The Search for General Tso | |
---|---|
Directed by | Ian Cheney |
Produced by |
|
Cinematography |
|
Edited by | Frederick Shanahan |
Music by |
|
Production company | Wicked Delicate Films |
Distributed by | Sundance Selects |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Search for General Tso is a documentary film that premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. It was directed by Ian Cheney and produced by Amanda Murray and Jennifer 8. Lee. [1] Sundance Selects acquired it in December 2014, and it was released January 2, 2015, in theaters and on demand. [2]
The film begins by exploring theories about General Tso. It then shifts focus to China, [3] where few recognize the eponymous dish. [4] The film then traces Tso's real-life history in the Qing Dynasty as well as the history of Chinese immigration to the United States. [1] Interviewed are a number of notable figures in Chinese-American cuisine, such as Cecilia Chiang of the Mandarin, a world record-holder for restaurant menus [5] and Chef Peng Chang-kuei, who claims to have invented the dish in Taiwan. [3]
Around 2004, Cheney and his best friend were driving across America when they stopped at a Chinese restaurant "with red booths and neon signs" and ordered General Tso's chicken. The experience prompted them to investigate the history of Chinese food in America. [6]
In 2008, Lee wrote a book about the history of Chinese food in the United States and around the world, titled The Fortune Cookie Chronicles , [7] documenting the process on her blog. She reported the unlikely, but true, story of how a batch of fortune cookies created 110 Powerball lottery winners. [8] To the surprise of many non-Chinese readers, she reported that fortune cookies are found in many countries but not China and that fortune cookies may have originated in Japan. [9] [10] Warner Books editor Jonathan Karp struck a deal with Lee to write a book about "how Chinese food is more all-American than apple pie". [11] She appeared on The Colbert Report to promote the book. [12] The book was #26 on The New York Times Best Seller list. [13]
The book research is the basis of Lee's documentary collaboration with Cheney. In addition to premiering at Tribeca, the film played at the Seattle International Film Festival [14] AFI Docs, [15] and the Independent Film Festival of Boston. [16]
Film reviews were generally positive, with critics finding the premise amusing and the conclusion thought-provoking. Scott Foundas of Variety called it "a finger-lickin' good foodie docu" and John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter predicted, "Festival auds should eat it up." [1] [5]
American Chinese cuisine is a cuisine derived from Chinese cuisine that was developed by Chinese Americans. The dishes served in many North American Chinese restaurants are adapted to American tastes and often differ significantly from those found in China.
A fortune cookie is a crisp and sugary cookie wafer made from flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil with a piece of paper inside, a "fortune", an aphorism, or a vague prophecy. The message inside may also include a Chinese phrase with translation and/or a list of lucky numbers used by some as lottery numbers. Fortune cookies are often served as a dessert in Chinese restaurants in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries, but they are not Chinese in origin. The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century. They most likely originated from cookies made by Japanese immigrants to the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century. The Japanese version did not have the Chinese lucky numbers and were eaten with tea.
Jennifer 8. Lee is an American journalist who previously worked for The New York Times. She is the co-founder and president of the literary studio Plympton and a producer of The Search for General Tso, which premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
General Tso's chicken is a sweet and spicy deep-fried chicken dish.
Orange chicken is an American Chinese dish of fried chicken in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce glaze.
Miguel Arteta is a Puerto Rican director of film and television, known for his independent film Chuck & Buck (2000), for which he received the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award, and for the films The Good Girl (2002) and Cedar Rapids (2011).
Makoto Hagiwara was a Japanese-born American landscape designer responsible for the maintenance and expansion of the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California, from 1895 until his death in 1925. Hagiwara is often credited with the invention of the fortune cookie in California.
Street Fight is a 2005 documentary film by Marshall Curry, chronicling the 2002 Newark mayoral election which pitted upstart Cory Booker against the incumbent Sharpe James for Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Other credits include Rory Kennedy, Liz Garbus, Mary Manhardt, Marisa Karplus, Catherine Jones, and Adam Etline. Street Fight screened at the 2005 Tribeca Film Festival and was later aired on the PBS series P.O.V. on July 5, 2005, and CBC Newsworld in Canada on May 7, 2006. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Philip Alexander Gibney is an American documentary film director and producer. In 2010, Esquire magazine said Gibney "is becoming the most important documentarian of our time."
Marshall Curry is an American documentary director, producer, cinematographer and editor. His films include Street Fight, Racing Dreams, If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Point and Shoot, and A Night at the Garden. His first fiction film was the Academy Award-winning short film The Neighbors' Window (2019).
Fancy Fortune Cookies is a company, founded by Mike L. Fry in 1988, that produces custom fortune cookies.
Ian Cheney is an American documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and producer.
Curtis Cleland 'Curt' Ellis is an American filmmaker, social entrepreneur, and advocate for sustainable agriculture and healthy food. He serves as co-founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit organization FoodCorps. He shared a Peabody Award in 2008 for King Corn, which he co-produced and starred in, and in 2011 he won the 17th Annual Heinz Award with longtime collaborator Ian Cheney for their work in the sustainable food movement.
Jennifer Prediger is New York City–based actress, writer, and director known for the films Uncle Kent (2011), Red Flag (2012), and Apartment Troubles (2014)—her directorial debut with collaborator Jess Weixler. Prediger also played and wrote Ask Umbra, the "world's most trusted eco advice columnist," on Grist.org.
Hong Kong Noodle Company is a manufacturer of Chinese noodles, wonton skins, and egg roll wrappers in Los Angeles, United States. It was founded in 1913 by Canton native David Jung, who had immigrated to Los Angeles.
Jennifer Phang is an American filmmaker, most known for her feature films Advantageous (2015) and Half-Life (2008). Advantageous premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, winning a Special Jury Award for Collaborative Vision, and was based on her award-winning short film of the same name. Half-Life premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and won "Best Film" awards at a number of film festivals including the Gen Art Film Festival, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival as well an "Emerging Director Award" at the Asian American International Film Festival.
Zach Richter is an American director, creative director and designer, best known for his work in virtual reality and interactive media.
Giant Pictures is an American independent film distribution company founded by Nick Savva and Jeff Stabenau with offices in New York City and Los Angeles. The company releases feature films, documentaries and series on streaming platforms, with an emphasis on flexibility and customization for filmmakers. Giant Pictures owns and operates specialty theatrical label, Drafthouse Films. Giant is the distribution and technology partner of the Tribeca Festival.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food is a 2008 non-fiction book by Jennifer 8. Lee, published by Hachette/Twelve. It discusses the significance of Chinese American cuisine.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)