The Chef
大厨
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WINNER - BEST STUDENT FILM
2019
United States
20 mins
Chinese, English
Short Film Competition
| Hao Zheng | |
| Ithaca Yixian Deng | |
| Jim Lau (Pu), Quinn Von Hoene (William), Allen Theosky Rowe (Qiang) |
In the near future, when all labor works are replaced by humanoids, a Chinese chef, Pu (60s) is ordered to pass on his cooking skill to humanoid robot William and to teach him Chinese cooking. Designed to satisfy his owner, William tries to follow Pu’s every instruction, but his robotic demand for precision and perfection is essentially contradictory to Chinese cooking. At the same time, the protests against AI replacing human labor are more and more intense. Qiang, Pu’s apprentice is also one of the protestors. Since Qiang disappoints Pu time and time again in cooking, Pu starts to get closer with William, which pushes him to the opposite of human beings. Pu becomes at a loss in this dilemma.
About the Director
Hao is a recent Student Academy Award winning director with a BFA degree in Film Production from Emerson College and a MFA degree in Directing from the American Film Institute. Hao has worked extensively as an actor in popular Chinese films and television series and has directed films with international recognition including the Best International Film Award at Show Me Shorts (New Zealand), AT&T Film Award, Nowness Awards, Short Shorts Tokyo, Interfilm Berlin among more than 50 other film festivals.
Reviews
2019 Student Academy Awards: Hao Zheng’s THE CHEF – Sergio Zaciu, Merry Go Round Magazine
Interview With Hao Zheng And Leqi Kong, National Student Academy Award Winners – Peter Markham, Film Directing Class
The Future Of Film Looks Bright At The Student Academy Awards – Michele Stueven, LA Weekly
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