Pulled Strings

A Celebration of Chinese Food, Film and Music

Join us for the Calgary premiere of Pulled Strings, and experience the traditional Chinese music and food that inspired the short film.

Pulled Strings is a short film directed by Calgary filmmaker Vicki Van Chau, that blends together traditional Chinese food and music, demonstrating the passing down of culture and traditions between generations. Exploring the intricate connection between the strands of the noodles with the strings of the instruments, it creates a poetic montage that emphasizes the beauty of Chinese craft and culture, and the unspoken relationship between a father and his daughter. Starring Ken Chau, Tiffany Chau, Jeffrey Chao, and Sylvia Lee.

The film had it's world premiere at the Edmonton International Film Festival and will also be screening at the Edmonton Short Film Festival, St. John's International Women's Film Festival (St. John's, NL), Devour! The Food Film Fest (Wolfville, NS), and Seoul International Food Film Festival (Seoul, Korea), with more screenings to come.

Live musical performances will accompany the film screening featuring members of the Calgary Chinese Orchestra and the Harmony Guzheng Ensemble.

Following the screening and performances will be a live pulled noodle demonstration by chef Ken Chau, who is featured in the short film. There will also be a pulled noodle tasting, hand-pulled by the chefs at Calan Beef Noodle, the first hand pulled noodle restaurant in Calgary. The noodles will be tossed in a delicous savoury sauce made by Ken with a meat or vegetarian option. 

Special thanks to EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society for their support of this event.

 

About the filmmaker/musicians:

Vicki Van Chau is a Chinese-Canadian artist born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She graduated with distinction from the Alberta College of Art + Design, and is currently the Programming Director at EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society, and the President of the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society (AMAAS). Pulled Strings is her second short film, funded by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.

The Calgary Chinese Orchestra Association is a registered non-profit organization founded by a group of Chinese-Canadian music enthusiasts in 1997. With the goal of promoting and creating awareness of Chinese music and instruments, the orchestra has been successfully operating for over 20 years with the western world in mind. Throughout the years, Calgary Chinese Orchestra have performed at community and cultural events, various charities and fundraising activities, as well as hosting their own annual concert. An ensemble made up of a variety of ancient instruments, Calgary Chinese Orchestra is dedicated to carrying on the tradition, as well as expanding and innovating the local arts scene through collaboration and by embracing musicians from all backgrounds and cultures. It also provides a fun and casual environment for anyone interested in learning and experiencing the art of Chinese culture and music.

The Guzheng, also known as the Chinese Zither or harp is a traditional Chinese string instrument that has been around for more than two thousand years. The Guzheng is not just an instrument but also a storyteller—having the ability to paint pictures of the beautiful sceneries and stories of Ancient China through its fluid and elegant sounds. Harmony Guzheng Ensemble is a Calgary based non-profit music organization for Guzheng lovers. The ensemble is lead by Shirley Wong, a former GuZheng instructor of Hong Kong GuZheng Performers Association. Since established, it has been consistently demonstrating and promoting Chinese music culture in many community activities and charity activities with this treasured musical instrument. It is also a happy family of Guzheng lovers.