1501372800


Asia Society Texas

Screen Asia: QFest’s “Small Talk”

Sunday, Jul. 30, 2017 – Sunday, Jul. 30, 2017

03:00 PM – 05:00 PM
US/Central

smalltalk-HuichenMom

Small Talk (2016)

"Huang’s goal with the film is an undeniably personal one, but the honest moments in Huang’s documentary inherently create a film that resonates with everyone...After all, love is love." — The Daily Californian

""Small Talk' is exceptional in how it captures emotion and crafts an outstanding cinematic experience, complete with tears and laughter. This film is pivotal to the current LGBTQ population worldwide and premieres during a crucial time as Taiwan attempts to lead the struggle for LGBTQ rights in Asia." — Visual Communications

Director Huang Hui-chen dissects her complicated relationship with her lesbian mother in Small Talk. The Taiwanese documentary won the 2017 Teddy Award for Best Documentary.

This special screening is presented in collaboration with QFest.

Schedule

3:00 pm | Opening remarks
3:15 pm | Small Talk Screening

About the Film

Small Talk

"Small Talk is the director’s courageous portrayal of her family story, which gives the audience an inside look at a culture we might not be familiar with. This powerful documentary manages to be of universal significance and extremely intimate at the same time."
— Teddy Jury at the Berlinale Panorama

Director: Hui-Chen Huang, 2016, Taiwan, 88 minutes

Anu is a tomboy. Married off at a young age—as was customary in Taiwan in the 1970s—she had two children. Anu soon divorced her violent husband and raised her daughters alone. Since then, her only romantic relationships have been with women whom, like her, earn a living as professional mourners at funerals.

It’s considered taboo in Taiwanese culture to question a mother’s love, but that’s exactly the topic of this intimate portrait by her daughter, Hui-chen Huang. Mother and daughter set off on a journey together into the past, during which Hui-chen confronts Anu with questions that have tormented Hui-chen for many years.

In a series of long shots the two women discuss loneliness, trust, and abuse, yet most of these discussions end in painful silence. Shifting focus in order to plumb the depths of their relationship, Hui-chen attempts to understand her mother by also talking to her mother’s siblings and ex-lovers. In doing so she paints a picture of the changing lives and conditions for three generations of women in Taiwan.

 

About the Film

Director's Statement

As a filmmaker, I’ve always told the stories of the marginalized, powerless, or underrepresented. I feel their pain, their suffering, their powerlessness, and their frustrations because those have also been my experiences.

When it comes to my own story, I haven’t had the courage or strength to utter a sound, because exposing myself is hard, asking if I’m loved is harder, and facing the truth is the hardest.

But I can no longer use my fears as an excuse because my role has evolved. Now that I’m a mother myself, I see my mom with a different perspective. And that new perspective forces me to reckon with my past and face my fears. I hope that this process can help both myself and my mother walk out of the shadows and away from the pain that have plagued us for so long.

 

HOURS & ADMISSION

  • Wednesday, Friday - Sunday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Thursday (free admission all day), 12:00 pm - 7:00 pm
    Closed Monday and Tuesday and major holidays.
  • Explore Asia Admission: Six interactive stations; includes complimentary access to current exhibition in the Louisa Stude Sarofim Gallery. $15 per guest ages 13 and up. $9 per guest ages 7–12. Free for guests ages 6 and under and for Asia Society members. Louisa Stude Sarofim Gallery Admission Only: $8 per guest. Free for guests ages 6 and under and for Asia Society members.   Free exhibition admission on Thursdays from 12 pm – 7 pm, presented by Regions Bank.

Directions & Parking

  • Free Parking
  • Paid Parking
  • Street Parking
  • Parking in Asia Society Texas Center's lot is $7 for 1-24 hours. Entrances on Caroline and Austin. Limited free and paid street parking is also available.

Special Offers / Dining

Java Lava Cafe
Serving 100 percent premium Kona coffee from KarmaSu Coffee Farm in Hawaii, plus breakfast, lunch, and sweet treats, Java Lava Cafe is open for extended breakfast hours Tuesday–Saturday.

Hours
Tuesday – Saturday, 8:30 am – 3 pm
https://asiasociety.org/texas/java-lava-cafe

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