PRESS KIT
October 2014
VIEW HIGHER FILMS
www.rickispromise.com
changfu@viewhigherfilms.com
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 1
RUNNING TIME: 82 Minutes
FORMAT: HD
GENRE: Documentary
Logline
Two worlds. Past and Present. Fear and Longing. Truth and Lies. Identity and Belonging.
An 18-year-old adoptee takes a journey to ask, “Who Am I…Really?”
SHORT SYNOPSIS
When an 18-year-old adoptee from the U.S. returns to China to live with her long-lost
birth family for a summer, it is no vacation, but a quest to find her history, significance
and identity. Determined to piece together the fragments of her mysterious past, Ricki
embarks on an odyssey that unravels complex relationships, exposes long-held secrets
and choices made against the backdrop of culture, politics, gender and ethics. For Ricki,
uncovering the secret of her past is the way to finally answer the question of “Who am
I?”
BRIEF SYNOPSIS
When Ricki Mudd was adopted from China into an American family in Seattle at around
5 years old, the murky and contradictory details surrounding her background always
puzzled her adoptive parents. Through mysterious twists of fate, she was able to find her
birth parents, an almost unheard of event for the more than 100,000 Chinese children
adopted in North America. However, her reunion at 12 with her birth family left her with
more questions than answers, but she promised to return when she turned 18.
Ricki’s promise is kept as we follow this articulate and intelligent Chinese adoptee as she
embarks upon her journey to China to live with her birth family for a summer. While
there, Ricki explores her past as she connects with the people and places that were part of
her life long ago in China and finds herself caught in a web of long-buried secrets,
festering resentments, blame, shame and guilt that is the aftermath of her separation from
her birth family.
For 6 years, the director and his team journeyed between the U.S. and China to document
the odyssey of Ricki and her two families. A work of captivating drama, RICKI’S
PROMISE is a poignant tale of history, conflicts, emotions, and secrets that surround a
family’s choices as they struggle against a backdrop of culture, politics, gender, and
ethics.
LONG SYNOPSIS
For the more than 100,000 children adopted from China, finding their birth parents is like
“finding a needle in a haystack.” However, miracles do happen and one such miracle
happened to Ricki Mudd in a series of extraordinary events. Several years after she was
adopted by an American family, an unexpected letter brought young Ricki face to face
with her birth parents in China. While many adoptees long for such a reunion, the tumult
of the long trip to a land both familiar and foreign to reunite with relatives who were
strangers to her left this young 12-year-old with far more questions than answers. While
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 2
she couldn’t exactly tell what was going on, Ricki promised to come back when she turns
18.
She kept her promise.
When Ricki journeys to China to get to know her biological family, the long-buried
secrets she uncovers take her through a maze of severed relationships, festering
resentments, blame and guilt that continue to reverberate through both sides of her birth
family. Ricki finds that while the choices they made had a huge impact on her life; they
also had a profound impact on their lives—changing the course of their lives forever.
As the prodigal daughter tries to find how she fits in to this fractured family, Ricki must
also understand how they fit in to her life as an American teenager with her adoptive
family. Navigating the maze she finds as she unravels the truth of her past, Ricki tries to
build relationships with the birth parents she doesn’t know, the brother who was
seemingly chosen over her, and the paternal grandmother who was the driving force
behind her separation. Additionally, Ricki confronts the mysterious Madame Fan whose
actions seemingly set the whole thing in motion.
Follow this articulate and intelligent Chinese adoptee as she embarks upon a unique
odyssey to China to explore her past, face her fears, and to reflect upon her identity and
the choices made for her that created the life she has. While this is a unique and personal
story, Ricki’s story encompasses the universal themes of love and loss, blame and
forgiveness and the search for identity and belonging as she struggles to find her place
between her two worlds.
A work of captivating drama, RICKI’S PROMISE is a universally relatable and poignant
tale of history, conflicts, emotions, and secrets that surround the aftermath of a family’s
choices as they struggle against a backdrop of culture, politics, gender, and ethics.
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 3
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
In spring 2008 after watching my work on international adoption, Bill Mudd of Seattle
contacted me. I was fascinated and shocked by the story he told me. Given the size of the
Chinese population, how could an adopted child even find the birth parents? And what
was it like to meet the birth parents and to know their gut-wrenching accounts? Already
enough drama there! Yet, more serious question loomed: Why does an adoptee want to
find the birth parents in the first place?
