Daughter's Daughter

Ai is a mother carrying the weight of past choices who returns to Taipei after years abroad. She is cautious, deeply protective of her remaining family, and gradually learns to open up to forgiveness and new forms of motherhood. Her journey from reluctance to acceptance of surrogacy and eventual parenting of Zuer’s child marks a hard-won personal growth. Grief and memory shape her decisions as she navigates a fragile future for her family.

Zuer is Ai’s daughter who travels to New York with Jiayi to pursue a family. She is determined and loving, seeking stability and belonging through parenthood. Her death in the car accident abruptly shifts the family’s path and intensifies Ai’s quest for reconciliation and meaning. Her presence continues to influence Ai’s choices long after she is gone.

Jiayi is Zuer’s partner, accompanying her on plans to start a family. She is supportive and intertwined with Zuer’s dream, but the tragedy of the accident claims her life. Jiayi’s death amplifies the emotional stakes for Ai and Emma, underscoring the costs of pursuing parenthood across lines of love and time.

Emma is Ai’s estranged daughter who reconnects with her family amid turmoil. She pushes Ai toward a decision about Zuer’s unborn child and grapples with the pain of past abandonment. Emma’s presence complicates and deepens Ai’s understanding of motherhood, forgiveness, and the meaning of family.

Johnny is Emma’s paternal father, who appears as a bridge to Ai’s past and a catalyst for crucial family conversations. He hosts moments of tension and reconciliation, providing a sense of continuity amid upheaval. His presence links the generations and anchors the dinner gathering that catalyzes later events.

Shen Yan-Hua is Ai’s mother, who returns to Taipei and embodies a difficult, occasionally judgmental edge. In the film’s later stages, she shows signs of dementia, blurring time and memory and adding emotional strain to Ai’s caregiving duties. Her presence underscores intergenerational tension and the fragility of familial bonds.