Documentary 'Half Order' Premieres in St. Louis, Exploring Chinese Takeout and Black Food Culture
The documentary "Half Order," exploring the intersection of Chinese takeout and Black culture, premiered on November 7 at the St. Louis International Film Festival, screening at the Hi-Pointe Theatre.
The 40-minute short was filmed and directed by St. Louis filmmaker Eric "Remrod" Mayes and co-written by Warren Armour. It turns the camera on the Chinese takeout shops found on streets all over St. Louis — St. Louis-style fried rice, chop suey restaurants, the hometown St. Paul sandwich and Vess soda — telling the story of the decades-long daily ties, food habits and neighborly relations between Chinese restaurateurs and their Black community customers.
Chinese takeout is a familiar presence in Black neighborhoods in many American cities, and ordering a "half order" is slang locals know by heart. The film starts from such everyday details to show two cultures meeting on a city street corner — for viewers interested in Chinese community stories, a food-first window into immigration and neighborhood life.
(Source: St. Louis International Film Festival)
Source: St. Louis International Film Festival
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：雪夜里的一家中餐馆（资料图）。Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: A Chinese restaurant on a snowy night (file photo). Wikimedia Commons.
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