Astonishing Little Feet
2023 · 9m · USA
Directed by Maegan Houang
Genres: drama, historical
Tones: dark, melancholic, tender
Based on the true story of Afong Moy, the first documented Chinese woman to arrive in the United States in the early 1800s, who discovers that the American merchants who separated her from her family seek only to profit from the spectacle of her bound feet by putting her on display for wealthy white audiences.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
True story of Afong Moy with horror undertones on 35mm — but the Get Out comparison plus the prestige-short DNA tells me exactly which Vimeo this will be. Respectable. Predictably so.
Houang shoots on 35mm and roots her subtle horror in actual archival history, a combination I respect on principle. The form earns the politics rather than the reverse.
The credit block on Vimeo is a feature-grade crew — DP, production design, costume, VFX, casting — and 12.5K views with a mature tag suggests the period horror tone lands. Houang using a contained 8:58 historical drama to draw the line from Afong Moy to modern fetishization needs that level of craft to not collapse.
Reviews
A subtle, visually fascinating depiction of the early seeds of cultural exploitation, the fruits of which are still being felt today.
Houang's style is stylish in its simplicity. With limited spoken language there is a reliance on facial expressions and body language which are effective in building an uneasy atmosphere.
Festivals
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2023
- Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2023
- HollyShorts Film Festival 2023, Kodak Best Shot on Film 35mm Award
- Greenpoint Film Festival 2023, Short to Feature Accelerator Prize
- Femme Film Fest 2023, Best Directing, Best Visual Design
- Hawaii International Film Festival 2023
- Cleveland International Film Festival 2024