Brunswick, GA: Gifts and Goodbyes

Day 10: November 21st
BRUNSWICK, GA: Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association

"the greatest reward is when individual people say that the film was meaningful to them...”

On the final destination of our tour, we arrived at The Ritz Theatre in the Historic District of Brunswick, GA. The Ritz was opened in 1898 to house the Grand Opera House, which according to our host Heather Heath, mostly showed vaudeville. In the 1930s it became a movie palace and its name was changed to The Ritz Theatre. The screening was well-attended, with 60 people in the audience. At the question and answer session, one man asked, “What sorts of awards or acclaim have you received for this film?” Scott’s answer was, “For me personally, the greatest reward is when individual people say that it was meaningful to them.” Next a woman asked, “What is bubble tea?” Scott explained that the bubbles are made of tapioca. The tea is either green or black iced tea, sometimes containing condensed or powdered milk. Often, a flavor such as peach or almond is also added. Bubble tea is especially popular among young people.


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ORANGEBURG, SC: Preserving the Past

Day 9: November 20th
ORANGEBURG, SC: I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium

“Do you think if our society took the time out to drink a cup of tea, we would really be in a better situation?”

We had a loyal support staff in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The morning of our journey, we received a phone call from Ellen Zisholtz and Darryl Murphy, who were eager to offer directions to make sure we arrived without a hitch. Upon entering the South Carolina State University campus, however, we got turned around, at which point Ingrid Owens, who works at the front desk, helped us to find out way to the venue.

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CLEMSON, SC: Future Filmmakers

Day 8: November 19th
CLEMSON, SC: Clemson University

“How did your business background prep you for filmmaking?”

At Clemson University, we experienced our first true college audience। Out of the 70 people who attended the screening, only about 5 were non-students. Aga Skrodzka-Bates gave an introduction to the film, and she was the first speaker to identify the film as a “lyrical documentary”, a relevant distinction to make when you’re dealing with an audience of film students and future filmmakers. This time when Scott asked, “How many people do not drink tea?” only seven people raised their hands.

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Watkinsville, GA: Heart and Humor

Day 7: November 18th
WATKINSVILLE/BOGART, GA: Oconee High School

"Humor is a great way to get conversation going..."

The audience at Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia was a small but loyal crowd of about thirty. At the discussion following the film, someone asked, “Is there such a thing as a good decaf tea?” And Scott replied that in his experience, you lose the flavor when you decaffeinate tea. However, “in some black teas, if you brew it for one minute, then pour it out, then brew it another time for a little bit longer, you can actually take out 60-70% of the caffeine while retaining the anti-oxidants in the infusion."


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Laughter in Lexington, KY

Day 6: November 15th
LEXINGTON, KY: Downtown Public Library

“We are the world’s new tea drinkers…”

Lexington boasted a substantial crowd, with between 70 and 80 people attending the screening at the Downtown Public Library. James Norwood Pratt, author of the esteemed “New Tea Lover’s Treasury” attended the screening, and he graciously joined Scott onstage for the question and answer session, lending an air of authority while simultaneously injecting quite a bit of fun and humor to the scene. Norwood explained that there are six types of teas: green tea, black tea (which the Chinese call red tea), Pu’er (a tea fermented in caves), white tea, red tea, and yellow tea ,“which the Chinese keep to themselves”. Norwood, in his characteristic lilt, added, “There are these wa-a-ays of approaching different teas. We [Americans] are the world’s… [pause]… ne-e-e-w tea drinkers. While Moroccans have their way, the English have their way. We have all of these ways; and they’re thriving.”

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Pu'er in Paducah, KY

Day 5: November 14th
PADUCAH, KY: Paducah School for the Arts

“tea is the new wine…”

All ready to go and a bit weary after our early plane ride, we drove 2 hours from the Nashville Airport to Paducah, KY, a town that is self-described as being in the “middle of nowhere”। Paducah, a city that is at least 2 hours from the nearest city in all directions, is nonetheless a thriving art community, as a result of their Artist Relocation Program. Beginning in August 2000, the city invited artists from all over the world to come to Paducah in exchange for housing and other incentives.

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Lake Charles, LA: Tea and Antiques

Day 4: November 13th
LAKE CHARLES, LA: Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA

"the film must have been a success, because three of our local professors attended the screening, two of which don’t normally come..."

