When Tao Qi went to Cuba for the first time with her father, she didn’t expect that she would end up staying for decades, let along start a family and a successful restaurant business.

Credits

• Emily Feng Director
• Matthew Tan Producer
• Dylan Wang Producer
• Tao Qi Key Cast
• Roberto Vargas Lee Key Cast
• Finley Bernsen Cinematography
• Matthew Tan Cinematography
• Emily Feng Cinematography
• Madeline Chen Sound

Specifications

• Project Type: Documentary
• Runtime: 9 minutes 45 seconds
• Country of Origin: United States
• Country of Filming: Cuba
• Language: Chinese, Spanish
• Film Color: Color
• First-time Filmmaker
• Student Project

Director Statement

Tao Qi is a documentary that I shot in Havana, Cuba during a study abroad program. I was really interested in her as a character because living in Cuba is so different from living in North America, but through talking to her, I was surprised that she, even with such a different upbringing and age gap, has felt similar emotions about moving to a different country, adapting to a new culture and language, and fitting in. Her success in Cuba, as likely the first Mainland Chinese woman to settle there long term, was inspirational and heartwarming. I hope that through this film, audiences from different places around the world, especially those who have gone through the same type of struggle with disconnection and connection with their home country after living abroad for so long, will see a part of themselves in her.