Asian immigrants have grown to become the third-largest ethnic group in New Zealand; there are more than 246,000 Chinese living in New Zealand. (Statistics NZ, 2018). It is important for people to know more about the lives, experiences and thoughts of this group of people as immigrants and more importantly, as New Zealanders. This short documentary explores the relationship between language, culture, and identity for members of a Chinese family across three generations living in New Zealand, showing through their shared stories differences between individuals and generations.
The title “Mooncake”, is a festive food that Chinese people eat at the Moon Festival. This festival calls for a family gathering; both the moon and mooncakes are round, and the Chinese word for ’round’ is ‘Yuan’ (圆), which also means ‘reunion’ or ‘gathering’ (团圆). So, the display of mooncakes is a mixture of culture and language that refers to Chinese identity.
Music Credit:
Brethren, Arise – Chris Zabriskie
Homeward Bound – Jonny Easton
Singularity – Jonny Easton
Still – Ross Budgen
