Huí Jiā (2025)
On a day heavy with hidden meaning, an aging restaurant owner tends to her business as she reflects on an old letter once sent to her father in her homeland.
Alex Nesic was selected as the Cinespace Residency recipient for Autumn 2024. As a collaboration with Cinespace, Huí Jiā will act as a cultural showcase highlighting a generation of hardworking, working class immigrants who have pathed the way for their children in Australia.
Genre
Drama, Multicultural
Year
2025
Runtime
6 minutes 13 seconds.
Status
Pre-Release
Director’s Statement
Huí Jiā is a semi-biographical short film inspired by the life of my mother, Lili. A former actor in China, Lili portrays a fictionalized version of herself in this project. Growing up in Australia, I was deeply aware of the sacrifices my parents made to build a life for me and my sister, particularly the years they spent running the Chinese restaurant in the Melbourne suburb where I was raised. I am still very much connected to the restaurant and the many memories tied to it.
This film is not only an ode to my mother’s sacrifice and work ethic, but also a deeply personal collaboration between us. Shot in the very restaurant she tended for over 20 years, Huí Jiā is a tribute to her journey, a reflection on home, and a bridge between our shared past and evolving present.
