by Liam Ridolfi
Directed by Heath Davis, known for Christmess, Broke and Book Week, and who produced documentary The Blind Sea, which recently premiered at Sydney Film Festival, The Man Who Ate a Succulent Chinese Meal is co-produced by Tim Randall and Mark Dapin (author of Carnage: A succulent Chinese meal, Mr Rent-a-Kill, The Australian Manson Murders). The feature length documentary delves into the Queenslander behind the meme, Jack Karlson, who was the protagonist of the iconic ‘Democracy Manifest’ news segment that captured the nation’s imagination back in 1991, and was then amplified through the internet years later.
The documentary offers an in-depth look at the events that led to the creation of one of Australia’s most legendary moments in viral video history. On October 11, 1991, Karlson was apprehended by Queensland Police at a Chinese restaurant in Fortitude Valley. What followed was a Shakespearean display of resistance from Karlson, famously captured by Channel 7’s Chris Reason, who mistakenly believed Karlson to be Queensland’s most wanted criminal.
Karlson’s flamboyant and memorable exclamations during his arrest, including “This is democracy manifest!”, “What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?”, and “I see that you know your judo well!”, have since become deeply embedded in Australian pop culture. The footage of the incident has been described as “the pre-eminent Australian meme” by The Guardian in 2019 and has garnered millions of views worldwide on YouTube.
The film’s release will be celebrated with a special event on 19 June, when Jack Karlson will revisit the China Sea restaurant in Milton, Brisbane. This visit not only commemorates the film’s announcement but also marks a significant return to the scene of the original incident.
“Aah to visit the lovely China sea restaurant once again,” said Karlson in a statement. “The scene of where the injustice happened all those many years ago. I look forward to seeing the fellow who runs the place and having one of his succulent meals, I will of course be paying in cash as always.”
