A grandfather, known as Goong Goong, embarks on a walk through Chinatown with his granddaughter, Jenny. As he waits for Jenny, bittersweet memories slowly come back to him of his days spent growing up and living in Chinatown.
As a VR piece, A Walk with Goong Goong is a first-of-its kind experimental transmedia narrative, an ode to Vancouver’s still liveliest of neighborhoods, and a contemplation on the relationship between memory, the past, and legacy. This is a collaboration that began nearly four years ago, between Hammer & Tong and Vancouver writer-director Jenny Lee-Gilmore, who bravely explores the space between family history, imagination, and memorial. A companion diorama combines physical-digital design, model fabrication, and augmented reality to breath life into Chinatown’s oldest building, the Wing Sang (now the Chinese Canadian Museum) and celebrates a key milestone in the neighborhood’s resilience.
Dedicated to Jenny’s goong goong, Monty Lee, and great-grandfather Sam Lee, we hope to honour the resilience, strength, and love and acknowledge the efforts and community work that our Chinese-Canadian ancestors have paved the way for Chinese-Canadians today.