I watched the home video that documents the first trip with great interest. Here, two
otherwise totally unrelated families from two continents struggled awkwardly to keep
conversation going through poor translation, each laboriously piecing together a story
that was clearly very deep and complicated, while Ricki, the center of all the attention,
appeared to have no clue at times. Just as a good show never disappoints the inquisitive
viewer, the adoptive parents, on behalf of Ricki, made a promise to the birth parents that
Ricki will come back when she is 18.
I jumped on the idea and thus, after over 6 years of production, we now present this
documentary feature, RICKI’S PROMISE.
There are good films on adoptees going to meet their birth family after years of
separation. RICKI’S PROMISE, however, is one of a kind, significant and timely. In
recent years, an increasing number of adoptees and their families go to China to look for
information about their past. No other film provides a more visceral account of the
struggle and choices that a Chinese-American adoptee faces. Through her unique
encounters in China in the web of intricate relations and narratives, Ricki takes her entire
generation on a trip that defines their collective American identity.
Because Ricki is positioned to penetrate in Chinese life and society, our documentary can
take on several important issues more directly and contextually, in particular, the impact
of the controversial One-Child policy and the role and expectations of a daughter in
Chinese society. We hope this film will engage the entire generation of adoptees as they
come to grips with some profound issues down the road.
However, this film is not just an adoption story. It’s a universal story that relates to all of
us. The film helps us understand who we are, what our values are, and how our values
impact our decisions.
I feel extremely lucky to have the trust and cooperation from Ricki and her two families
over the years providing unlimited access to their worlds; I am also indebted to our
committed and talented international team working efficiently in harsh conditions.
--Changfu Chang
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 4
CHARACTERS
Ricki Mudd
For children who are adopted from China, finding their birth
parents is like “finding a needle in a haystack.” However,
miracles do happen. Several years after she was adopted by an
American family, Ricki received an unexpected letter from her
birth parents and shortly afterwards, she met them in China.
For a young 12 year old, the commotion of the trip and reunion
with relatives who were strangers to her was confusing. While she couldn’t exactly tell
what was going on, Ricki promises to come back when she turns 18. She keeps her
promise.
Bill Mudd and Wendy Mudd (Ricki’s adoptive parents)
As the events unfold, they realize that they are no longer just
helping Ricki search for her own identity and past: they are
part of a bigger, untold story, and they face the toughest
question in their lives.
Xu Xianzhen and Wu Jincai (Ricki’s birth parents)
Chinese birth parents whose children end up in orphanages
are often shrouded in a thick veil of mystery and secrecy. The
intimate and visceral account by Ricki’s birth parents brings
into sharp focus clashes of
culture, tradition, politics, and
individual choices. For the first
time, a Chinese family reunites and lives with a long-lost
daughter. However, the birth parents must re-open the old
wounds and struggle to understand and accept their daughter.
Ricki’s Maternal Grandma and Grandpa
They may have explosive tempers, but their love of Ricki is
palpable. For the first time, they tell Ricki the gut-wrenching
story of the desperate attempt to hide and keep her. For the
first time, Ricki learns the meaning of her real Chinese name.
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 5
Wu Chao (Ricki’s Brother)
By virtue of being a boy, he becomes the chosen one,
enjoying a life of legitimacy. When Ricki met her younger
brother the first time years ago, he was an obnoxious little
kid. Now, standing before Ricki is a quite different young
man, introverted and distant. As Ricki makes efforts to
connect with him, she realizes how the decisions of the adults
have played out in his life.
Ricki’s Paternal Grandma
She is soft-spoken and looks fragile, but, to Ricki, this
grandma is a villain. A dominating matriarch, she demanded
that her son relinquish Ricki, saving the one-child quota for a
boy. Finally, armed with tough questions, Ricki is on her way
to her ancestral village—her hometown—to confront her
grandma.
Madam Fan
By any stretch of imagination, Madam Fan should have
nothing to do with Ricki. Fan, however, offered a haven for
Ricki… however temporary. After only 100 days, Ricki was
gone and nobody seemed to know where she was. Madman
Fan remains the only link between Ricki and her birth
parents.
Mr. Gao
In China, he emerges in Ricki’s life in a surprising way. He is
awkwardly thrust into an unraveled relationship. He seems to
be at a crossroad…
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 6
FILMMAKERS
Changfu Chang — Producer/ Director
Changfu Chang is a U.S.-based writer and filmmaker.
