Shop

Sewing Woman

14 min.

Sewing Woman is only available in the DVD anthology, A Toisan Trilogy.

Study and discussion guide included.

Sewing Woman chronicles the bittersweet journey of one woman's determination to survive: from an arranged marriage in old China to working class comforts in modern America.

Description

Produced, Directed, Photographed, and Edited by Arthur Dong, Written by Lorraine Dong, Narrated by Lisa Lu

14 minutes. Black & White. Mono sound.

“Sewing Woman” chronicles the bittersweet journey of one woman’s determination to survive: from an arranged marriage in war-torn China to working class comforts in modern America. Produced and directed by Peabody and Sundance award-winning filmmaker, Arthur Dong, this beloved classic film received over 20 international film excellence awards including an Oscar® nomination for Best Short Documentary. “Sewing Woman” is based on a series of oral histories and the life story of the filmmaker’s mother, Zem Ping Dong, an immigrant who worked in San Francisco garment factories for over 50 years. With a candid first-person monologue spoken by veteran actress, Lisa Lu (“The Joy Luck Club,”” The Last Emperor”), “Sewing Woman” reveals a personal inner stength that endures oppressive Chinese customs, U.S. Immigration policies, family separation, and the conflicts of assimilation in America. Sewing Woman’s heartfelt story is told through footage of rural China and factories of San Francisco Chinatown, treasured home movies, and intimate family photographs.