1 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Search for General Tso
2014 1h 11m EN
😐
6.4
MID
★6.4TMDB · 58
Documentary
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
From New York City to the farmlands of the Midwest, there are 50,000 Chinese restaurants in the U.S., yet one dish in particular has conquered the American culinary landscape with a force befitting its military moniker—“General Tso’s Chicken.” But who was General Tso and how did this dish become so ubiquitous? Ian Cheney’s delightfully insightful documentary charts the history of Chinese Americans through the surprising origins of this sticky, sweet, just-spicy-enough dish that we’ve adopted as our own.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Where to watch · US
Cast
Susan Carter
Self - American historian
Ian Cheney
self
Philip Chiang
Self - restaurant owner
Andrew Coe
Self - food writer
Liang Xiao Jin
Self - Chinese historian
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Ian Cheney
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- China, Taiwan, United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 12 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 3 countries: China, Taiwan, United States of America.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Frederick Shanahan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Susan Carter and Ian Cheney and Philip Chiang carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt3576038 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
WILD
Did you know
Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Ian Cheney directs. Frederick Shanahan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in China, Taiwan, United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 71-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 2Released 12 years ago.
- 3International production across 3 countries: China, Taiwan, United States of America.
- 4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 5Editor Frederick Shanahan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Susan Carter and Ian Cheney and Philip Chiang carry the top of the cast.
- 7IMDB entry: tt3576038 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 8Only 58 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Editing
- Frederick Shanahan
- Runtime
- 71 min · 1h 11m
- Aspect ratio (typical)
- 1.37:1 (Academy)
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
Also by
Ian Cheney
Stills · wallpapers
Selected frames
Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
- SU
Sundance Selects
- WI
Wicked Delicate Films
Key crew
- EditorFrederick Shanahan
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- food
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical2014-04-20
Also known as
International titles
- The Search for General ChoNL
- 寻味“左宗鸡”CN
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