For the first time, we are supporting a documentary film production, “嘚瑟嘚瑟 (When Are You Coming Home?)” by the young Chinese-American filmmaker Alicia Qian 钱崇琪 (qián chóng qí), and we’d love to tell you about it! Alicia sets out to discover who her 50-something-year-old mother is as a person outside of her roles as mother and wife. What unfolds is a portrait of a courageous woman with a tight-knit and free-spirited group of friends, all fellow immigrants from China living in San Jose, CA. Joining them for potlucks, their dance performances, and various hobbies like calligraphy and birdwatching, and spending time with them in their homes, Alicia and her small crew come to know them in an entirely new way, as do we.
We believe this film will have universal relevance and broad intergenerational appeal. Its mostly Asian-American production team, central characters, and themes should especially speak to and give visibility to the still under-represented AAPI community while interrogating commonly held ideas of legacy and collective histories. Middle-aged women, particularly immigrant middle-aged housewives, are so rarely portrayed in American films except as accessories. Here, we see them shine. Navigating the complications and challenges of immigrant life with creativity, care, and spirit, they remind us that everyone leads more surprising and profound lives than we imagine.
“嘚瑟嘚瑟 (When Are You Coming Home?)” is being produced by Isaiah Vivero-Ha & Divya Subbiah, with cinematography by Winona Lu. With sponsorship from Asian CineVision and generous support from the community, as well as from us, the production has completed the first stage of filming. Further funding is needed to complete the second and final stage of filming, scheduled to take place in San Jose in May around the friends’ group’s dance concert and then the long process of post-production. If you want to join us in supporting this compelling project, please visit its IndieGoGo site and consider making a tax-deductible donation.
DONATE HERE!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/when-are-you-coming-home
All donations go towards equipment costs, transportation and food for our crew, insurance, and costs associated with post-production and distribution. While this is quite a bare-bones production, filming a documentary over multiple weeks means renting equipment for a long period of time, which can add up. We’ve raised enough to make it through a bulk of shooting but need your help to get through the second and final phase of production!
Making a documentary such as this one is no small feat, and we truly appreciate any and all support — whether monetarily, morally, or simply by spreading the word. No amount is too small; every donation goes a long way toward making this project possible. If you’d like to follow along as we make this film, follow us on Instagram @boxerandbaker.
“嘚瑟嘚瑟 (When Are You Coming Home?)” will eventually be available to watch online, though public access will likely only come in 2026. Post-production for documentaries is a long process, and we also plan on submitting the film to festivals when the time comes.
Director Alicia Qian 钱崇琪 (she/they) is an NYC-based director, sound recordist/designer, and illustrator. Her work spans multiple genres and has been featured on NPR. Their most recent short film, “Did You Eat Yet?” was selected for the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival and the San Jose International Short Film Festival, among multiple other showcases. Aside from making films about her mom, Alicia loves bouldering, people-watching, and drawing the people she’s watching.
Director of Photography Winona Lu (she/they) is a cinematographer based in New York City. They are drawn to stories of women, queerness, and the Asian diaspora and are thus incredibly proud to be a part of this project. Born in Australia and raised by Chinese immigrant parents, Winona has always understood that though our differences may make us, our common humanity binds us. Her work aims to honor others’ and her own heritage by creating poetic images.