Sitting Bird
Vancouver, Canada | Film Short
Drama
Focusing on the Canadian immigrant experience of a Chinese family, “Sitting Bird” tells the story of Ming - a stay-home-father - as he attempts to rescue a lost flamingo. Told with a touch of surrealism, the film explores on topics such as the impact of immigration and patriarchal stereotypes.
Green Light
This campaign raised C$25,808 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
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Focusing on the Canadian immigrant experience of a Chinese family, “Sitting Bird” tells the story of Ming - a stay-home-father - as he attempts to rescue a lost flamingo. Told with a touch of surrealism, the film explores on topics such as the impact of immigration and patriarchal stereotypes.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After immigrating to Canada, 48-year-old Ming (陳明) becomes a stay-home-father while his career-driven wife Fei continues to pursue her dream and works as a domestic pilot in China. Though it is tough financially, Fei is appreciative of Ming for taking care of their children - Rita and Anthony. However, in a culture where an unemployed man is seen as unacceptable, Ming struggles with the anxiety of being disapproved of by his relatives and friends. This anxiety heightens when they're invited to a gathering at their fellow immigrant friend’s luxurious house. As the other men share their stories of success and heroic acts, Ming feels inadequate. Just when his confidence is at its lowest, he sees a lost flamingo named José in the backyard. He decides to rescue José to prove he can be heroic.
The story is inspired by my father, who for a while after immigrating to Canada was a stay-home-father. Unlike most immigrant families where the father usually assumes the role of breadwinner, my mother stayed in Taiwan to continue her dream career while providing for us. My sister and I saw my mother as a role model, while we thought of my father as a loving parent who took care of us. We never understood the weakness and vulnerability that my father was facing until we immigrated, which compounded his struggles to overcome the anti-masculine stigma of the role of a stay-home-father. I slowly recognized the existence of the deep-rooted patriarchal stereotype that immensely impacted every one of us, and that my father carried the label of being an unsuccessful man. Not only was it difficult for him to adapt to a new culture and a new language, but he was also looked down upon within his own Asian community.
My father and I :)
The flamingo is a crucial element in this story, symbolizing the North American dream that most immigrants yearn for; at the same time, it represents the blind pursuit of this dream without truly understanding what one truly wants. What also intrigues me is that the Chinese name for flamingo 紅鶴 shares a word with “crane” 鶴. In Chinese culture, the crane is oftentimes used to symbolize longevity, peace, and ambition. This is a little ironic for Ming as he is chasing this dream - this ambition - that he perhaps never had.
While the flamingo is a surrealistic aspect of the film, we filmed actual flamingo plates in Miami, and our goal is to incorporate them through 2D composition into the shots. We have extensively storyboarded and shortlisted, working closely with our VFX team from pre-production to principal photography, and carefully planning the flamingo element shoots to achieve this sequence cost-effectively.
Our stand-in for flamingo José on set!
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT FOR POST PRODUCTION!
Sitting Bird / 席地鳥 finished its principal photography in August 2023! We shot it over 5 days in Metro Vancouver with a 35 people crew and 8 cast, and a small second unit in Miami filmed the flamingo plates. Thanks to their passion and dedication to the project, the shoot was a success and we couldn’t be more proud of what we created as a team over this filming week!
We are now actively seeking additional funding to provide the project with more support and resources in post-production and to bring the flamingo to life. With your support, we hope to reach a more ambitious and professional scope of filmmaking and to achieve the elevated artistic standard we aspire to for the film.
HOW WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY
Our scope is to raise $25,000 that we will spend as follows:
THANK YOU!
If any part of this story resonates with you, please consider joining us on our journey. Pledge, follow us, share our story! Your help, no matter how small or in what form, will make an immeasurable difference.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach us at [email protected]
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Visual Effects
Costs C$14,000
We've been working with a top Vancouver VFX studio since preproduction. Contribute to fund the final stage of our 2D composition process!
Sound Design & Mix
Costs C$2,500
Sound is the heartbeat of each film. Help us enhance our visuals by funding our sound design and sound mix!
