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The ladies who make up the Asian, San Francisco-based senior cabaret troupe Grant Avenue Follies have individually dazzled audiences all across the world for over 60 years. Meet Coby Yee, 92 years young, who has come out of retirement for one more tour…and a chance to preserve her nightclub legacy.
At the remarkable age of 92, Coby Yee—a former starlet and owner of the illustrious Forbidden City Nightclub—reclaimed her place in the spotlight with the senior dance troupe, Grant Avenue Follies. Their transnational tour across the U.S., Cuba, and China unfurls an exploration of diasporic Chinese entertainment and a profound understanding of their own Chinese American identities. In Havana, their co-performance with local Chinese Opera singers sparked a vibrant renaissance in the city's dwindling Chinese community. An emotive journey back to her father's homeland in China gave Yee a chance to reflect on familial memories and observe the startling transformation of urban landscapes. The film stands as a poignant chronicle of Yee's final journey before her passing at 93, preserving her indomitable spirit.
GUEST(S) ARE SCHEDULED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR Q&A
- Year2024
- Runtime85 minutes
- LanguageEnglish, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese
- CountryChina, Cuba, USA
- PremiereOhio
- DirectorLuka Yuanyuan Yang
- ProducerLuka Yuanyuan Yang, Xu Xiao, Lou Wang-Holborn, Ding Dawei
- CinematographerCarlo Nasisse, Luka Yuanyuan Yang
- EditorTang Qianni
The ladies who make up the Asian, San Francisco-based senior cabaret troupe Grant Avenue Follies have individually dazzled audiences all across the world for over 60 years. Meet Coby Yee, 92 years young, who has come out of retirement for one more tour…and a chance to preserve her nightclub legacy.
At the remarkable age of 92, Coby Yee—a former starlet and owner of the illustrious Forbidden City Nightclub—reclaimed her place in the spotlight with the senior dance troupe, Grant Avenue Follies. Their transnational tour across the U.S., Cuba, and China unfurls an exploration of diasporic Chinese entertainment and a profound understanding of their own Chinese American identities. In Havana, their co-performance with local Chinese Opera singers sparked a vibrant renaissance in the city's dwindling Chinese community. An emotive journey back to her father's homeland in China gave Yee a chance to reflect on familial memories and observe the startling transformation of urban landscapes. The film stands as a poignant chronicle of Yee's final journey before her passing at 93, preserving her indomitable spirit.
GUEST(S) ARE SCHEDULED TO BE IN ATTENDANCE FOR Q&A
- Year2024
- Runtime85 minutes
- LanguageEnglish, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese
- CountryChina, Cuba, USA
- PremiereOhio
- DirectorLuka Yuanyuan Yang
- ProducerLuka Yuanyuan Yang, Xu Xiao, Lou Wang-Holborn, Ding Dawei
- CinematographerCarlo Nasisse, Luka Yuanyuan Yang
- EditorTang Qianni