Doors 7:00p
Program 7:30p

UnionDocs
352 Onderdonk Ave
Ridgewood, NY

Three Chinese-language independent documentaries follow the stories of three first-generation immigrant female directors. Set in Singapore, Taipei, and Beijing, they explore the meaning of home. Each director offers a unique perspective, shaped by personal experiences and the cultural nuances of their new environments. Through intimate storytelling and powerful visuals, the films delve into themes of identity, belonging, and the complex emotions tied to the concept of home. As they navigate their new lives, these directors not only search for a sense of place but also reflect on the broader implications of displacement and connection in a rapidly changing world.

This program is a part of Nooks & Crannies, a series curated with Huilin Chen & Dawei Zhao.

Program

I Don’t Feel At Home Anywhere Anymore 我在家中渐渐消失 by Viv Li

Belgium/China, 2020, 15 min

A wistful but witty account of a trip to Beijing by filmmaker Viv Li, a Chinese art student who has been living abroad for ten years. Her stay with her family mercilessly exposes how uprooted she has become by her life abroad.

The Feeling of Being Close to You 靠近你的感觉 by Ash Goh Hua

US, 2022, 12 min

The Feeling of Being Close to You documents an attempt at healing the trauma of touch between mother and child. In a reconciliatory phone conversation set to old home videos, the filmmaker and their mother are driven by a desire for intimacy and candidly discuss intergenerational trauma and abuse.

Sleepwalker 夢遊者 by Andrea Yu-Chieh Chung

US, 2019, 9 min

What does it take to stay awake when the reality is tough and home is far away? Using archival footage of the Sunflower Movement that took place in Taipei, Taiwan in 2014 as a starting point, the filmmaker reflects on her ideas of home, politics, and the importance of being present.

Program Duration: 36 mins

Bios

Viv Li is a Chinese filmmaker and artist based in Berlin. Born and raised in Beijing, Viv spent the past 15 years traveling and living in various cities in Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. She holds a master degree in Directing from DocNomads and a bachelor degree in Drama and Films from the University of Manchester. Viv participated in Sundance Institute, Berlinale Talents, Chicken & Egg, IDFAcademy, Pop-up Residency and received the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. Her narrative short film ACROSS THE WATERS, is nominated for the Short Film Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Her documentary short film, I DON’T FEEL AT HOME ANYWHERE ANYMORE, was awarded a Jury Special Mention at IDFA, among 7 other international awards. Currently, she is working on her first feature project in Berlin.

Andrea Yu-Chieh Chung is a Taiwanese documentary filmmaker based in the New York metropolitan area. Born and raised by a family full of wanderers, she has endless curiosities about the world and has lived or produced films across four continents. She is passionate about telling stories of people who are in between places, and those who strive to understand and transcend differences. Andrea holds an MFA in Documentary Film and Video from Stanford University and has screened her films at festivals including London International Documentary Festival, Sharjah Film Platform, and Cinequest Film Festival.

Ash Goh Hua is a filmmaker working between New York and Singapore. Utilizing both documentary and narrative forms, Ash tells personal stories that reveal the inherently embodied politics of relation, society and culture. Named one of the 25 New Faces of Film by Filmmaker Magazine in 2022 and a 2024 Berlinale Talent, Ash has been supported by institutions such as Sundance, Jerome Foundation, and ITVS.