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CAAMFest2018

Documentaries

CAAMFest has been a steadfast platform for unflinching and thought-provoking documentaries, and the films in this year’s competition carry on this tradition, meditating on the power of connection. From a rural Nepalese monastery and the remote forests of Malaysia, to China’s new digital frontier and the New York Yankees dugout, how far will we go to make sense of the past, ourselves, and one another?


  1. Havana Divas

    Louisa Wei / Documentaries / Hong Kong / 2018 / 90 mins
    Caridad and Georgina, octogenarian Cantonese Opera singers who grew up in Havana’s Barrio Chino, trace their place in the history of Cuba’s Chinese diaspora and their role in preserving the last vestiges of this community’s culture.
    Havana Divas

    Roxie Theater
    May 20, 2018 5:40 pm Not Available


  2. Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story

    Frank W. Chen / Documentaries / USA / 2018 / Documentary / 96 mins
    More than a story of baseball, LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY follows the inspiring perseverance of pitcher Chien-Ming Wang as he faces a career-threatening injury and tries to work his way back to Major League Baseball. The heartbreaking yet heartwarming documentary transcends sports by exploring the unconditional support of Wang’s family, friends, and fans around the world.
    Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story

    AMC Kabuki 8
    May 12, 2018 9:20 pm Not Available

    Late Life: The Chien-Ming Wang Story

    New People Cinema
    May 13, 2018 6:40 pm Not Available


  3. A Little Wisdom

    Yuqi Kang / Documentaries / Nepal / 2017 / Documentary / 92 mins
    A LITTLE WISDOM director Yuqi Kang brings a mindful eye into the lives of Hopakuli and Chorten — two orphaned brothers living among monks in Lumbini, Nepal. After opening with meditative languid takes, the film turns increasingly disquieting as we watch the boys wrestle with the world armed with little guidance.
    A Little Wisdom

    AMC Kabuki 8
    May 12, 2018 12:00 pm Not Available

    A Little Wisdom

    Piedmont Theatre
    May 22, 2018 8:30 pm Not Available


  4. Looking For?

    Tung-yen Chou / Documentaries / Taiwan / 2016 / Documentary / 61 mins
    Dating apps have become the most convenient, and sometimes safest, way for gay men to connect in the obstacle course of sexuality, romance, and friendship. Swipe through 60 gay men from seven cities across the globe as they navigate a digital network of millions, searching for love, lust, and loss.

    Preceded by: Lions in Waiting

    Looking For?

    Roxie Theater
    May 19, 2018 5:10 pm Not Available


  5. Minding the Gap

    Bing Liu / Documentaries / USA / 2018 / Documentary / 93 mins
    A clear-eyed portrait of masculinity, race, class, and skateboarding in rust-belt America, Bing Liu’s first feature follows three young men through the tumult and trauma of their lives. Tender, unflinching, a compulsive licking of wounds, the film asks — what do men do with their hurt?
    Minding the Gap

    New People Cinema
    May 13, 2018 1:40 pm Not Available


  6. Nailed It

    Adele Free Pham / Documentaries / USA / 2017 / 59 mins
    In 1975, 20 Vietnamese refugee women created a multibillion dollar industry that supports their community to this day. NAILED IT is a captivating exploration of the genesis of how a nail salon ended up in every strip mall – and the survival of a community.
    Nailed It

    AMC Kabuki 8
    May 12, 2018 4:50 pm Not Available

    Nailed It

    Roxie Theater
    May 19, 2018 12:20 pm Not Available


  7. The People’s Republic of Desire

    Hao Wu / Documentaries / China, USA / 2018 / 94 mins
    Login to a digital universe where hundreds of millions seek social connection and economic success. Follow three Chinese live streamers whose virtual currency of persona and talents can earn them six figures every month, as long as they maintain likes, tips, gifts, and worship from their fellow, plugged-in population.
    The People’s Republic of Desire

    AMC Kabuki 8
    May 12, 2018 7:00 pm At Rush

    The People’s Republic of Desire

    Piedmont Theatre
    May 23, 2018 9:00 pm Not Available


  8. The Registry

    Bill Kubota & Steve Ozone / Documentaries / USA / 2018 / 57 mins
    For the Japanese Americans who served in World War II, acknowledgment of the vital roles they played has been long delayed. The Registry details the efforts of aging veterans to document the crucial work performed by Japanese American translators in the Pacific theater and the focal point that military service played in their identities.

    Preceded by: Three Boys Manzanar

    The Registry

    AMC Kabuki 8
    May 13, 2018 2:40 pm Not Available


  9. A Time to Swim

    Ashley Duong / Documentaries / Malaysia / 2017 / Documentary / 82 mins
    Mutang Urud straddles two disparate worlds — at once a stay at home dad in Montreal and a warrior for indigenous rights halfway across the globe. Follow Mutang’s tumultuous journey home to Borneo, and explore how the destruction of place affects the communities that once thrived there.
    A Time to Swim

    New People Cinema
    May 12, 2018 12:00 pm Not Available