MIT Lecture Series Committee

unrated
96 minutes

view trailer

Year of the Fish (2008)

Year of the Fish is an animated independent feature film written and directed by David Kaplan, shot entirely on location in New York City�s Chinatown. A modern-day adaptation of Cinderella based on an old Chinese version of the story, it was shot on inexpensive live-action video that was used as a guide for digital painting in post-production.

The story is a mix of fantasy, romance, and suspense. A young hopeful girl named Ye Xian (An Nguyen) travels alone to New York City to try to make some money for her ailing father back home in China. She falls into the clutches of Mrs. Su (Tsai Chin, The Joy Luck Club), who runs a massage parlor in the heart of Chinatown. But Ye Xian refuses to do the requisite sex work for the clients, so she is made into a menial servant who must do all the laundry, cleaning, shopping and cooking � a Cinderella. However, she finds solace in a magical fish given to her by the strange hunchback Auntie Yaga (Randall Duk Kim, The Matrix Reloaded) and in her fleeting, tender encounters with Johnny (Ken Leung, X-Men 3, Rush Hour), a local jazz musician. With a crescendo that takes place at the height of the Chinese New Year � complete with lion dancers, firecrackers, and an enormous banquet in a palatial Chinatown restaurant � Year of the Fish spins the conventions of the traditional fairy tale in ways that are consistently surprising and engaging. [www.yearofthefish.com]

This show is a FREE sneak preview! Doors will open at 7:30 - arrive early for the best seats!

An adult fable told with childlike simplicity, Year of the Fish updates an ancient Chinese version of the Cinderella story with imagination, charm and just the right amount of sweetness.
      -- Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times. Read this review.