Educational Media Reviews Online

This succinct autobiography of Kitty Tsui comes in under a crisp 20 minutes. It crackles with energy, as Tsui narrates her life. Part of this narration is through voice over as selected images are shown on screen. The other part of this narration is through her poetry. Read by Kitty Tsui as she frequently looks directly into the camera, the poetry is a gem, which beautifully samples her writing and aspects of her life. Poetry and poet are one, and there is a near seamless quality between the two forms of narration. Tsui touches on family, aging, sex, bodybuilding, Asian identity, and being a lesbian. Tsui concludes with the poem Aging with Grace, a lovely mediation on getting older.

Given the length of this film, some topics are highlighted and touched on, rather than discussed with much depth. Difficult times in her life are mentioned frankly, but not investigated. The film concludes a bit abruptly, with a written epilogue highlighting awards and her written work. Or, perhaps, I had just hoped for another poem or two.

This film would work both as an introduction to Kitty Tsui’s work and as a companion to discussions on her poetry. Certainly, it would have a place in classes about identity and sexuality, as well as creative writing.

Awards:
Best of Festival, Golden Cat Award & Audience Award, Senior Film Festival Poland; Best Documentary, Some Prefer Cake Lesbian Film Festival; Best Documentary, Cinema Systers

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