JunTai Academy

Since China lifted its zero-COVID policies in December 2022, Flushing, New York has been receiving a new influx of unauthorized Chinese immigrants coming primarily from small cities in the provinces of Fujian, Shandong, and Northeast China.
This documentary focuses on four middle-aged Chinese immigrants in a massage shop in Flushing: the owner, Lio, and his helper, Coco, both of whom migrated before the pandemic, offer massage classes to newcomers including Nie and Cat, who seek to pursue a new profession as massage practitioners.
Through verité sequences and interviews with these characters, we see how physical contact involved in the learning process, "secret" knowledge imparted, and new bonds formed provide relief for the stressed newcomers. The filmmakers' access offers a glimpse into the ordinary routines of immigrants striving to learn a new trade, language, and culture for a better life.