Lake Charles, Louisiana was full of friendly, intelligent and well-traveled folks. We were surprised to find people in the audience from Philadelphia, New York City, and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Becky Suttle, one of the women who brought teapots to the screening, lived in Japan for many years, and her friend Jackie Dowden lived in the same town in Japan only four years after she left. Small world. ;)

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Auburn University: Art and Academia

Day 3: November 11th
AUBURN, AL: Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art

“tea gets transformed into a new way of addressing an age-old problem...”

The drive from New Orleans to Auburn was LONG. At just over 5 hours, it swept away the majority of our afternoon. When we arrived at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University, we were struck by the beautiful exterior. There was a lake in front. In the back, there was a reflecting pool with a large abstract bronze sculpture prominently displayed behind it.

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Baton Rouge, LA: Star treatment

Day 2: November 10th
BATON ROUGE, LA: Manship Theater

"Why did you go to Taiwan and not China?..."

Over dinner with brightly-clad Terry Serio, or Terrio, as I came to think of her (when I wasn’t calling her Kathy by accident), we learned that the Manship Theater in Baton Rouge hosts many scintillating music performances by musicians and local celebrities. While many of them come from New Orleans, a 1.5 hour drive away, there are just as many who hail from Baton Rouge. The city, with just under a million people, is thriving with culture, and we couldn’t wait to get over to the theater to meet some of its residents.

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Ashland, KY: Tea Party at Historic Site

Day 1: November 9th, 2008
New York, NY --> ASHLAND, KY: Paramount Arts Center

“part of our job is getting people used to seeing films here again..."

Sleep deprived from moving to my new apartment the day before, I stumbled out into the dark abyss at 5:30 AM and rolled into the car waiting to take me from Brooklyn to Manhattan. There, I would rendezvous with director Scott Chamberlin Hoyt for our flight to West Virginia, en route to the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, KY, the first venue on the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.

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The Advocate, Louisiana

Winding its way across the Southern Circuit Tour, The Meaning of Tea was featured by The Advocate of Louisiana:

Tea is thought to be one of the most popular drinks around the globe, making it a 'celebrity' in the beverage world. However, the documentary "The Meaning of Tea" shows that there is more to tea than simply those staggering levels of consumption and fame. read more...

Additional Screening in Louisville, KY

We’re happy to announce an additional screening of The Meaning of Tea in Louisville, KY, presented by Slow Food Bluegrass on Nov 16 at 3:00 pm at The NuLu Green Building, 732 East Market Street, Louisville. The folks at Slow Food Bluegrass will be serving tea from Kentucky’s own Elmwood Inn Fine Teas paired with food inspired by cookbooks from Elmwood Inn series.

The cost for attending The Meaning of Tea Film and Tea Tasting is $10.00 per person, $5.00 for Slow Food members, seniors and students. Tickets will be available at the door.


For more information, please visit: www.slowfoodbluegrass.org, www.louisvillevanguard.com

Hello from Tea Dragon Films!

Our first documentary film, The Meaning of Tea, is about to hit the road with the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers, traveling from state to state in search of tea lovers everywhere. We thought we would establish a place where folks who are interested in the film (or topics of interest that arise from watching the film) can come to get information, post their feedback, and read about what we are up to these days.

The Journey Continues

In an era dominated by corporate mass-marketing and fast food, we took a journey around the world to learn more about the tradition, culture, and human connections made possible by tea. And now, we're back on the road again...

Coming to a Town Near You!

Screenings 2008


Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers 2008:

Ashland, KY

* Sun, 11/9: Paramount Arts Center; 3:00 pm

Baton Rouge, LA

* Mon, 11/10: Manship Theater; 7:30 pm

Auburn, AL

* Tue, 11/11: Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art; 7:30 pm

Lake Charles, LA

* Thur, 11/13: Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA; 7:00 pm

Paducah, KY

* Fri, 11/14: Paducah School for the Arts; 7:00 pm

Lexington, KY

* Sat, 11/15: Downtown Public Library/Lexarts; 7:00 pm

Watkinsville, GA

* Tue, 11/18: Oconee County Board of Commissioners; 7:00 pm

Clemson, SC

* Wed, 11/19: Clemson University; 7:00 pm

Orangeburg, SC

* Thur, 11/20: I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium; 5:30 pm

Brunswick, GA

* Fri, 11/21: Golden Isles Arts and Humanities Association; 7:00 pm

For more info, please visit www.themeaningoftea.com or email info@teadragonfilms.com