From romantic love stories to animated films, expressions of APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Desi American) power in film have become far more centered around the value of the character over anything else. In the past, we have been given characters that fall within a limited scope of stereotypes. Now, across a variety of genres, the…
Disney’s “Turning Red” is one of the first mainstream movies that follows characters of Asian descent and goes through the cultural beliefs of the main character, a Chinese Canadian girl who must deal with her family’s connection with giant red pandas. “Turning Red” has broken barriers in talking about topics such as puberty and intergenerational…
In the early 2010s, APIDA representation in the media was‒frankly‒non-existent. It was nearly impossible to see somebody of APIDA descent in a major Hollywood film or in other forms of mass media. This lack of representation made many in the APIDA community accustomed to a mainstream culture dominated by whites that implied their narratives didn’t…
“American justice has become American injustice. Superimposed on you.” Showcased at this year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival, “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” is a documentary directed by Steve James that encapsulates a five-year-long legal battle between the state of New York and Abacus Federal Savings Bank. Within the first three minutes of the film,…
Pacific Arts Movement (PacArts) is presenting its 7th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival Spring Showcase from April 20 to April 27, 2017. This year’s showcase will be PacArt’s largest Spring Showcase yet, screening over 20 films from 10 countries over the eight-day festival at UltraStar Mission Valley in San Diego. In Los Angeles, Visual…
The past two months have been a great time for movies. With all of the winter blockbusters and the Sundance Film Festival wrapping up this past weekend, I thought I’d compile a short list of movies with positive APIDA representation that I either enjoyed or am looking forward to. A film that’s a joy…