‘We all dig our own tunnel’: how The Shawshank Redemption inspired a fresh graduate thrown into running a family restaurant business
- Fresh graduate Elizabeth Chu took over running a family-owned restaurant business in Hong Kong knowing little about management or the food and beverage sector
- She struggled at first, but is bolstered by The Shawshank Redemption’s messages about being hopeful and patient and absorbing life’s blows each time she sees it
Frequently topping polls of the most loved films, The Shawshank Redemption (1994), directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, tells the story of a banker, Andy Dufresne, who is falsely imprisoned in the 1940s for the murder of his wife and her lover, and navigates prison life through a combination of resourcefulness and friendship, eventually managing to escape through a tunnel he secretly builds.
The first time I saw the film was in 2017, when I’d just taken over the company after graduating from the University of Hong Kong. I majored in business and politics, and at that point I knew nothing about [food and beverage] or how to run a business.
I watched it on Netflix. I’d heard the name before I watched it. It’s an adaptation of a Stephen King story, and I’ve read a few of his books. I wasn’t interested in it because of the theme of prison life, but then some university friends strongly recommended it. I didn’t expect a lot but it turned out to be so inspiring.
The protagonist, Andy, is sentenced to life in prison. His life is hell on Earth but I like the fact that he uses his wits to make the best of it.
He used his financial knowledge, he managed to get the prison library expanded, and he helps other prisoners with their exams. He makes the most of everything he’s got.