Trailer: Bonnes Bonnes

Sophie, Meilie and Charo, three Chinese women, come together to make chili sauce and watch a video adaptation Sophie made of the classic play The Maids (Les Bonnes)** by Jean Genet**. Together as they watch the video – where two Chinese women play the maids and fantasize their revenge on their Madame – the friends speak candidly about their childhood, their love-hate relationship with whiteness, and Crazy Rich Asians. They discuss their evolving feelings about their Chinese identity; from shame to pride to deep concern, especially in a world where China’s financial and political power continues to grow. As the smell of garlic fills the theatre, differences amongst the women emerge and tensions grow until Sophie’s desire for revenge on whiteness boils over.

With Bonnes Bonnes, Nervous Hunter examines the complexities of Chinese identity, the omnipresence of Western arts on the international stage, the use of capitalism as a means to counter racism.