Description

In a whirlwind of doubt, rejection, trust and love, these shorts express the struggle and joy that come out of reconnecting with family. With a few autobiographical stories like GIAP’S LAST DAY and narratives like MAMA TANG, histories emerge between generations of disconnect and silence.

– Diana Li

Co-Presenter: AACO (Asian American for Community Outreach)

In This Program

1. 

   Cold Spring

   Shiyan Feng / Shorts / China / 2014 / Family / 25 mins

   After leaving his family 20 years in the past, a father suddenly finds his daughter about to be married and struggles with his emotions after realizing she wasn’t going to invite him. While attempting to quickly reconnect with her, he must learn how to take care of his 12-year-old son.

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2. 

   Giap’s Last Day at the Ironing Board Factory

   Tony Nguyen / Shorts / USA / 2014 / Culture, Documentary, Independent, Reality / 25 mins

   Coming from a trialing childhood, Tony Nguyen tracks back to his small hometown to reconnect with his Vietnamese mother. As he documents his and his mother’s journey, contrasting rural American imagery with Vietnamese subjects, the film captures the refugee history of adapting to life in the US.

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3. 

   Jaya

   Puja Maewal / Shorts / India / 2014 / Narrative, Short / 18 mins

   Posing as a boy in a young gang lifestyle, Jaya finds a businessman who looks like the father who abandoned her. In this emotionally intense drama, she seeks his acknowledgement while reclaiming her own identity.

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4. 

   Mama Tang

   Cathy Tang / Shorts / USA / 2014 / Narrative, Short / 10 mins

   In an innocent story of an immigrant mother trying to reconnect with her son, Mama Tang struggles to find a place of her own in his San Francisco home. Even when making her son’s favorite Chinese food, her search for acceptance is hard to find.

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5. 

   My Father, Francis

   Casey Mecija / Shorts / Canada / 2013 / Documentary, Short / 12 mins

   Artist and filmmaker Casey Mecija reveals her love for her father’s practice in transforming recycled materials into beautifully, sculptured objects. This story is deeply rooted in the hard work it took for her father to provide for their family in dynamic and functional ways.

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6. 

   To Sit With Her

   Nicole Miyahara / Shorts / USA / 2014 / Documentary, Family, Short / 5 mins

   Contrasting his complex relationship with his mother, Taiwanese-American transman, Leon Wu goes on a pilgrimage to rural Taiwan to visit his grandmother, who offers unspoken acceptance of his gender identity.

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