Music
Costs C$1,500
What better emotion shaper than music? Contribute to fund our composer and studio fees, bringing our project's soundtrack to life
Colouring
Costs C$3,000
The magic final touch! Help us pay our colorist to elevate our film's mood and palette.
Marketing & Promotion & Distribution
Costs C$3,500
Boost our marketing to amplify the film visibility. This will help fortifying our promotional materials, PR, and festival submissions.
Accessibility
Costs C$500
With this funding, we'll be able to include audio descriptions and captions, ensuring that everyone can fully engage with the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the casts for Ming's family
Jian Ping Su / 宿建平
as MING
Shasha Pu / 浦莎莎
as FEI
Eileen Tian
as RITA
Oliver Zhao
as ANTHONY
Please meet our core team!
Athena Han / 韓睿芷
Writer-Director
Athena, a Taiwanese-Canadian writer-director born in Taipei, graduated from SFU's Film Production program and was mentored at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2019. Specializing in films that delve into family dynamics, culture clashes, and self-identity, she has directed in both Taiwan and Canada, with her work featured in festivals like Cinequest and the Los Angeles Asian Film Festival. Athena has received accolades including the A&E Short Filmmaker Award for Best Film and the Shaw Media Fearless Female Director Award.
Yael Carnet
Producer at MARGINAL
Born in France, Yael is the co-founder of Vancouver-based production company Marginal Production Ltd. As a producer, she is interested in developing projects from up-and-coming underrepresented directors. Her short film credits include When the Night Has Come - an award winner at the “Black Truth Film Festival” and an official selection at the Whistler Film Festival 2020, and Baklava Blues - a Farsi-language film supported by Canada’s BC Arts Council and the NFB.
Fei Ren / 任霏
Executive Producer
Fei is a Chinese-Canadian actress, director, and producer. Ren is best known for starring as a deadly assassin in Netflix’s crime action film “Polar” opposite Katheryn Winnick, Mads Mikkelsen, and Matt Lucas. Her performance got her a nomination for Best Supporting Performance in Leo Award (2020).
Christian Lai / 黎欣健
Cinematographer
Christian is a Vancouver-based cinematographer who has experience working on projects from shorts, commercials, and music videos to features. He was selected to be part of the mentorship at the American Society of Cinematographers in 2022 and had the valuable experience of learning from Gregory Middleton. His work has been featured in film festivals and online publications around the world including Cinequest and Asian American International Festival.
Couldn't have done it without any one of these amazing people!!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After immigrating to Canada, 48-year-old Ming (陳明) becomes a stay-home-father while his career-driven wife Fei continues to pursue her dream and works as a domestic pilot in China. Though it is tough financially, Fei is appreciative of Ming for taking care of their children - Rita and Anthony. However, in a culture where an unemployed man is seen as unacceptable, Ming struggles with the anxiety of being disapproved of by his relatives and friends. This anxiety heightens when they're invited to a gathering at their fellow immigrant friend’s luxurious house. As the other men share their stories of success and heroic acts, Ming feels inadequate. Just when his confidence is at its lowest, he sees a lost flamingo named José in the backyard. He decides to rescue José to prove he can be heroic.
The story is inspired by my father, who for a while after immigrating to Canada was a stay-home-father. Unlike most immigrant families where the father usually assumes the role of breadwinner, my mother stayed in Taiwan to continue her dream career while providing for us. My sister and I saw my mother as a role model, while we thought of my father as a loving parent who took care of us. We never understood the weakness and vulnerability that my father was facing until we immigrated, which compounded his struggles to overcome the anti-masculine stigma of the role of a stay-home-father. I slowly recognized the existence of the deep-rooted patriarchal stereotype that immensely impacted every one of us, and that my father carried the label of being an unsuccessful man. Not only was it difficult for him to adapt to a new culture and a new language, but he was also looked down upon within his own Asian community.
My father and I :)
The flamingo is a crucial element in this story, symbolizing the North American dream that most immigrants yearn for; at the same time, it represents the blind pursuit of this dream without truly understanding what one truly wants. What also intrigues me is that the Chinese name for flamingo 紅鶴 shares a word with “crane” 鶴. In Chinese culture, the crane is oftentimes used to symbolize longevity, peace, and ambition. This is a little ironic for Ming as he is chasing this dream - this ambition - that he perhaps never had.
