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In this video essay, HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) mentee D’Elle Martin sits down and reviews 24 FLAVORS, the directorial debut of Chinese filmmaker Elaine Huang.
24 FLAVORS was inspired by Huang’s own family history, and stars the legendary Sylvia Chang in a quietly luminous performance. After years abroad, April returns to her hometown to find her divorced parents tentatively reconnecting, stirring painful memories of her past self-harm and her father’s long-ago infidelity. Their beloved tea shop faces imminent demolition, forcing April to choose between taking her mother, Qiaozhen (Chang), overseas or supporting her dream to rebuild the business. Meanwhile, her father, Yongtang, secretly raises funds for the reopening, only to be drawn into a scam, and April forms an unexpected bond with her resilient half-sister, Xiaojing. Through these fraught reunions, April gradually reclaims the time, identity, and self-reflection she once tried to escape.
Check out D’Elle channel here: youtube.com/@dj3martin
The HIFF ONLINE CREATIVES & CRITICS IMMERSIVE (HOCCI) program supports sustainable film criticism in Hawai’i through mentorship and paid career opportunities for Hawai’i-based AANHPI critics. The mission of HOCCI is to broaden diversity in film criticism across the Pacific and use influencer branding strategies to spark career opportunities. The 2025 HOCCI is supported by Critical Minded, a grant-making and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.
Born and raised on O’ahu, D’Elle Martin is a Master’s student in Landscape Architecture and Architecture. A recent graduate from UH Mānoa with a Bachelor’s of Environmental Design, she has studied in Nagaoka, Japan, launched rockets in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, and sailed around Aotearoa, New Zealand on a tall ship research vessel. D’Elle is an investigator, artist, creator, and musician. She loves the subtleties of film and enjoys the impact of silence.
