Go Back to China

Last updated

Go Back to China
Go back to china xlg.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Emily Ting
Written byEmily Ting
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Josh Silfen
Edited by Anthony Rosc
Music by Timo Chen
Production
companies
  • Unbound Feet Productions
  • IXII Productions
Distributed by Gravitas Ventures
Release dates
  • March 2019 (2019-03)(SXSW)
  • March 6, 2020 (2020-03-06)(United States)
Countries
  • China
  • United States
Languages
  • English
  • Cantonese

Go Back to China is a 2019 drama film written and directed by Emily Ting. It stars Anna Akana as Sasha Li, a trust fund wannabe designer whose father pressures her to go to Shenzhen to learn the family business. The film is semi-autobiographical and is based on Ting's life and relationship with her father. [1]

Contents

Go Back to China premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival. [2] The film had a limited release in the United States on March 6, 2020. [3] As of October 2021, 82% of the 28 critic reviews compiled on Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Uneven but entertaining, Go Back to China puts a refreshing cross-cultural spin on the traditional coming-of-age story arc." [4]

Plot

Sasha Li is a recent fashion grad living in L.A. who is unable to find work and lives off of a lucrative one million dollar trust fund given to her by her estranged father, a Chinese manufacturer who mass-produces plushies.

On her birthday Sasha learns that her father has cut off access to her trust fund so that she will come work for the family business in China. When that doesn't work, her father cuts off alimony payments to her mother, forcing Sasha to capitulate.

In Shenzhen, Sasha reunites with her older half-sister Carol and her younger siblings born from her father's affair with one of his workers. To her disgust, she also learns that his latest girlfriend, Lulu, is near her age.

Sasha joins Carol in working for her father at his toy factory. After attending a sales pitch where buyers tell her father his products are dated, Sasha takes her father's designers to Hong Kong to look at products and get new ideas.

Sasha gets her father's approval to design a unique looking toy collection for Christmas which ends up selling well. When Carol and Sasha go out to celebrate, Carol reveals that their father was still married to her mother when Sasha's mother began an affair with him, and over the years, he had many affairs and pressured many of his girlfriends to have abortions.

The Christmas toy collection moves forward under Sasha's guidance. She makes a modification to one of the items on the toy, exchanging a plain fabric scarf for a sequinned one, only to learn that the sequins represent a choking hazard, and she has already ordered the scarf fabric in extensive quantities. Sasha's father and Carol decide to go forward with production anyway only to have the product recalled after a child does choke on it. After her father screams at her, Sasha abruptly quits. Carol begs her to stay as she planned to finally leave their domineering father and leave Sasha as her substitute. Sasha refuses and urges Carol to stop seeking their father's approval and become independent.

Sasha returns to L.A., despondent over the recalled toys. Her friends suggest that she give one of the recalled toys to a child social influencer to review and the ensuing popularity causes her father's distributor to withdraw their recall and re-issue the toy without the scarves. Impressed with Sasha's design and marketing skills they also hire her to work for them.

Sasha receives a visit from Carol and learns she has finally quit the company and decided to live life on her own terms. Returning to China on a business trip Sasha visits her father and suggests he use what's left of her trust fund to provide child care for his factory workers to boost morale. She also offers to continue designing toys for him freelance, which he accepts.

Cast

Related Research Articles

Michelle Monique Reis is a Hong Kong former actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder of Macanese descent. In 1988, she won the Miss Chinese International Pageant and Miss Hong Kong beauty pageants. Afterwards, she became a prominent actress in 1990s Hong Kong, often appearing in introspective and independent fare rather than mainstream releases.

Li Ting is a Chinese tennis player. She won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in women's doubles alongside Sun Tiantian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Chinese Super League</span> Football league season

The 2006 Chinese Super League was the third season since the establishment of the Chinese Football Association Super League, also known as Chinese Super League, the thirteen season of professional association football league and the 45th top-tier league season in China. The premier football league in China under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association, the season started on March 11, 2006 and ended on October 22. Initially, it was planned that there would be two teams relegated at the end of the season, however this was changed to one when Sichuan First City folded before the start of the season.

<i>Red Scarf Girl</i> Book by Ji-li Jiang

Red Scarf Girl is a historical memoir written by Ji-li Jiang about her experiences during the Cultural Revolution of China, with a foreword by David Henry Hwang.

<i>The New Legend of Shaolin</i> 1994 Hong Kong film

The New Legend of Shaolin is a 1994 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Wong Jing and Corey Yuen. The film stars and produced by Jet Li. The film showcases Hung Hei-kwun's exploits as a rebel against the Qing government, and it is one of two films in which Li and Miu Tse play a father-son duo, the other being My Father Is a Hero. The film was released theatrically in Hong Kong on 3 March 1994. The film also pays homage to the Japanese film Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance, with the opening scene being a parody of said film, while also having a similar plot of a father going on a journey of revenge with his infant son.

<i>The Floating Landscape</i> 2003 Hong Kong, France film

The Floating Landscape is a 2003 Hong Kong romance film written and directed by Carol Lai and starring Ekin Cheng, Karena Lam and Liu Ye. The film was shown in competition for the Golden Lion at the 60th Venice International Film Festival.

