Sponsored by the Northwestern University Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab for the Promotion of Mental Health via Cinematic Arts
Co-sponsored by the Northwestern University Asian American Studies Program and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Family Matters:
Asian American Shorts
Through narrative and documentary, these Asian American short films commemorate the upcoming intersection of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month in May by amplifying Asian American stories and filmmakers while highlighting social issues facing the Asian American community.
Panelist:
Qianhui Zhang, PhD 张倩慧 博士 Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Huu T. Ly - Foundation for Asian American Independent Media
Filmmaker Appearance:
Maya Wanner (The Things I Haven’t Told You Yet)
Thursday, April 20th - 7 PM
Northwestern University
Abbott Hall 203
710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
FREE event - RSVP required:
The Film Lineup
Missile
Written and Directed by Christopher Hwisu Kim
https://www.christopherhwisukim.com/
Produced by Samantha Skinner
Associate Producer Kayla Abuda Galang
Starring Amanda Suk, Borah Ahn, Deb Kim
When Alison Cho gets an emergency alert on her phone warning of an imminent missile attack, she calls her mom in a panic—only to struggle to explain the situation because she doesn't know the Korean word for "missile."ut guilt, depression, and the feeling of stasis.
2022 | Narrative | USA | 11 mins | Engish | Digital
The Return
Directed and Written by Hena Ashraf
https://henaashraf.com/
Edited by: Georgia Fu, Esther Shubinski; additional editing by Hena Ashraf
Original score by Dhruv Goel
A writer-director struggles with her profound sense of loss after the sudden death of her father, who dies while visiting his homeland of India. Hena wrestles with coming to terms with their strained relationship, by the only way she knows how: making a film.
2021 | Documentary | USA, India | 18 mins | Engish, Urdu w/ English Subtitles | Digital
The Things I Haven’t Told You Yet
The Things I Haven’t Told You Yet
Directed, Written, Produced by Maya Wanner [Appearing In-Person for Q&A!]
https://www.mayawanner.com/
Sound Design by Jeanette Dominguez, Maya Wanner
Music Composed by Kate In
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.
2022 | Documentary | USA | 15 mins | Engish | Digital
Lunchbox
Directed, Written by Anne Hu
http://www.annehu.com/
Produced by Anne Hu, Gilana Lobel, Oliver Brooks, Rachel Liu, Chenney Chen, Gabriella Murillo
Starring Anne Hu, Dawn Ying Yuen, Elizabeth Gao, Audrey Liao
Cinematography by Zach Kuperstein
Production Design by Nicholas Tong
When a Taiwanese American woman prepares lunches from her childhood, she struggles to forgive herself for pushing away her immigrant mother.
2022 | Narrative | USA | 17 mins | Engish/Mandarin w/ English Subtitles | Digital
Meet The Panelist
Dr. Qianhui Zhang, Ph.D., (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist and staff psychologist at the Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) at the Northwestern University since 2016. At CAPS, she provides individual and group therapy, training, and community-based programming, and her work is grounded in trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and culturally responsive framework. Her clinical expertise includes varied forms of trauma, grief/loss, disordered eating and body image, depression/anxiety, and mental health stigma among college student population. She provides professional training and programming around the decolonization of mental health practices, race-related stress/trauma, intergenerational trauma, cross-cultural adjustment and immigration stress. Since joining CAPS, she serves as mental health liaison with the international student and Asian American student populations on the Evanston campus.
Huu Ly is a Film Programmer and Marketing Coordinator for The Foundation for Asian American Independent Media (FAAIM) and has been programming since 2009 for The Asian American Showcase at The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago. The Asian American Showcase has just completed its 25th iteration after a 2 year hiatus due to COVID and since its inception in 1995, has been the longest running film festival to exclusively showcase Asian American stories and filmmakers. He has also programmed for The Houston Asian American and Pacific Islander Film Festival (HAAPIFF) and The Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF). Huu has served as an Asian American community leader for the Chicago chapter of The National Association of Asian American Professionals as Vice President of Operations and as a board member of The Vietnamese Association of Illinois. Since FAAIM is an all-volunteer organization, Huu works full time as a Civil Engineer.
Maya Wanner is a mixed race documentary filmmaker pursuing her MFA in Northwestern University’s Documentary Media program where she focuses on uplifting underrepresented stories. Her primary interests include immigrant family narratives, intergenerational trauma and healing, multiracial identity, and Asian American stories. She has a range of experience in film from teaching, directing, and freelancing for a range of production companies. https://www.mayawanner.com/