Product Review

The first major wave of Chinese came to America primarily from southern China, with a heavy concentration from the Toisan (Taishan) region of Guangdong Province. "A Toisan Trilogy" features three award-winning short films directed by Arthur Dong that draw upon this early period of Chinese migration to America: 1) SEWING WOMAN is based on the filmmaker's mother, Zem Ping Dong. This beloved classic reveals one woman's determination to survive: from an arranged marriage in Toisan to working class comforts in modern America; Oscar nominee, Best Short Documentary. 2) LOTUS: Shot on location in Hong Kong, this fictionalized story set in the Kay Lok Village of Toisan follows Lotus, a woman with bound feet in 1914 China who must decide whether to bind her daughter's feet. 3) LIVING MUSIC FOR GOLDEN MOUNTAINS is a touching portrait of Dong's Chinese music teacher, Leo Lew, an immigrant living in San Francisco Chinatown who toiled as a laundry worker but kept spiritually alive through his love of music. NOTE: The films in "The Toisan Trilogy" are early student films that were produced in 1970 and in the 1980s. Therefore the quality is reflective of that situation and period of time and are not comparable to current high definition standards. Our intentions are to share these films to audiences more for their stories than for their production values. ADDITIONAL NOTE: This product is sold and licensed for private and personal home use only; inquiries for educational and institutional usage should be directed to DeepFocus Productions, Inc. (www.deepfocusproductions.com)