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I met Hing, the Kite Man, by chance during the pandemic.

 

I was taking my daily walk in my very limited comfortable walking route from Allston to Brighton with a mask. I spotted a sculpture made of two luges and several kites in a house’s front yard in Brighton, MA. Driven by curiosity, I followed an open side path by the house and found myself in Hing’s backyard. Hing was blowing leaves off his deck. When he saw me, he wasn’t surprised by this familiar stranger. Perhaps, as fellow Asians, they both instinctively recognized a shared connection and recognition. Without hesitation, he asked, “Do you want a cup of tea?”

 

The story of this documentary film began there—against the backdrop of rising anti-Asian hate and my own immigration struggles.

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Yolanda (right) and Hing (left) sit in Hing’s backyard. Hing gestures toward photos of his brother while sharing stories with Yolanda. The scene is surrounded by old furniture and objects, creating a setting rich with history and personal artifacts. Photo by Ross Miller

Kite Man is an intimate, unfolding journey into the delicate art of kite making, interwoven with dialogues of identity and family, grief and joy under a global attention on immigration. Through Hing’s reflections on early failures and his evolving craft, the film captures a tight connection to tradition and personal heritage. As Hing revisits moments of migration, family hardships, and fleeting joys, kite flying becomes more than a simple pastime—it transforms into a means of reconciling loss, celebrating perseverance, and finding beauty in creation.

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clips from trailer teaser of Kite Man - Hing Yee.

Now, amid the renewed challenges of Trump's 2025 presidency and ongoing social divisions, Kite Man offers a reflective counterpoint—advocating for communal support, intercultural curiosity, and reimagining the notion of “strangers.”

 

In Kite Man, the skies carry not just kites but also stories, dreams, and the quiet hope to keep moving forward with fragmented societal landscapes.

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Yolanda He Yang

January 2025

(Trailer teaser may be viewed at this link)

KEEP IN TOUCH

Donations to The Tender go to maintaining an artist-run art space. All funds are applied to operational costs including gallery rent and maintenance, exhibition signage, marketing, and administrative support.

The Tender is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Tender must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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