Dive into Mad Cow Director Maegan Houang's enthralling short film, "Astonishing Little Feet," as she boldly reimagines a powerful yet often ignored chapter in Asian American history.
This impactful short follows the journey of sixteen-year-old Afong Moy, considered the first documented Chinese woman to arrive in the United States. The dehumanisation and exploitation she is welcomed with at the hands of the white, male oppressors, sheds light on the dark and often silenced narratives of marginalized immigrants of then and now.
In an interview with Nowness Asia, Maegan writes: “The treatment of Afong Moy, the first Asian woman most Americans ever witnessed, foreshadows our country’s present perception of Asian women as exotic, hyper-sexualized and submissive objects.
She continues with "If the audience feels uncomfortable, I hope the discomfort stems not only from watching the men force her to remove her shoe but also from the viewer’s own voyeuristic desire to behold the forbidden.”
This is not the first short film made by the deeply talented director. "Astonishing Little Feet" follows the success of Magean's 2019 short film "In Full Bloom" which explores complex themes such as grief, loneliness, and isolation. It went on to be selected and/or shown by more than 30 film festivals across the globe such as London Film Festival, Female Filmmakers Berlin, Asian American International Film Festival, and many more.
