Chinese Take Away
- Country
- Australia
- Year
- 2003
- Director
- Mitzi Goldman
- Producer
- Mitzi Goldman
- Finance
- Film Finance Corporation Australia, SBS Independent SBS Independent
- Budget
- AUD 270,000
- Length
- 52 minutes
Synopsis
"CHINESE TAKE AWAY is a cinematic adaptation of an acclaimed physical theatre show that tells the story of performer/writer Anna Yen's grandmother, mother and herself. In a unique blend of storytelling, performance, archival footage, and poetic cinematography, CHINESE TAKE AWAY reveals the story of three generations. The stories are anchored by Anna's desire to understand her mother's life and death. Whilst telling a personal story, CHINESE TAKE AWAY connects us to the universal questions of life, loss and transformation.
Anna Yen's Statement: "I wanted to tell the stories that are in Chinese Take Away in order to honour the lives of my mother and my grandmother. I also felt the need to contribute to telling Asian – Australian stories and sharing them in the public arena. I hoped that telling a human story could help build bridges between people of different cultural heritages."
Impact
"Since it was finished Chinese Take Away has screened on SBS and at many film festivals and theatre festivals around the world. Screenings include: Sydney Asia Pacific Film Festival; Sigmahanon Foundation for Culture and the Arts Roxas City, Philippines; Re [Imagining} – First Asian Women's Theatre Festival, Manila, Philippines; Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival China; Transit IV Festival, International Women's Theatre Festival, Manchester, UK Commonwealth Film Festival 2004;Northern NSW Film Festival; Performing Arts Festival, Toftlund, Denmark, Valley International Film Festival, Los Angeles; Popcorn Taxi Valhalla, Glebe, Sydney; Magdalena USA International Women's Theatre Festival, August 2005;Magdalena,Singapore, July 2006; Jakarta - 7th Women Playwrights International Conference; Barcelona Festival Magdalena Piezas Conectadas; Brisbane, An Asian Australian Occasion 2007. Chinese Take Away has screened to students throughout Australian high schools, distributed by Ronin Films with an accompanying study guide.
Audiences have been deeply moved by the film and, often after a screening of CHINESE TAKE AWAY, audience members have said that I've just told the story of their grandmother, grandfather, or mother, even though they are from a different cultural heritage or generation. The film touches a universal nerve about families living outside their countries of origin and the difficulties many migrants face when moving to a new and strange culture. It also speaks to daughters of mothers who have struggled with depression and mental illness."
Anna Yen