I was born in Sydney, Australia, as the only child of parents who immigrated from China with little financial security or knowledge of English. I spent most of my childhood in Sydney’s Chinatown, by my mother’s side during school holidays as she worked the checkout at a Chinese supermarket.
As a child I was mystified by the magnificent lions that would appear, as if from nowhere, on the streets of Chinatown and the Sydney suburbs. I would watch with awe as they performed elaborate dances during cultural events.
My work as a filmmaker is dedicated to Australian immigrant communities like the one I grew up in. When I was commissioned by the Powerhouse Museum to direct this short documentary, I discovered that almost every Asian person I spoke to has a friend or a family member in the lion dancing community.
The commitment of lion dancers to their craft is astounding, and I want to draw attention to the people inside the performance, people who dedicate a significant part of their lives to this tradition.
- Film and Text by David Ma ([ Ссылка ]). This short film was commissioned by the Powerhouse Museum ([ Ссылка ]).
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To Become a Lion | Op-Docs
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what is lion dancing?what's the history of lion dancing?lion dancinglion dancelunar new yearchinese new yearmartial artslion dancing with poleskung fufolkloretraditionevolution of lion dancelion costumeschinatownchinatown sydneysydneyaustraliachinaimmigrant communitieschinese diasporamartial arts mastershort filmdavid mapowerhouse museumnyt op-docs