The incredible life and career of artist and restaurateur Michael Chow is the focus of the HBO Original documentary aka Mr. Chow. Directed by Nick Hooker (AgnelIi), the documentary features interviews with Mr. Chow as well as artists Peter Blake, Julian Schnabel, and Ed Ruscha, and family members Cecilia Zhou, Maximillian Chow, China Chow, and Vanessa Chow.
“My father was completely an artist. Revolutionized the Beijing Opera,” recalls Michael Chow. “He said to me, ‘Wherever you go, always remember, you are Chinese.'”
Jean Tsien wrote, edited, and executive produced the intimate look at Michael Chow’s amazing life. Graydon Carter, Annabelle Dunne, Pulse Films’ Marisa Clifford and Miranda Soto, and HBO’s Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez executive produced.
aka Mr. Chow premieres on October 22, 2023 at 9pm ET/PT.
The Plot, Courtesy of HBO:
aka Mr. Chow details the vibrant and varied life of Michael Chow. Born Zhou Yinghua in 1930s Shanghai, he would use creativity to triumph over childhood trauma, personal loss, and systemic prejudice, growing up to become the actor and artist before inventing a new identity, Mr. Chow, when he opens the first of his iconic restaurants. Having found fame and fortune in the West, Mr. Chow celebrates his Chinese roots and finds catharsis by returning to painting, reemerging as the artist M.
In an intimate, spirited, and no-holds-barred interview, Michael Chow unveils the irrepressible spirit and personal philosophy that led him to counter the hardships of his early life. By single-handedly building a business empire in the 1960s and 1970s with his restaurants, he showcased the richness and opulence of Chinese food and culture and by capturing the cultural zeitgeist, they became dazzling hubs for the most celebrated artists, film stars, musicians, designers, and models of the times.
The film takes us back to his deeply personal journey, as the son of a renowned Beijing Opera grand master grappling with the profound sense of loss emanating from the early separation from his parents and home as he is sent to England at the age of 13. This familial and cultural longing informs everything from his work and personal life to his insatiable desire for success. With clips from his past work, colorful archival footage, expansive animation, and photographs of the bold-faced names who would frequent his dining spots, aka Mr. Chow reveals a man of extreme creativity and vitality, a champion of artists whose portraits blanket his walls, and a true showman once again redefining himself in the self-titled ‘fifth act’ of his life.”
