Saw a movie last night at the Angelika, and one of the trailers was for The Year of the Yao - an upcoming documentary about everyone’s favorite Houston Rockets player, Yao Ming.

I ::heart:: Yao. Something about him is so endearing, the way little brothers are endearing. Maybe it’s because Yao seems to have a quiet, stoic persona that reminds me of my own little brother. Except, of course, he isn’t 7ft 6in tall.

The Year of the Yao first screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2004. It premieres here in Houston on April 15th at the Landmark Theater….and goes nationwide on April 29th.

I predict an invAsian at the Landmark, April 15th. I’m so there.

An excerpt from the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF) website:

 

What is it about basketball player Yao Ming that so fascinates us? Is it the sheer spectacle of his seven-foot, six-inch frame? The emerging iconography of his buzz cut and shy smile? Does there remain some lingering Cold War intrigue with those athletes from socialist countries who excel at our game? Is it that he has shown a potential to dominate the game’s power position, dismantling stereotypes about East Asian males? Or are his grace, wit and humility simply refreshing against our more jaded perceptions of professional athletes? Perhaps the most famous international figure from China since Mao Tse-tung, Yao is poised to become one of those rare transformational athletes, an impact player off the court as much as on it.

This captivating sports doc follows Yao through one of the most exciting rookie debuts in the game’s history. The scrutiny that greets any highly drafted player was compounded exponentially for Yao. Not only was the 22-year-old struggling with culture shock, he was also representing the hopes of a nation of 1.2 billion people. And waiting for him in Los Angeles was Shaquille O’Neal, the game’s dominant big center. However, it’s Yao’s gentler collisions with this new culture�hilarious teammates, Fortune Cookie Night at an opponent’s stadium�which give THE YEAR OF THE YAO its substantial charm.

�Sean Farnel, Toronto International Film Festival

Update: I am now member #7957 at Club Yao. Yay.