Preparation for the Next Life

Aishe, a Uyghur woman raised with military discipline by her father, moves to New York City and finds employment in the hidden kitchens of Chinatown. There she meets Skinner, a young American soldier who has returned from three tours of duty in the Middle East. As the two fall in love, they struggle with their pasts while exploring whether they can build a better future together than the lives they expected to lead alone.

The drama and romance was directed by Liu Bing, following his 2018 film Minding the Gap. The screenplay was written by Martyna Majok. The film stars Sebiye Behtiyar as Aishe and Fred Hechinger as Skinner, supported by a credited cast of 46 actors, including Landyn Lu, Ella Rouwen Chen, B. Todd Johnston, and Maxwell Almono. Production was handled by Plan B Entertainment, PASTEL, and Orion Pictures, with Mark Ceryak, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner serving as producers.

Released on September 5, 2025, with a runtime of 116 minutes, the film has received a moderate reception from viewers. On TMDB, it holds a rating of 5.9/10 based on 31 votes.