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First-Person Asian American: 11 Documentaries

I Was Born, But . . .

1h 30m

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 1970s and ’80s. Like Ozu, Bogawa uses a rigorously minimalist style to explore themes of family and generational change—but through the lens of a second-generation Asian American working through the layers of his identity.

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