Ever wondered what that one moment in Crazy Rich Asians, when Constance Wu’s character lays down that tile in the mahjong hall meant? Have the classic poker table moments in Spaghetti Westerns (or almost every Clint Eastwood movie) been your secret favourite? Been fascinated by the hidden meanings in classic board games?

Join Tea Base collective members and guests as they collectively analyze mahjong scenes and hands from “classic” movie moments. As a symbolic touchpoint in multiple East and South East Asian cultures, mahjong’s role in cinematic lore is as a social signifier, a form of narrative subtext or a culturally specific form of character development. So if you’ve ever wondered why there was a collective gasp in the movie theatre when Michelle Yeoh’s character sees that final tile on the table, now’s your chance to find out.

About Tea Base

Tea Base is a curious community arts space tucked away in Tkaronto/Toronto’s Chinatown Centre Mall. The community aims to make accessible space for intergenerational activists and artists who support social justice movements in and around Chinatown. Tea Base is a space that develops solidarity across marginalized groups through relationships, joy and collaboration.