Justin Cheung Ko-ming, eldest son of famous Hong Kong director Alfred Cheung Kin-ting, and six former fellow film students recently made a documentary movie about Hong Kong’s domestic workers, who make up one of the most vulnerable communities in the city.
Justin Cheung was quoted as saying in an Apple Daily report that he had planned this movie, titled Ya Ya, which means “caretaker” in Tagalog, for a long time as he wanted to make a tribute to his family’s Filipino maid, Tessie, who has faithfully served the family for 23 years.
Hong Kong’s domestic workers are hard-working but are not cared for or respected by the local people, he said. They also cannot stay with their own children but have to take care of other people’s kids, he said.
The 45-minute movie’s production cost was HK$150,000 (US$19,200), which Cheung raised through crowd-funding over the Internet.
Cheung graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts last year, where he had spent four years studying film and television production.
He was praised by his father for having chosen the right topic, which could extend to Hong Kong’s economic changes and cultural development. Alfred Cheung also said the movie could be financially sustainable if some online broadcasters are interested in buying its copyrights.
This is a fantasdoic film. It played at he Guam-USA International Film Festival. The 2nd largest ethnic group on Guam is Filipino.
Hi Guys! Just want to say a big thank you for all the comments. They are so moving and give me the energy and motivation to complete this film. I hope I won’t dissapoint with this film.
Thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart.
If you want to keep updated with the project, like this page!
https://www.facebook.com/yayadocumentary/
Great job Sai lo
Cant wait to see this movie… gud luck sir … and thank u
woow…Im going to watch..this movie…
In behalf of our church Philippine Christian Mission Church we would like to honour and appreciate you for being so kindhearted for making a movie edifying our task as being "Yaya" to your family and to your beloved countrymen and their families. We salute you Sir Alfred Cheung.Our prayer …may the Lord Jesus prospers you in every areas of your life so with your family.. GOD BLESS YOU Exceedingly and abundantly.
Woww ..
Good feeling, same us also, our employer treated us as a family especially my ward she treats me as second mother. Im working with them 24 yrs already now their daughter was graduated in princeton university last month june 2017 and she was the topnatcher that’s why we are so happy for her success.
Wow so nice a great movie God bless
bless…
We are glad that some kids raised by Filipino domestic helpers are paying back their gratitude to their Yayas! Keep up the good work sir and thank you. You’re a grateful one
Great job�..more power to you and to all the domestic workers who doesnt care of how hard it is to be far from their own kids to take care of their employers kids for them to be able to provide the needs of their own family.�be blessed..�
A big thanks �
Salute to you sir. GODBLESS YOU,
I salute those employer’s who have high regard on us domestic helpers inspite of accepting this humiliating role/job, I am very proud being a servant to a family (my employer) for 35 years!!! Yes my employer who are very respectable doctors in HK always tell me " We have a high regard on you" and they consider me as part of their family
Yayas (amah, or baby caretakers) have a special bond with their wards. The love that binds them is something unfathomable. Its such a big sacrifice to leave home, let others take care of their own children to earn abroad…. they are the heroes of today’s generation. My heart goes out to her especially when she was given the honor of going up the stage during her kid’s graduation. What an honor. What a pride to accomplish!
Hopefully some of the local Chinese have a good understanding and treated them well as well as their own families. I salute to make this film called YaYa…good luck and make it blockbuster
Wowwwww thats amazing as there is still people in this country with a heart of gold.Congratulation
Awww…. Bless you
Yaya is Nanny who takes care of a child doing duties of a mother or if the grand mother is not around. Yaya has bonding with the child while a Caretaker is doing his/her job description for salary. Children who grew up with Yaya has bonding through out their life. Yaya is not a maid nor a caretaker.