Premiere of Ain't Samsāra a Bitch

Description

On the evening of November 12, 2025, Decentered Arts partnered with Lorrie Chang to bring the premiere of Ain’t Samsāra a Bitch to the historic Great Star Theater in Chinatown.

Born from the imagination of Chinatown native and first-time screenwriter Lorrie Chang, and directed by visual artist and filmmaker Ujjayini Sikha, the short film followed a Chinese American immigrant and devout Buddhist navigating the afterlife—reviewing her soul contracts, including the fraught bond with her daughter, and questioning whether she could finally step off the wheel of reincarnation.

The premiere unfolded as a layered cultural gathering, weaving together the film screening with live music, poetry, additional short films, and a thoughtful Q&A with the cast and crew. Presented as a NOTAFLOF event, the night welcomed a broad community, including Chinese-speaking audiences, into an intimate exploration of ancestry, spirituality, and release.