Celebrate: Entertainment Programming
Featured Film
The Race Epidemic
Ron Wong & Tony Shyu
The Race Epidemic is about another outbreak caused by COVID-19. An epidemic of hate based on race against Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). With a politicized pandemic sweeping through the country and a former President calling it the Chinese Virus, the rise of attacks and hate against AAPIs is not surprising. Can naming a virus after an innocent ethnic group cause the outbreak of an epidemic of hate? Or is it something hidden deeper within American society? The film takes a close examination of xenophobia and racism against Asian Americans caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Race Epidemic is a significant film of our times as Asian Americans are being murdered on the streets and politicians verbally assault our community for their political gains. It’s time to act. Let us be no longer the silent minority. Our voice will not be silenced.
For more info: https://theracedocumentary.org/
Minari (2020)
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Producers: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh
A 2020 American drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. A semi-autobiographical take on Chung's upbringing, the plot follows a family of South Korean immigrants who try to make it in rural America during the 1980s.
The Farewell (2019)
Director: Lulu Wang
Producers: Daniele Melia, Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz, Jane Zheng, Lulu Wang, Anita Gou
Billi's (Awkwafina) family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch -- the only person that doesn't know she only has a few weeks to live.
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Directors: Carlos López Estrada, Don Hall
Producers: Osnat Shurer, Peter Del Vecho
Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned, and it's up to a lone warrior to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good.
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Director: Wayne Wang
Producers: Wayne Wang, Amy Tan, Ronald Bass, Patrick Markey
In San Francisco, a group of aging Chinese women (Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu) meet regularly to trade familial stories while playing Mahjong. In a series of sixteen vignettes that spans generations and continents, this adaptation of Amy Tan's bestselling novel explores cultural conflict and the often-turbulent relationships between four first-generation Chinese-American women (Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom, Rosalind Chao) and their mothers.
Expert’s Choice
Jasmine Jaisinghani, Co-founder of Global CINEMATHEQUE recommends the following series and films to watch celebrating Asian-American stories and filmmakers. This by no means is a comprehensive list, however an initial guide for interested viewers looking for films from documentary to narrative from young auteurs to master filmmakers.
Series:
Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that delivers a bold, fresh perspective on a history that matters today, more than ever. As America becomes more diverse, and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges, how do we move forward together? Told through intimate personal stories, the series will cast a new lens on U.S. history and the ongoing role that Asian Americans have played. Currently streaming and available for viewing at PBS.
Feature Films:
1. ADVANTAGEOUS directed by Jennifer Phang
2. ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE directed by Nahnatchka Khan
3. BETTER LUCK TOMORROW directed by Justin Lin
4. CHAN IS MISSING directed by Wayne Wang
5. CHILDREN OF INVENTION directed by Tze Chun
6. CHUTNEY POPCORN directed by Nisha Ganatra
7. COLUMBUS directed by Kogonada
8. DRIVEWAYS directed by Andrew Ahn
9. GOOK directed by Justin Chon
10. HOLLYWOOD CHINESE directed by Arthur Dong
11. IN BETWEEN DAYS directed by So Yong Kim
12. MEET THE PATELS directed by Geeta V. Patel and Ravi V. Patel
13. MINARI directed by Lee Isaac Chung
14. MINDING THE GAP directed by Bing Liu
15. PUNCHING AT THE SUN directed by Tanuj Chopra
16. SAVING FACE directed by Alice Wu
17. THE FAREWELL directed by Lulu Wang
18. THE GRACE LEE PROJECT directed by Grace Lee
19. THE MOTEL directed by Michael Kang
20. THE NAMESAKE directed by Mira Nair