top of page
A SHORT FILM BY ARIANNA LAWSON SOUTH OF WONDER
.
CHICKEN
"IT'S NOT ABOUT THE CHICKEN."
A woman shows up to a Black family gathering with quinoa salad instead of chicken, sparking a funny and emotionally charged unraveling of tradition, identity, and belonging.
A 15-minute dramatic comedy about family, food, and the courage to choose yourself when the people you love take it personally.
For brands & organizations
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
"Three years ago I stopped eating chicken. When I told my family, it suddenly felt like I was saying no to more than food. In Black families, chicken is memory, ritual, culture, belonging. That's when I realized this story was never really about food."
Arianna Lawson, Writer & Director
Want to audition?
THE WORLD OF THE FILM
FIVE EMOTIONS.
ONE FAMILY GATHERING
JOY & CHAOS
Sticky hands. Too narrow hallways.
Six conversations at once.
The chaos is the love. Right up until it isn't.
FAMILY RITUAL
Fish grease melded into the walls. The smell of chicken and collard greens in the air.
Your granny did it. Her granny did it.
Tradition doesn't ask if you're still hungry for it.
TENSION
Nobody's yelling.
Auntie just lights a cigarette and stares. Daring.
The silence has more weight than the argument would.
ISOLATION
She's been to this house a hundred times.
Today she can't find where she fits in.
INTIMACY
She didn't say sorry.
She wrapped your plate so it wouldn't get cold.
In this family, that's the same thing.
SUPPORT THIS FILM
Independent film lives
because people believe in it.
CHICKEN is fully independent. No studio. No gatekeepers. Every dollar goes directly into making this story the best version of itself — on screen and at festivals. When you back this film, you're not just a donor. You're a reason this film exists.
YOUR FUNDS SUPPORT
Cast & crew
Locations
Production design
Food
Post-production
Festival submissions
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY
BE THERE
FROM THE BEGINNING
BTS updates. Casting announcements. Production diary. Screening dates.
bottom of page