Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom

Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom (English: My Name Is Yu Ming) is a 2003 Irish short film. Filmed largely in the Irish language, it tells the tale of a Chinese man who has learned to speak Irish but cannot be understood when he comes to visit largely Anglophone Ireland. It was directed by Daniel O'Hara and runs 13 minutes long.

Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom
Directed byDaniel O’Hara
StarringDiyu Daniel Wu
Frank Kelly
Paddy C. Courtney
Richard Morton
Release date
2003
Running time
13 minutes
CountryIreland
LanguageIrish, English, Chinese

Plot

Bored with his life in China, shopworker Yu Ming (Diyu Daniel Wu) decides to visit a random country and picks Ireland by spinning a globe in a library. An atlas informs him that the official language of Ireland is "Gaelic". Consequently, he learns and becomes fluent in Irish before his trip.

The film follows Yu Ming's adventures in trying to be understood in Dublin, where much of the population, whether foreign-born or native Irish, has little or no grasp of the language. For example, when he arrives at a Dublin hostel, Yu Ming says, "Ba mhaith liom leaba anseo" ("I would like a bed here"). The receptionist, who speaks with an Australian accent, assumes that Yu Ming is speaking Chinese and asks an Asian co-worker, Enke, to help translate. Enke says, "I am Mongolian."

Yu Ming then heads to a bar in order to seek work and again his Irish lets him down. He asks the barman, "Tá mé ag lorg obair" ("I am looking for work") and the barman stares blankly at him, not understanding a word. An elderly Irish-speaker (Kelly) at the end of the bar listens in awe at the Asian man speaking his language fluently, invites him for a drink, and explains the misunderstanding.[1]

Yu Ming is later shown working as a bartender in the Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking) area of Connemara.

A phrase that recurs throughout the film is "An bhfuil tusa ag labhairt liomsa?" ("Are you talking to me?").

Cast
  • Diyu Daniel Wu[2][3] as Yu Ming
  • Frank Kelly as the old man
  • Paddy C. Courtney as a barman
  • Richard Morton as Lenny

Awards

The film received several awards in festivals, among them Aspen Shortsfest, Celtic Film and Television Festival and Irish Film & Television Awards.

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References
  1. Hesse, David (November 14, 2015). "Gälischer Ballast". Tages-Anzeiger.
  2. "My Name Is Yu Ming (2003)". IMDb.
  3. "Diyu Wu". LinkedIn.
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