Private Project

Thao's Garden

Thao, an elderly chef at a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, receives an unexpected letter with a plane ticket from his family in Laos, revealing that they have saved up enough money for him to retire and return home. His heart is heavy as he must leave the family he has made for himself in America, the kitchen crew at the restaurant and his beloved mentee, Elsie. Through a sincere note, Thao says goodbye to Elsie and encourages her to carry on his legacy or in other words continue to care for his garden.

  • Paige Hickman
    Director
  • Jillian Hauk
    Producer
  • Flynn Draper
    Producer
  • Loren Franke
    Art Director
  • Wen Laffitte
    2D Animator/ Cleanup Artist
  • Courtney Wishart
    2D Animator/ Cleanup Artist
  • Angel Padilla
    2D Animator/ Cleanup Artist
  • Andres Carrion
    2D Animator/ Cleanup Artist
  • Jeremiah Lee
    3D Animator
  • Daniela Castro
    3D Animator
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 13, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Savannah College of Art and Design
  • SCAD Savannah Film Festival
    Savannah
    United States
    October 26, 2024
    World
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Paige Hickman

Paige is a story and concept artist from Aurora, Colorado. She has a passion for storytelling and highlighting the little details of the world through animation. Outside of her studies, Paige enjoyed playing for the SCAD Women's Soccer team.
Working on Thao's Garden was a journey of learning and growth. She hopes to continue to collaborate on meaningful stories in her future career.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

"Thao's Garden" is a very special film to me, as the story is based off of my mentor Henry. I'd like to take the time to talk about him now:
Henry works in a small Asian-fusion restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. He is from Laos originally, where our owner rescued him from a labor camp. He speaks little to no English. This is why I chose not to use dialog in the film, as it is representative of the relationship we have.
Henry is always the first person in the kitchen and the last person to leave. He walks to and from work everyday, always wearing his signature "New York" hat, and carrying a plastic "Thank You" bag.
To aid his family in Laos, he mails home nearly all of his paycheck, only keeping the bare minimum.
And finally, he grows and maintains a garden in the back of the restaurant. It's filled with the most diverse and bountiful harvest I've ever seen.
I believe that his story is one that should be shared with the world, and I hope that "Thao's Garden" can be the vessel through which it's shared.