YEET HAY 熱氣 (2021)
A French/Cantonese narrative comedy short film
* * *
I was invited by Le Pavillon Rouge des Arts, an arts company that promotes cross-cultural exchange between France and China, to create an original piece to be submitted as part of an annual French-language showcase organised by La Caravane de dix mots (‘La Caravane’).
Each year, La Caravane announces a theme, in which ten francophone countries would each contribute one related keyword. Artists around the world are encouraged to take inspiration from these keywords and create original works that celebrate diverse cultures within the French-speaking world.
This year’s theme is ‘Dis-moi dix mots qui (ne) manquent pas d’air!’ (‘Tell me ten words that don’t lack air!’), an idiom that means to take someone by surprise. The ten words linked to this theme are:
aile (wing)
allure (an air of allure)
buller (to space out)
chambre à air (bike tire)
décoller (to take flight)
éolien (a type of wind turbine named after the Greek god of wind, Aeolus)
Foehn (a warm air current in Switzerland)
fragrance (fragrance)
insuffler (to infuse)
vaporeux (vaporous)
When I found out that ‘Foehn’ is also a slang term for ‘hairdryer’ in Switzerland, it evoked in me the memory of my mother reminding me to always blow-dry my damp hair before bed so that I don’t get headaches the next day. Then it hit me - the concept of air (氣 - ‘qi’ in Mandarin, or ‘hay’ in Cantonese) is very much present in Chinese culture, particularly when talking about the core properties/humours of certain foods. Some foods are 寒涼 ‘cold’, some are 中和 ‘neutral’, and some are 燥熱 ‘heaty’. The one thing Mom cautioned me against was eating my favourite foods with inflammatory properties…
Thus, YEET HAY 熱氣 was born - a comedic homage to Chinese tradition and family values.
Synopsis
Stephanie wrestles with bizarre cultural anecdotes as told by her mother.
Creative Team
Direction & screenplay by Stephanie Renae Lau
Produced by Le Pavillon Rouge des Arts (HK) Limited as part of La caravane de dix mots Hong Kong-Chine 2021
Cast: Stephanie Renae Lau, Aviva Wang, Charissa Chan, Karine Yoakim Pasquier
Translation help: Stéphane Lam, Karine Yoakim Pasquier, Caroline Paulhan
Camera: Stéphane Lam, Nicolas Yoakim
Special thanks to Shirley Xie and Mathilde
Music: ‘Gong Cymbal Crash 1’ from Epidemic Sound, ‘Canals’ by Joakim Harud