While the flamingo is a surrealistic aspect of the film, we filmed actual flamingo plates in Miami, and our goal is to incorporate them through 2D composition into the shots. We have extensively storyboarded and shortlisted, working closely with our VFX team from pre-production to principal photography, and carefully planning the flamingo element shoots to achieve this sequence cost-effectively.
Our stand-in for flamingo José on set!
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT FOR POST PRODUCTION!
Sitting Bird / 席地鳥 finished its principal photography in August 2023! We shot it over 5 days in Metro Vancouver with a 35 people crew and 8 cast, and a small second unit in Miami filmed the flamingo plates. Thanks to their passion and dedication to the project, the shoot was a success and we couldn’t be more proud of what we created as a team over this filming week!
We are now actively seeking additional funding to provide the project with more support and resources in post-production and to bring the flamingo to life. With your support, we hope to reach a more ambitious and professional scope of filmmaking and to achieve the elevated artistic standard we aspire to for the film.
HOW WE WILL SPEND THE MONEY
Our scope is to raise $25,000 that we will spend as follows:
THANK YOU!
If any part of this story resonates with you, please consider joining us on our journey. Pledge, follow us, share our story! Your help, no matter how small or in what form, will make an immeasurable difference.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach us at [email protected]
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Visual Effects
Costs C$14,000
We've been working with a top Vancouver VFX studio since preproduction. Contribute to fund the final stage of our 2D composition process!
Sound Design & Mix
Costs C$2,500
Sound is the heartbeat of each film. Help us enhance our visuals by funding our sound design and sound mix!
Music
Costs C$1,500
What better emotion shaper than music? Contribute to fund our composer and studio fees, bringing our project's soundtrack to life
Colouring
Costs C$3,000
The magic final touch! Help us pay our colorist to elevate our film's mood and palette.
Marketing & Promotion & Distribution
Costs C$3,500
Boost our marketing to amplify the film visibility. This will help fortifying our promotional materials, PR, and festival submissions.
Accessibility
Costs C$500
With this funding, we'll be able to include audio descriptions and captions, ensuring that everyone can fully engage with the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Meet the casts for Ming's family
Jian Ping Su / 宿建平
as MING
Shasha Pu / 浦莎莎
as FEI
Eileen Tian
as RITA
Oliver Zhao
as ANTHONY
Please meet our core team!
Athena Han / 韓睿芷
Writer-Director
Athena, a Taiwanese-Canadian writer-director born in Taipei, graduated from SFU's Film Production program and was mentored at the Vancouver International Film Festival in 2019. Specializing in films that delve into family dynamics, culture clashes, and self-identity, she has directed in both Taiwan and Canada, with her work featured in festivals like Cinequest and the Los Angeles Asian Film Festival. Athena has received accolades including the A&E Short Filmmaker Award for Best Film and the Shaw Media Fearless Female Director Award.
Yael Carnet
Producer at MARGINAL
Born in France, Yael is the co-founder of Vancouver-based production company Marginal Production Ltd. As a producer, she is interested in developing projects from up-and-coming underrepresented directors. Her short film credits include When the Night Has Come - an award winner at the “Black Truth Film Festival” and an official selection at the Whistler Film Festival 2020, and Baklava Blues - a Farsi-language film supported by Canada’s BC Arts Council and the NFB.
Fei Ren / 任霏
Executive Producer
Fei is a Chinese-Canadian actress, director, and producer. Ren is best known for starring as a deadly assassin in Netflix’s crime action film “Polar” opposite Katheryn Winnick, Mads Mikkelsen, and Matt Lucas. Her performance got her a nomination for Best Supporting Performance in Leo Award (2020).
Christian Lai / 黎欣健
Cinematographer
Christian is a Vancouver-based cinematographer who has experience working on projects from shorts, commercials, and music videos to features. He was selected to be part of the mentorship at the American Society of Cinematographers in 2022 and had the valuable experience of learning from Gregory Middleton. His work has been featured in film festivals and online publications around the world including Cinequest and Asian American International Festival.
Couldn't have done it without any one of these amazing people!!