The Lunchbox Moment
A love letter to her late mother, short film Lunchbox showcases Taiwanese American director Anne Hu’s poignant style with a personal story that brings a common AAPI childhood experience to life.
Screened at 53 festivals and winner of 20 awards, Lunchbox is a dramatic, three-part, coming-of-age short about regret, healing, and honoring the people we love. When a Taiwanese American woman prepares lunches from her childhood, she struggles to forgive herself for pushing away her immigrant mother. Based on real events, this retelling examines the personal cost of fitting in as well as the recovery from cultural and familial loss.
From the Saran wrap-covered dishes to colorful snap Tupperware decorated with stickers to the glorious Tatung steamer, Hu sprinkles the Taiwanese household staples throughout the film. Seeing these items that reflect my own upbringing, I couldn’t help but smile at the nostalgia they evoke. Every version of the protagonist as she makes her journey through life was intentionally crafted, down to the outfit choice and the language she chose to communicate with her mother.
The story is a common one, but Hu presents it in a raw, personal manner, displaying how fitting in as “the other” can mean carving away at the roots of who we are–often leading to rejection of family and culture. As we venture into adulthood–and perhaps even have children of our own, as the protagonist does–we sometimes experience loss and regret. Hu beautifully shows this through the protagonist’s sequence of memories juxtaposed with her preparing the food her mother had made for her as a child for her own child.
The short film, which had sparse spoken words and impactful, clean shots, made me reflect upon my own relationship with my immigrant parents. It filled me with so much love and appreciation for the path they took, seeing it through the eyes of Hu’s film. Well worth the watch–it will certainly make you feel.
The film will be on Omeleto through August 7 and on Taiwan Plus for the next three years.
Anne Hu is a Taiwanese American, award-winning director, writer, editor, and actress. Her directing focus is in narrative film and tv. She creates provocative, dark comedies and heartfelt, poetic dramas. She has directed and written award-winning short films. Her short Lunchbox, currently on the festival circuit, has been accepted into 25 film festivals and counting and has won 5 awards to date including Cleveland International Film Festival’s Best Ohio Short. Her previous short, Cake, was accepted into 38 festivals, earned 9 awards, and was featured in The Washington Post.
