Asian American Documentary Shorts: Chicago!

These 6 documentaries highlight the diversity of the fastest growing demographic in Chicago. Through these voices we showcase our history, political mobility, love for food and cross generational soul-searching.

Monday, May 22nd, 2023
6:00 PM

Gene Siskel Film Center
164 N State St, Chicago, IL 60601

tickets

Nisei Cubs Fan

Directed by Renee Tajima-Peña
https://www.reneetajimapena.com/

Cal Tajima has been a Chicago Cubs baseball fan since he was a boy. At 92 years old, he’s going to see them play in the World Series. Discover how his love for the Cubs is related to his time as a WWII veteran.

Produced by Renee Tajima-Peña, Janet Chen
Associate Producer: Gena Hamamoto
Editor: Tadashi Nakamura

The Things I Haven’t Told You Yet

Directed by Maya Wanner
https://www.mayawanner.com/

The Things I Haven't Told You Yet is a collage-style, personal narrative composed of emotionally complex memories, questions, thoughts, and stories that meditate on identity, race, transnational adoption, grief, and intergenerational trauma. Filmmaker, Maya Wanner, pieces them together to create a mosaic of a mother-daughter relationship shaped by things left unsaid.

Sound Design by Jeanette Dominguez, Maya Wanner
Music Composed by Kate In

Our Chinatown: Chicago

Directed by Curtis Chin
https://www.curtisfromdetroit.com/

Asian Americans are the fastest growing population in the Windy City. Accordingly, their political influence is on the rise. This documentary, part of a series of shorts on Chinatowns across the US, follows Ada Tong, one of the long-time residents of the city's Chinatown, as she conducts outreach to her fellow residents, in hopes of further empowering her community.

Written by Curtis Chin, Adam Wolman
Produced by Curtis Chin, Kenneth Eng, Adam Woman
Executive Produced by Jeffrey Kim, Cynthia Lin
Director of Photography Kenneth Eng
Composer Matthew Wang
Sound Mix by Clint Crump
Photo Archivist Chee Wang Ng

Cambodian Futures

Directed by Dustin Nakao-Haider [In-Person for a live Q&A]
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3672178/

Cambodian Futures is a densely layered exploration of Cambodian cuisine, historical trauma, and an intergenerational family bond. Filmmaker Dustin Nakao-Haider follows Chicago-based chef Ethan Lim as he creates vibrant dishes inspired by the rich, complex history of Cambodia. Drawing on his family’s culinary legacy of over half a century, Lim’s award-winning cooking imagines how Cambodian cuisine might have evolved had the civil war not paused its growth. This is Culinary Futurism.

Produced by Thavary Krouch

寄托 - Jìtuo - Sustenance

Directed by Maya Wanner
https://www.mayawanner.com/

A small noodle factory on the South Side of Chicago comes alive with one man’s memories, family history, and pride as he meditates on the tension between cultural preservation and assimilation.

Featuring Keith Lee

No Place Like Kasama

(Also screening in our Filipino American Shorts: A Tribute to Jonathan Laxama program on Tuesday, May 23nd, 6PM)

Directed by Kerri Pang [In-Person for a live Q&A]
http://www.kerripang.com/

No Place Like Kasama is a short documentary following chefs Genie Kwon and Tim Flores as they leave the Michelin-starred fine dining world to realize their lifelong dream — opening a neighborhood spot in Chicago.

Two weeks after they acquire the building, COVID-19 hits. Chicago is thrown into lockdown, destroying the restaurant industry. State regulations change daily, forcing them to adapt in real time. Handmade dinnerware shift to takeout containers. Dining chairs to patio heaters. Full staff to skeleton crew.

They persevere through 2020 in hopes that their restaurant will survive.

Produced by Kerri Pang
Cinematography by Kerri Pang, Dan Kang
Edited by Kerri Pang
Music by Alex Spiers