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San Diego has been called many things – including a paradise. It’s also a refugee city, a cluster of neighborhoods, a militarized zone, a border town. And Asian American. This collection of four short documentaries, commissioned on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, maps many such San Diego’s – across ethnicity, geography and history. At the same time, they hold on to some notion of paradise, however illusory: a haven from war, the dreams of an immigrant, precious teenage reminiscences, solace in the afterlife, and spaces for creative expression.
This collection of four short documentaries, commissioned on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, maps many such San Diegos— across ethnicity, geography and history. At the helm are four emerging cinematic voices who grew up in San Diego, have studied here, or who have once called it home. Norbert Shieh’s stirring film essay Two Miles East recalls a 2008 University City plane crash that cast a somber shadow over a military city. Quyên Nguyen-Le’s The Morning Passing on El Cajón Boulevard introduces us to the City Heights mortuary workers who help refugee families grieve. Joseph Mangat’s rousing observational piece Bidyoke thrusts us into the electric immigrant space of a karaoke-restaurant in National City. Lastly, in Reunion ‘99, R.J. Lozada interviews former classmates at his 20th high school reunion in the South Bay, and finds that memories, including his own, are not always reliable. |
Sáng đi qua trên đường El Cajon
(The Morning Passing on El Cajón Boulevard)
(The Morning Passing on El Cajón Boulevard)
produced, directed, edited by:
QUYÊN NGUYEN-LE
co-produced by:
BRIAN HU
BENJAMIN TO
director of photography:
KAYLA TONG
additional cinematography:
QUYÊN NGUYEN-LE
sound editor:
LIEN BAO DO
QUYÊN NGUYEN-LE
co-produced by:
BRIAN HU
BENJAMIN TO
director of photography:
KAYLA TONG
additional cinematography:
QUYÊN NGUYEN-LE
sound editor:
LIEN BAO DO
PRESS MENTIONS
Voice of San Diego. "Culture Report: Refugee and Immigrant Stories Take the Big Screen" November 5, 2019
NBC News. "Asian American film festivals launch careers, bridge gulfs and foster careers" November 6, 2019
KPBS. "City Heights Mortuary Featured In San Diego’s Asian Film Festival" November 8, 2019
KPBS. "PacArts Hosts Online Discussion For ‘The Paradise We Are Looking For’" May 22, 2020
USA Today. "Elevating Asian talent: The 5 best movies we saw at LA Asian Pacific Film Festival" October 26, 2020
NBC News. "Asian American film festivals launch careers, bridge gulfs and foster careers" November 6, 2019
KPBS. "City Heights Mortuary Featured In San Diego’s Asian Film Festival" November 8, 2019
KPBS. "PacArts Hosts Online Discussion For ‘The Paradise We Are Looking For’" May 22, 2020
USA Today. "Elevating Asian talent: The 5 best movies we saw at LA Asian Pacific Film Festival" October 26, 2020
Inquiries
For Educational Purchases, please contact Pacific Arts Movement:
Brian Hu | brian@pacarts.org
Brian Hu | brian@pacarts.org
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Screenings
November 7, 2019 @ 7PM SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA San Diego Asian Film Festival Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center November 12, 2019 @ 5PM SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA San Diego Asian Film Festival Ultrastar Cinemas Mission Valley May 11-May 31 2020 ONLINE SDAFF ONLINE: MAY MADNESS October 22-25 2020 ONLINE Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival November 5-15, 2020 ONLINE Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival November 15-22, 2020 ONLINE New Orleans Film Festival March 4-14, 2021 ONLINE Seattle Asian American Film Festival |
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