The Tea Film (Working Title)

Created By: Les Blank
When: 11 am Thursday April 6 2006
Where: HCC Ybor Room
When: Noon Sunday April 9 2006
Where: HCC Ybor Room

The Tea Film (working title) is a one-hour documentary that follows the world-renowned American tea importer, David Lee Hoffman, to some of the most remote regions of China in search of the finest handmade teas in the world.

Tea servers - scene from film

Not since Robert Fortune clandestinely made his way through the tea growing districts of China in 1843 to steal plants and seeds for the British Empire has a westerner attempted to gain access to the hidden world of tea, where farmers have been making it for generations.

As the Chinese open their doors to the global marketplace, Hoffman opens their eyes to their own ancient tradition that links them, and all of us, to the distant past, while introducing the west to one of China's finest cultural gems - the artistry and exquisite taste of fine, handmade tea.

The Tea Film as of January 2006

A work in progress, this film will have an international appeal as it touches on three very timely issues:

First and foremost it is about tea and one man's obsession with finding the best tea in the world. The West is in a major tea renaissance. Tea houses are springing up everywhere and the demand for high-quality, handmade tea is booming.

Second, it will be timely in that China is such a hot topic right now. But this film gives us a glimpse into China that is not politicized. It is a window onto rural China that has not been seen by many Westerners, and provides a view of the mentality of the Chinese business people.

Third, it touches upon sustainable agriculture and fair trade, which is in line with progressive thinking in the West.