A Sweet and Sour Christmas

Documentary Short | 18 min. | 2019

Don’t care to cook a Christmas meal? Is everything closed during Hanukkah? Just order Chinese! Most Canadians have several days off in December and spend time with family and friends but, for some, time off during the holiday season is a luxury. Restaurants across the country are scrambling to crank out Canadian Chinese comfort food to satisfy the seasonal crowd.

A Sweet & Sour Christmas is the story behind a family-run Chinese restaurant spreading their deep-fried holiday cheer and even taking a bit of time during the seasonal rush for their own holiday celebration.

This is a portrait of the Ho family, who operate King Wok Restaurant in Kitchener Ontario. Through them, we see the bittersweet balance of business and life through two types of meals. One, the deep-fried take-out Chinese Canadian food staples delivered to families across the city. And the other, a traditional Cantonese meal for the entire family as they come together for a rare celebration on Christmas Night.

Directed by: Aram Siu Wai Collier

Produced by: Tony Lau, Betty Xie, Aram Siu Wai Collier

Director of Photography: Kevin C. W. Wong

Cinematographers: Kevin C. W. Wong, Brian Rocafort

Edited by: Aram Siu Wai Collier

Award & Festival Screenings:

Audience Choice Award Winner, 2019 Boston Asian American Film Festival

2019 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival 2019

2019 San Diego Asian Film Festival 2019

2020 DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon