Lu, an immigrant in New York City, puts the final touches to his new studio apartment for the long-awaited arrival of his wife and daughter after years being apart. He rents out an e-bike and driver profile to deliver food – a new job that has allowed him to afford this new apartment for his family. After a difficult delivery, Lu returns to the street only to discover his e-bike has been stolen. Without the bike, his livelihood is in jeopardy – and the home for his family.

He must find another USD 1,200 for a new e-bike deposit and thus turns to his community for help. But through each interaction with old embittered friends and former business partners, we learn that Lu has become a pariah – distrusted by those who have been burned by him, or know that his promises are fleeting. He even turns to a loan shark, but is denied when he’s caught in a lie.

Lloyd Lee Choi is a Korean-Canadian writer-director based in Brooklyn. His debut feature, LUCKY LU, premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. The film is based on his short film, SAME OLD, which premiered at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in the Main Competition. It went on to premiere at TIFF and won Best Short Award at Raindance. His recent short film, CLOSING DYNASTY, won the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at the 73rd Berlinale, and the Awards for Best US Short at Palm Springs and Best Short Film at Hawaii International Film Festival, among others. It’s currently streaming on Netflix.

Filmography (selection): 2016 BEFORE MARS, 2022 SAME OLD; 2022 CLOSING DYNASTY (all short films), 2025 LUCKY LU

Awards: NDR Young Talent Award (Filmfest Hamburg, Germany 2025)