“Could you not leave again?”

The bond between a child and her mother is explored in Yaxing Lin’s poignant short film “Playground.” This low-budget production, which includes support from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, utilizes the available funds and cast to create a dreamlike experience of survival in a reality where the world is indifferent to those struggling. Additionally, it presents the perspective of a curious little girl protective of her single parent.

In the story, a little girl named Jiajia wanders the streets at night, searching for her mother, Qun Lin. She happens upon the place where her mom works, which is an adult entertainment club. Shocked to see her daughter there but not wanting to send her back into the night, Lin lets her inside, so long as she allows her to work, and refers to her as “auntie” instead. Here, Jiajia is introduced to a reality that seems so foreign. Curious, she explores the location but becomes concerned for her mother’s safety.

“Playground” is a powerful story of maternal bond and perspective. Having the narrative primarily seen through the eyes of a child makes for a haunting experience. Jiajia longs for her mother’s love and affection, yet their current financial situation puts them at a point where they start to feel like strangers. Seeing this little girl wander around an adult entertainment club as her mother tries to bring in a decent income as an entertainer, surrounded by an indifferent community, is a heartbreaking reality. Furthermore, her lack of understanding of this environment and its connotations makes it more tragic. To Jiajia, the adult entertainment club is merely an indoor playground with pretty lights where people can have fun dancing, even envisioning riding a merry-go-round. She returns to the grim reality only when her mother’s well-being becomes a concern.

Acting is a driving force to the powerful drama of the short. Ziqi Zhao and Xueqing Cai are fantastic here and seamlessly become the characters Jiajia and Qun Lin. Zhao’s performance invokes childhood curiosity, whereas Cai shows an adult parent who is lost and desperate to make ends meet. They feel like real people, and the mother-daughter bond the two share is beautifully tragic. The scene where the two break down and comfort one another is sure to garner an emotional response from viewers.

How color and lighting are utilized in “Playground” is essential. Most of the short is set at nighttime, with only a few scenes during the day. The outdoors are dark and shadowy, but the interior of the adult entertainment club is lit with vibrant colors. Yet, there’s a looming sense of melancholy, which carries into the life the mother is trapped in. For Jiajia, it’s more dreamlike and adventurous, in line with a kid venturing through a playground environment, yet intentional visual cues and lighting morph that dream into a nightmare. In contrast, a dream sequence depicted towards the end of the short is very bright and clean, giving a heavenly feel compared to the hellish real world, practically a longing for a happier life where a child won’t be separated from their mom. Jiang Du’s cinematography helps create a feeling of uneasiness, and the music score by Mario Verlangieri greatly enhances the atmosphere.

“Playground” is brilliantly acted and superbly directed, telling an unforgettable story with its 16-minute runtime. Yaxing Lin paints a bleak picture of financial survival in a gloomy world while capturing that experience through the eyes of a child whose love for their mother is unbreakable. Certainly, it is a viewing that will stick with audiences.