24/13
In 2014, BuzzFeed writer Matt Stopera’s phone was stolen from a bar in New York. A year later, photos of a man standing near a storefront and an orange tree mysteriously appeared in his iPhoto stream. Matt wrote an article about it, which went viral overnight in China, where netizens identified the man as «Brother Orange.» When he was invited to China, Matt became an instant celebrity, and while the media followed their every move, he and Brother Orange formed a deep friendship that transcended cultural and language barriers. When Brother Orange visited Matt in the United States, Matt felt he was revealing his whole self by visiting his new friend. Years later, after surviving the plague, Brother Orange recorded a hopeful video message expressing his desire to reunite with Matt.