Now that her owner is back in the city, I can still take her out to go on hikes or motorcycle rides. I’m like her cool uncle.

Gummy reminded me of myself when I moved to Syracuse, New York more than eight years ago. I was constantly switching host families, being in an unfamiliar place, unable to assimilate into the new culture. Knowing Gummy I thought this film would be a good opportunity to explore the outsider experience in the States.

Confucius Plaza tells the story of ZJ and Gummy—two lost souls who find belonging through their unlikely connection. The film is about resilience in the face of adversity, the importance of human connection, and the understanding that family can be found in unexpected places.