<i>Mr. Wu</i> (1927 film) 1927 film by William Nigh

Mr. Wu is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Lon Chaney, based on a 1913 stage play. Chaney portrays a Chinese patriarch who tries to exact revenge on the Englishman who seduced his daughter.

<i>McGee and Me!</i> 1989 American TV series or program

McGee and Me! is an American Christian television series created by Ken C. Johnson and Bill Myers. The series premiered on June 4, 1989, spanning twelve episodes and one special until its conclusion on June 11, 1995. Each half-hour-long episode centers on Nicholas, his cartoon friend, McGee, and the moral lessons they learn as Nick grows up after moving to a new town. McGee and Me! deals with issues such as honesty, bullying, and faith in God.

<i>Double Xposure</i> 2012 film directed by Li Yu

Double Xposure is a 2012 Chinese psychological thriller film directed by Li Yu starring Fan Bingbing and Feng Shaofeng. Upon release, Double Xposure became a commercial success, earning over ¥100 million in mainland China, and that made Li Yu the 52nd director whose single film's box office was more than ¥100 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abraham Ford</span> Fictional character

Sgt. Abraham Ford is a fictional character from the comic book series The Walking Dead and was portrayed by Michael Cudlitz in the American television series of the same name.

My Wedding and Other Secrets is a 2011 romantic comedy film directed by Roseanne Liang, written by Liang and Angeline Loo, and produced by South Pacific Pictures. The film is based on Liang's real-life cross-cultural romance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Akana</span> American actress and filmmaker (born 1989)

Anna Kay Napualani Akana is an American actress, comedian, filmmaker, musician, and YouTuber. She has appeared in TV series, films, and music videos that include Awkward (2011), Ant-Man (2015), Hello, My Name is Doris (2016), Dirty 30 (2016), and Big City Greens (2018).

Rocket of China is a Chinese historical comedy set in nineteenth century China based on the true story of the history of the construction of Rocket of China, the first steam locomotive made in China, with the help of an English engineer Claude W. Kinder who in 1878 travelled to Qing Dynasty China in the hope of building the first railway through China. The 30 episode comedy was directed by Ying Da and written by Man Yu. Appearing in the comedy are Cao Yun Jin, Jiang Chao, Liu Jin Shan, Ma Ling, Yu Hui Zi, Li Jian Hua, Li Qi, Na Wei, Liu Ya Jin, Yan Guan, Qi Xiao Fei, Isabella Charlton, Karl Robert Eislen, Jonathan Kos-Read and among others. It was produced by Xui Ji Wei in the Production Company of Long Teng Yi Du (Beijing) Film Investment Co., Ltd. The comedy was first aired on Shenzhen Media Group Public Channel on 1 February 2016.

Emily Ting is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She was born in Taipei, but later moved to Los Angeles with her family. Ting graduated from the film/TV program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her first feature-length film, Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, was released in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wang Xinyu</span> Chinese tennis player (born 2001)

Wang Xinyu is a Chinese professional tennis player. Wang reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 32 on 9 October 2023, and a doubles ranking of No. 16 on 20 May 2024. Partnering with Hsieh Su-wei, she won the women's doubles title at the 2023 French Open. She also won a silver medal in mixed doubles, alongside Zhang Zhizhen at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

<i>Wild Nights with Emily</i> 2018 American film

Wild Nights with Emily is a 2018 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Madeleine Olnek. It stars Molly Shannon as Emily Dickinson, as well as Amy Seimetz, Susan Ziegler, Brett Gelman, Jackie Monahan, Kevin Seal, Dana Melanie, Sasha Frolova, Lisa Haas and Stella Chesnut. The film is based on the actual events of Emily Dickinson's life, including her process as a writer, her attempts to get published, and her lifelong romantic relationship with another woman.

<i>Flavors of Youth</i> 2018 animated film

Flavors of Youth is a 2018 anime/donghua anthology drama film directed by Li Haoling, Jiaoshou Yi Xiaoxing and Yoshitaka Takeuchi and produced by Noritaka Kawaguchi. A Japanese-Chinese co-production between CoMix Wave Films and Haoliners Animation League, it was released in Japan and in China on August 4, 2018, and globally on the same day by StudioCanal and Netflix.

<i>Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams</i> 2021 Barbie television film

Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams is a 2021 animated musical adventure buddy film directed by Scott Pleydell-Pearce, produced by Emory Ronald "Ron" Myrick and written by Christopher Keenan and Catherine "Kate" Splaine.

References

  1. ↑ Chu, Li-wei. "Interview: How Emily Ting's Sophomore Feature 'Go Back to China' Explores What Familial Duty Means in an Asian Household" . Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Erbland, Kate. "'Go Back to China' Review: Emily Ting's Winning Fish-Out-of-Water Coming-of-Age Comedy" . Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  3. ↑ "Emily Ting's SXSW Comedy GO BACK TO CHINA Gets a March 2020 Release". Vimooz. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Go Back to China (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 30 October 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.