The Golden Village by Karen Cho had its Montreal premiere on February 25th at Cinema du Parc. The 33-minute film, Cho’s most recent work, takes us to Richmond, BC, and the Asian-themed plaza malls and shopping centers that have appeared alongside the massive demographic shift in the area in the last few decades. The event was presented by EYESTEEL and the Jia Foundation, and included a discussion panel with the director Karen Cho, the cinematographer Joshua Frank, and other crew members.
The Golden Village shows a series of vignettes, diving into the vibrant lives of shop-owners and customers in the distinctly Asian Richmond district. Graded with bright colors, the film expressively portrays the small joys and moments of community in the microcosm of Asian malls. The opening scene where a group of scouts are at a Buddhist temple sets the tone for the film’s theme of space and home-making. Asian communities in The Golden Village are creating intimate communal places in an ever-changing and ever-globalizing landscape, merging their culture and commerce to bring a piece of Asia to North America.
The lovely people followed by the film give insight into the unique micro-society that breathes life into Richmond malls. The Chinese radio station broadcasters joking about using old single socks as rags drew laughs from the audience, and the egg waffle granny captured hearts. Other characters that stood out were the influencer who started a religion for luosifen, an iconic Chinese noodle dish, the elders who practised aerobic exercises in the middle of the shopping center, and the TikTok-famous Chef James. By centering the ordinary everyday lives of these individuals, the film uncovers heart-warming stories and completely immerses the audience in the cultural connections and atmosphere portrayed on the screen.
The Golden Village is especially captivating in the ways it contrasts with Cho’s 2022 documentary, Big Fights in Little Chinatown. Where Big Fights in Little Chinatown is about the struggles and resistance of ethnic minorities against historical erasure and gentrification, The Golden Village instead depicts a new reality for Chinese and Asian immigrants in North American suburbs. During the Q&A panel, Cho explained that she had originally planned to include scenes of modern Asian-themed malls in Big Fights in Little Chinatown. The footage would have argued for the inauthenticity of the “new suburban Chinatown[s]” as a place of commerce and transactionality, as opposed to the historical, long-standing Chinatowns who were fighting to preserve their heritage. The idea was scratched when she found these suburban malls were far from artificial displays of culture; rather, they were places full of life and community, with their own stories to tell. From there, The Golden Village was born.
Focusing on the “contemporary Chinatown” highlights the experience of newer Asian immigrants living in North American suburbs, refreshingly showcasing how migrant communities put down roots in their new countries of residence. The increase in the sheer number of members from the Chinese diaspora in Richmond has preceded a cultural shift: being Chinese, or Asian, is no longer a risk, it is cultural capital. As opposed to older generations, who had to fight for their place on an unfamiliar land, adapt to a new culture, and cater to their Western peers and demographics to fit in, newer generations are freed from that burden.
In fact, while old Chinatowns located in city centers are facing gentrification, the Asian character of businesses in Richmond are actually highly beneficial. As Cho explained during the Q&A panel, revamping the struggling shopping centers to cater to the majority Asian customer base in the area saved them from having to close their doors. The agglomeration of the Asian diaspora in Richmond hence enabled an unapologetic display of their authentic culture as the community became present in large enough numbers to back it up. The immersive footage of the malls in The Golden Village gave the impression of entering a third space separate from the outside: from the uncles singing karaoke in the food court to the footage of traditional Lunar New Year celebrations and lion dances, it felt like a piece of modern everyday life in Asia had been transported to the West.
The cultural power new migrants possess also allows for innovations that reverse the status quo. For instance, the Richmond night market, which appeared in the film, is one of the largest open air markets in the world, and is a famous tourist attraction. Asian culture in the contemporary Chinatown, or Asian District, can therefore be desirable and empowering, breaking away from the feelings of inferiority or shame older generations might have had to deal with.
All in all, The Golden Village is a charming and light-hearted watch, telling of hope and community. The vibrant colors of the footage align with the endearing personalities viewers encounter throughout the film, pulling them into the ordinary yet moving everyday stories that take place in the Asian malls in the Richmond suburbs of BC. Although short and simple, the film transmits a heart-warming feeling of belonging amongst diasporic communities, and reminds us to appreciate every joyful moment or interaction no matter how seemingly quotidian.