Cha Guo

Nestled between the skyscrapers of Hong Kong, housing some of high finance’s most creative minds, and the gleaming glass and steel boxes of Shenzhen, China’s Silicon Valley where the future is being built, lies a hidden world no less exceptional.
In this lost country backwater of mountains and vegetable fields, factories still manufacture soy sauce in century old clay pots; Kenny hand makes concrete spacers that hold up some of the world’s longest suspension bridges. Cha Guo shines light on the lives of the villagers, craftsmen, farmers and business owners who make up this local village’s close-knit community. The people’s philosophy and signature are their resilience and their dedication. They embody “Made in Hong Kong” over generations. Cha Guo celebrates the heroes of Hong Kong and the fabric of what makes it and its people synonymous with warmth and the ubiquitous “can do” attitude. The title Cha Guo embodies the many narratives that connect older generations to the younger through the sharing of something savory and heart-warming. Cha guo is a homemade Chinese tea cake traditionally shared at family gatherings and celebrations. The Directors, Daphné Mandel and Guy Bertrand, set out not only to document this village life and heritage but also to capture its distinctly Hong Kong spirit.