As she says in the interview above, Tiffany So, the director of the Fine China short that was a finalist for the 2020 HBO Visionaries contest, loves musicals. I do too, and so Fine China was a pleasant surprise. I first found some of the “traditional Asian” style music annoying and almost stereotypical (you can hear some in the video above), but as the story went along I realized that was deliberate musical choice.
So says she modeled her work after Chinese families, but the issues that confront this family are common with many families, not just Chinese or Asian ones. As a parent, I am really glad that she didn’t descend into the “hates their parents” trope. The way So shows the passage of time and its eventual healing touch is something to look forward to.
Overall, I recommend Fine China, especially if you like musicals. You can see more about the other 2020 winners on the HBO Visionary web site. Fine China is available to stream on HBO Max.
