The first decade of the twenty-first century witnessed an explosion of Asian American cinematic creativity, much of which went unseen by mainstream audiences. Politically complex and formally innovative, these films highlighted the intricacies of diverse communities shaped by a multitude of forces: colonialism, migration, racism, subcultures, gentrification, war, and the politics of appropriation and assimilation. Curated by Chi-hui Yang and Brian Hu, this program spotlights films that take an inventive approach to genre—personal documentary (I WAS BORN, BUT . . . ), musical (COLMA: THE MUSICAL), thriller (CAVITE), coming-of-age odyssey (IN BETWEEN DAYS), and beyond—revealing a rich and radical counter-cinema forged by artists still fighting for visibility.
This introduction by series programmers Brian Hu and Chi-hui Yang was recorded in 2022.
Directed by Deann Borshay Liem • 2000 • United States
Starring Deann Borshay Liem
In 1966, Deann Borshay Liem was adopted by an American family and sent from Korea to her new home. Growing up in California, the memory of her birth family was nearly obliterated, until recurring dreams lead Deann ...
Directed by Spencer Nakasako • 2003 • United States
Starring David Mark, Mike Siv, Sophal Meas
Growing up in San Francisco, twenty-four-year-old Michael Siv never knew the details of why he and his mother fled the Khmer Rouge while his father stayed behind in Cambodia. To reconcile his feelings ...
Directed by Alice Wu • 2004 • United States
Starring Michelle Krusiec, Joan Chen, Lynn Chen
A Chinese American lesbian (Michelle Krusiec) living in New York finds her love life severely cramped when her widowed, unexpectedly pregnant mother is forced to move in with her. Boasting a scene-stealin...
Directed by Roddy Bogawa • 2004 • United States
Taking its title from a silent classic by Yasujiro Ozu, this uncompromisingly personal diary film from Roddy Bogawa finds the director journeying through his memories, from his childhood in Hawaii to his involvement in the LA punk scene of the 1970...
Directed by Ramin Bahrani • 2005 • United States
Starring Ahmad Razvi, Leticia Dolera, Charles Daniel Sandoval
A modest miracle of twenty-first-century neorealism, the acclaimed debut feature by Ramin Bahrani speaks quietly but profoundly to the experiences of those living on the margins of the ...
Directed by So Yong Kim • 2006 • Canada, South Korea
Starring Taegu Andy Kang, Bokja Kim, Jiseon Kim
So-yong Kim’s revelatory debut feature is an intensely intimate immersion into the world of a teenage immigrant recently relocated from South Korea to Toronto as she navigates both the challenges...
Directed by Ham Tran • 2006 • United States
Starring Kiều Chinh, Long Nguyen, Diem Lien
Inspired by the true stories of Vietnamese refugees who fled their land after the fall of Saigon—and those who were forced to stay behind—JOURNEY FROM THE FALL follows one family’s struggle for freedom. April...
Directed by Tanuj Chopra • 2006 • United States
Starring Misu Khan, Nina Edmonds, Hassan El-Gendi
Tanuj Chopra’s bold feature debut is a searing look at South Asian identity in post-9/11 New York City. It’s there that Mameet (Misu Khan), a Pakistani American teenager growing up in the diverse ne...
Directed by Richard Wong • 2006 • United States
Starring H. P. Mendoza, Jake Moreno, L. A. Renigen
This charming DIY musical from director Richard Wong and screenwriter-composer-costar H. P. Mendoza follows three best friends from the eponymous Northern California town (most famous for its prepo...
Directed by Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath • 2008 • United States
Codirected by acclaimed cinematographer Ellen Kuras and subject Thavisouk Phrasavath, this haunting documentary chronicles a refugee family’s epic journey from Laos in the aftermath of the secret war waged by the United Stat...
Directed by Grace Lee • 2002 • United States
Starring Sandra Oh, Suzy Nakamura, Melinda Peterson
A researcher (Sandra Oh) for a female condom study discovers that one of her subjects (Suzy Nakamura) is dating her ex in Grace Lee’s Student Academy Award–winning short.
Directed by Larilyn Sanchez and Riza Manalo • 2004 • United States, Philippines
A migrant worker sends her dead mother back home in unexpected fashion.
Directed by Kimi Takesue • 2004 • United States
Starring Joyce Perrone, Keiichi Kondoh, Sarah Zhang
Eight-year-old Juliette sits at the side of the local pool waiting for another lonely summer day to pass when a Japanese couple unexpectedly arrives. Fascinated by the mysterious black-clad woman ...
Directed by Neill Dela Llana and Ian Gamazon • 2005 • Philippines
Starring Ian Gamazon, Edwin Lagda, Edgar Tancangco
Arriving in Manila for his father’s funeral, a Filipino American man (Ian Gamazon) learns that his mother and sister have been kidnapped—leading him on a harrowing odyssey through...
Directed by Tze Chun • 2006 • United States
A string of break-ins breeds distrust in a racially mixed neighborhood outside of Boston.
Directed by Hung Nguyen • 2006 • United States
A Vietnamese American family reckons with their ailing father’s decision to leave home and enter a monastery in this intimate, emotionally charged look at the lingering traumas of forced migration.
