What We Will Not Leave Behind

What We Will Not Leave Behind is an animation installation that draws from memories collected from Chinese Nova Scotians. This work reaches past stereotypes to connect with viewers through small, everyday moments.

Starting in 2021, Shi has been conducting a series of conversations with members of the Chinese diaspora living in Kjipuktuk. What We Will Not Leave Behind chronicles the lived experience of these community members: from records of railroad workers in the 1890's, to the Shanghai exodus in the 1940s, to the Hong Kong handover in the 1990s, and to international students in the 2000s. Memories of daily life are presented in a series of short animated vignettes. Scenes of cooking, playing childhood games, and moving about the world are presented in dream-like paper-cut stop motion animation. This work reaches past familiar stereotypes to connect with viewers through small, everyday moments.