A small group of young children is playing in a garden. It is not really clear, where we are. What appears to be a place somewhere in China becomes a restaurant with luscious garden at second sight. A virtually perfect copy, constructed by architects from China with materials imported from the province Sichuan. It is a popular meeting place for Austro-Chinese residents and tourists to experience an authentic piece of China abroad.
In a subsequent shot a young woman meets an elder lady inside the restaurant. They tell each other some stories. About home. And about their “new homes”.. Dongnein is a young actress and dancer who was born in Austria. Her story, contrary to Lijuns, is fake. It is made up of dialogue fragments from chinese (and taiwanese) movies, dealing with chinese diaspora. These films are often romantic variations of the theme, others with slightly darker undertones. The difficulties of leaving home for a new life in a foreign country. Su Lijun was born in Shanghai and came with her family to Austria in the 1980ies. Even before they arrived they knew that they will have to work in gastronomy there. A chinese restaurant, where the husband worked as a cook and Lijun as a waitress. The waiter in the video is Mr. Su Hui Kang, Lijuns brother. He works for the restaurant normally. Gastronomy is a destiny many chinese emigrants share. Pushed into a role that complies with western clichés of an exotic China.