MAY THE SOIL BE EVERYWHERE: A Journey Back to the Roots
📅 May 31, 2026 | 1:45 PM
🎥 Documentary Feature | Texas Premiere
🌏 Language: Mandarin | Runtime: 93 mins
HAAPIFEST 2026 presents the Texas Premiere of MAY THE SOIL BE EVERYWHERE — a poetic and deeply personal documentary that traces memory, migration, and the enduring ties between land and identity.
🌏 A Journey Back to the Roots
Set in a remote village nestled within the vast mountains of China’s Loess Plateau, MAY THE SOIL BE EVERYWHERE follows filmmaker Yehui Zhao as she returns to uncover the story of her family.
For generations, her ancestors endured war, revolution, and one of the deadliest famines in history. Over time, hardship forced the family to scatter — leaving behind not just a place, but a way of life.
Now, against the backdrop of rapid urbanization, Zhao embarks on a journey to reconnect with a homeland that exists somewhere between memory and reality.
🌾 Memory, Land, and Belonging
Through intimate storytelling and striking imagery, the film explores the profound relationship between people and place.
MAY THE SOIL BE EVERYWHERE reflects on:
The impact of displacement and migration
The erasure and preservation of rural histories
Generational memory and ancestral connection
The tension between modernization and tradition
At its core, the film asks:
What do we lose when we leave the land that shaped us — and what remains?
🎤 Screening + Meet & Greet
Join us for this special screening followed by a Meet & Greet with director Yehui Zhao.
An award-winning filmmaker and artist, Zhao’s work explores themes of decolonization, heritage, and collective memory. Her debut feature premiered at the True/False Film Festival and received a Special Mention Jury Award at DokuFest.
With a multidisciplinary background spanning film, visual art, and social work, Zhao brings a thoughtful and deeply human perspective to her storytelling.
🎟️ Get Your Tickets
Experience this powerful and meditative film at HAAPIFEST 2026.
🎟️ Secure your tickets now:
www.HAAPIFEST.org
Step into a story that reconnects past and present — and reminds us where we come from.
🌏 About HAAPIFEST
Founded in 2004 by OCA-Greater Houston, HAAPIFEST was created to celebrate the diversity of AAPI culture, food, and family while supporting AAPI artists and filmmakers.
Today, HAAPIFEST is an immersive, multi-day celebration of film, music, and art — amplifying voices and sharing the untold AAPI experience through edutainment.
This OCA-Greater Houston event is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.