Bonus Episode - Craig Silliphant and Don Sparrow - 'How Chee' Documentary
An infamous Saskatoon television advertisement from the 1990's is the focus of a new documentary film from local filmmaker and author, Craig Silliphant. The documentary is called 'How Chee' and tells the story of how an advertisement promoting the Great Buffet of China restaurant became a viral sensation in China and its lasting impact on those involved in the ad. Host Eric Anderson speaks with Craig, along with local artist, Don Sparrow, about the documentary and why this story means so much to them.
YXE Underground · Eric Anderson, Craig Silliphant, Don Sparrow
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Show Notes
Growing up in Swift Current, I never saw the infamous Great Buffet of China television ad that aired all the time from 1996 to 1998, but Craig Silliphant and Don Sparrow sure did.
They remember seeing it in the mornings before university, at supper during the news, and into the wee hours of the night.
The story of how this advertisement came to be, the impact it had on those involved in the production of the advertisement, and why it became a viral hit in China, are all touched on in Craig's new documentary film, 'How Chee.'
The film debuts at the Broadway Theatre on Thursday, April 2nd, at 7pm, but Craig was kind enough of take time out of his busy schedule to join me at the Yard and Flagon Pub to give YXE Underground listeners a preview of the documentary and why he wanted to tell this story.
Saskatoon artist Don Sparrow, who designed the documentary's poster, joined us at the Yard and Flagon to share his memories of the advertisement and why it is such a memorable piece of nostalgia for so many people in Saskatoon.
I am lucky to call Craig and Don my friends. They are both gifted storytellers and two of the most creative people I know. They also recognize how lucky we are in Saskatoon to have such a passionate community of creative people who support each-other in their artistic endeavours. It was a blast speaking with them and learning about this truly unique slice of Saskatoon pop culture.
You can visit the Broadway Theatre website to get your tickets for Thursday night's screening, which includes a special Q&A after the film featuring Craig and several of the characters in the film.
Thank you for listening and hope to see you Thursday night. Congrats on the film, Craig!
Cheers...Eric
- Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
- Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
- Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
- Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis