“Grafted” opens as Wei leaves China, bearing the emotional burden of her father’s tragic death. Her move to Auckland University becomes a difficult passage through cultural displacement and personal change. In her new environment, Wei faces loneliness and struggles to fit into an unfamiliar society, where her differences become a source of discomfort.

The film shows Wei’s internal struggles – how she sees beauty’s fleeting nature while feeling inadequate. Her father’s scientific tests, mixing determination with experimentation, follow her like shadows.

The grafting procedure becomes both physical and symbolic, changing her appearance while wearing away her identity. The story offers bold views on society’s beauty ideals, examining the false hopes they create.

Wei faces opposing wishes and overwhelming social pressure. She struggles between what others want and her own fierce drive, becoming trapped in contradiction – her sense of self, like her skin grafts, starts to come apart,...