Paper Heart 2009

Charlyne Yi embarks on an insightful journey across America to create a documentary about a topic she finds perplexing: love. While she frequently asserts that she is a skeptic of love—particularly the fairy-tale version that Hollywood promotes—her own life experiences have molded her into a modern-day cynic. During her quest, she collaborates with her friend, Nick, as they search for wisdom and advice on this complex emotion. Their adventure leads them to engage in captivating dialogues with a diverse array of individuals, including friends, strangers, scientists, bikers, romance authors, and even children. Each encounter offers unique perspectives on contemporary romance and attempts to answer the timeless inquiry: does true love exist?

However, things take an unexpected turn when Charlyne meets someone who captivates her heart: Michael Cera. As their relationship blossoms on camera, the urgency to understand love deepens. Charlyne now faces the risk of losing the person who means the most to her, transforming her exploration into an emotional rollercoaster that blends reality and fantasy. Ultimately, Paper Heart intertwines documentary and traditional storytelling techniques, providing a refreshing lens through which to view modern romance. Through her journey, Charlyne not only seeks to understand love but also wrestles with her deepening feelings for Michael, making her quest uniquely personal and thought-provoking.