Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom

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. He goes to the library, where an atlas informs him that the official language of Ireland is "Gaelic". Consequently, he learns and becomes perfectly fluent in Irish before his trip.

The film follows his adventures in trying to be understood in Dublin, where most of the population 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 oibre" ("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, and he invites him for a drink and explains the misunderstanding.

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

Awards

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