Chinatown Cha-Cha
女人世界
China | Documentary | 85min
Director: Luka Yuanyuan Yang
Executive Producer: Luka Yuanyuan Yang
Producer: Luka Yuanyuan Yang, Xu Xiao, Lou Wang-Holborn, Ding Dawei
Cinematographer: Carlo Nasisse, Luka Yuanyuan Yang
Editor: Tang Qianni
Sound: Li Xiaodan
Music: Li Daiguo
导演:杨圆圆
监制:杨圆圆
制片:杨圆圆, 徐筱, 王小绿, 丁大卫
摄影指导:Carlo Nasisse, 杨圆圆
剪辑指导:唐倩妮
声音指导:李晓丹
音乐:李帶菓
Synopsis
At the remarkable age of 92, Coby Yee, a former starlet and owner of the illustrious "Forbidden City Nightclub," reclaimed her place in the spotlight with the senior dance troupe, Grant Avenue Follies. Led by Cynthia Yee, the ensemble brings to life the luminous nightclub era of San Francisco's Chinatown, simultaneously shattering the conventional image of aging Asian women.
Their transnational tour across the US, Cuba, and China unfurls an exploration of diasporic Chinese entertainment and a profound understanding of their own Chinese American identities. In Havana, their co-performance with local Chinese Opera singers sparked a vibrant renaissance in the city's dwindling Chinese community.
An emotive journey back to her father's homeland in China gave Coby a chance to reflect on familial memories and observe the startling transformation of urban landscapes.
The film stands as a poignant chronicle of Coby's final journey before her passing at 93, preserving her indomitable spirit. Meanwhile, the Grant Avenue Follies dance on, carrying the torch of their shared heritage.
Festival&Award
2024 Hawai'i International Film Festival
- Official Competition
2024 Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
- Competition
Director's Notes
In the 1980s, in a desolate and secluded small town, a once-renowned sports shooter guards an abandoned factory on the brink of decay. Amidst the turbulent societal changes of the era, the line between order, morals, right and wrong is blurring and reshaping. Everyone had to make choices, while the sharpshooter secretly crafts a gun that only he could wield.
Luka Yuanyuan YANG
Luka Yuanyuan Yang is a visual artist and filmmaker who weaves documentary and archival materials into diverse mediums like film, photography, artist books, installations, and performances. Her work has been featured in The New Yorker, as well as the New Orleans Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Camden International Film Festival, Asian American International Film Festival, and Women Make Waves. Her first feature film “Chinatown Cha-Cha” has received support from The Gotham, Doc Edge, Pingyao International Film Festival, Beijing International Film Festival, CNEX, Shanyi International Women's Film Festival, and Aranya Waves Film Festival. Luka's artwork was collected by KADIST Foundation. She has received support from institutions such as Asian Cultural Council and Asymmetry Art Foundation. She has also earned numerous international accolades, including BVLGARI Avrora Award (2023); Art Power 100 (2019); Huayu Youth Award (2016); Rencontres d’Arles The Arthor Book Award (2015); Magenta Foundation (2013); and the Three Shadows Tierney Fellowship (2012).