The Princeton Alumni Association of Beijing (PAABJ), in collaboration with film producer & director, Sharon Deng '17, will be hosting a screening of the documentary "Paris, Ni Hao".

When Olivier and Rui joined their parents at the age of seven as undocumented immigrants in Paris, neither of them knew if they would ever belong to their new city. When Xue left China as a political refugee at the age of 40, he brought to Paris the taste of home with his frying pan. Their stories and those of other Chinese immigrants go quietly untold, even as awestruck tourists swarm the streets of Paris and academics study the city through multiple lenses.

Paris, Ni Hao, a 40-minute film by Sharon Deng, shares these stories for the first time, probing the lives of eight first and second-generation immigrants who must reinvent their identities and lifestyles to survive. Through the specificity of their experiences, the film takes an intimate look at immigration and elucidates the mixed emotions surrounding it.

Filmed in French and Chinese with English subtitles, Paris, Ni Hao reveals the resilience of the Chinese community in Paris. But it also underscores the universal complications of arriving without friends or family or even legal status in a distant and unfamiliar place. Like many of those it follows, the film looks ahead, documenting the rise of a new generation identifying with two cultures, speaking two languages, and coming to terms with their heritage while demanding acceptance and the right to pursue a better life.

A trailer and other information can be found at http://parisnihao.com

Guest Speaker: Sharon Deng

Zixuan (Sharon) Deng grew up in Wuhan, China, and it was in Wuhan, aptly and poetically named the “furnace city” because of the scorching summer heat, that Sharon began her explorations in storytelling. At the age of 13, she started the three-year process of writing her novel, Breathe, which was published by Jiuzhou when she was 16. Her first film “From My Shop Window” follows a self-made businessman in Trenton and tells the story of Trentonians working together to bring the city back to life. Sharon is currently studying architecture at Princeton University, focusing on how culture and immigration are transforming the urban landscape. She is grateful to her professor Purcell Carson, the Martin A. Dale ’53 Summer Award, and her family for sparking and supporting her love of film.