Over the past two decades, he has produced and coproduced a dozen acclaimed documentary films
including The Gate of Fujian, Love Without
Boundaries, Golden Venture, Illicit: The Dark Trade,
The Willow Trees, Long Wait For Home, Peer In The
Distance, and The Invisible Red Thread. His recent
releases, Daughters’ Return and Sofia’s Journey, are
the latest installments of his decade-long series that explores the complex and wide range
of issues surrounding Chinese culture, politics, and international transracial adoption,
which have been screened extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Australia.
Changfu’s films have been shown on PBS, National Geographic Television, Canadian
Television, Chinese Television, as well as in film festivals. Leading newspapers
including The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The Financial Times, and The
Philadelphia Inquirer have interviewed him and reviewed his work.
A native of Jiangsu Province, China, Changfu began his career in television in the early
1990s when he started working as a writer and director in the Documentary Department
at a major Chinese television station. Aside from being an independent filmmaker
producing human-interest stories with a U.S.-China focus, he has also served as a
consultant on several international film projects and frequently given public lectures. He
resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and enjoys reading, writing, travel, and photography.
Andy Nitchman — Director of Photography
Andy Nitchman is a U.S.-based videographer and editor.
He has worked for National Geographic Television, The
Outdoor Channel, and other various independent
projects. He has travelled to China and worked with
Changfu on numerous documentary films and other
projects. An avid photographer and traveler, Andy uses
his camera to capture the stunning beauty of nature and
startling moments of human life. He now works as a
video journalist at KTVA CBS 11 in Anchorage Alaska.
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 7
Jiandong Huang — Director of Photography
Jiandong Huang, an award-winning documentary
filmmaker for over 20 years, is based in Fuzhou, China.
He has been a writer/producer/director/photographer on
over a dozen documentary films focusing on lives of the
powerless in Chinese society in the era of economic
reform and cultural transformations. His recent
documentary feature, Life is Elsewhere, documents the
impact of generations of illegal immigration on a small
island village in southern China. Currently, he is a senior director, writer, and
photographer in the Documentary Department at Fuzhou Television, China.
Jordan Graff — Editor
Jordan Graff is a U.S.-based photographer and editor. A
recent graduate of a video production program, Jordan
has acquired an excellent skill set of editing and
storytelling. Jordan served as a production assistant
during the pre-production of the current project. He has
worked with Changfu on Daughters’ Return and Sofia’s
Journey. From a young age, Jordan had an interest in
photography, which spawned into a love for moving
imagery. A freelancer for a production company, he has
also worked on a variety of commercial, non-profit, and government projects.
Barry Atticks — Director of Music
Barry Atticks is a U.S.-based music composer, performer, music engineer, and sound
editor. His credits include a sound designer on Broadway, a music engineer in New York,
a sound effects editor for Sony Television in Los Angeles
on shows such as Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman (CBS),
and worked with composer Jeff Rona at Hans Zimmer’s
Media Ventures on television shows such as Chicago
Hope (CBS) and Steven Spielberg-produced Profiler
(ABC). He has also appeared in television shows such as
Power Rangers, Beetle Borgs, and Showtime movies. He
has been music director and keyboardist for hundreds of
musical performances and has toured with various bands. He is also a published author
and an international presenter in the area of contemporary electronic space music and 3-D
animation. He resides in Allentown, PA and enjoys travel, fitness, and spending time
with family.
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 8
REVIEWS
“…caught between two families. It’s no fairytale.”
----Financial Times
“An innate attachment to [the] birthplace and its culture.”
----NBC News
“Same love, different expressions.”
----China Youth Daily
“Great character… powerful story.”
----Maureen Morovitch, Filmmaker
“A truly remarkable film!”
----Susan Matson, Adoptive Parent
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 9
RICKI’S PROMISE
Caption/ Credit Sheet for Key Set
#1 Changfu on set directing. View Higher Films Release 2014. Courtesy of Jordan Graff
#2 Ricki on interview set. View Higher Films Release 2014. Courtesy of Jordan Graff
#3 Ricki on music recording set. View Higher Films Release 2014. Courtesy of Changfu
Chang
#4 Ricki’s birth parents. View Higher Films Release 2014. Courtesy of Changfu Chang
#5 Ricki’s adoptive parents. View Higher Films Release 2014. Courtesy of Changfu Chang
#6 Ricki’s brother. View Higher Films Release 2014. Courtesy of Changfu Chang
#7 “Uncle” Gao. View Higher Films Release 2014. Courtesy of Changfu Chang
RICKI’S PROMISE, “Press Kit,” Page 10