Three documentaries about Pinoys to air on US television
Three documentaries that tackle the lives, achievements and culture of the Filipinos living in the United States are set to air on US television in May.
In a statement, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) said the three documentaries are part of the series that will be aired in various local channels in the US as part of CAAM’s annual celebration of “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”
The CAAM is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, USA, which aims to produce stories about the Asian experience in the US.
“CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media,” the organization said on its website.
For this year, the CAAM’s month-long series of documentaries will be hosted by award-winning Broadway performer Lea Salonga.
“From game-changing labor movements to the many cuisines of Asia to the significance of iconic public transit… this year’s programming further illustrates some of the many diverse stories of Asian and Asian American culture,” CAAM said.
Aside from the three documentaries about the Filipino culture, also part of this year’s programming are five other documentaries about other Asian countries, one of them by the award-winning director Wayne Wang of the critically acclaimed movie “The Joy Luck Club,” based on a novel by Amy Tan.
The following are the CAAM-produced documentaries to be aired in the whole month of May in US television:
“The Delano Manongs” by Marissa Aroy (30 minutes). The documentary trails the life of Filipino-American labor organizer Larry Itliong. Often overlooked in history, Itliong helped lead Filipino, Mexican-American natives also called as Chicanos and other ethnic farm workers in the Delano, California Grape Strike of 1965. This strike then brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union. The documentary uses interviews as well as archival and present-day footage to illustrate a story that highlights the many struggles and achievements of the movement.
“Jeepney” by Esy Casey and Sarah Friedland (30 minutes). In this documentary, the directors go beyond the exterior of the redecorated post-World War II military vehicle also called as jeepney. Rather, the documentary follows the lives of three individuals who share a connection with these vibrant vehicles which have become the mode of public transportation in the Philippines: Gerry, a witty driver who has deep affection for tradition; Lhudz, whose remarkable artwork appears on the vehicles; and Manny, who grew up near a US military base and watched the evolution of the jeepney.
“With the vivid and historically rich jeepney, the documentary uncovers deeply personal stories and the effects of globalization,” the CAAM said.
“Harana” by Benito Bautista (60 minutes). The documentary centers on Florante Aguilar, who, after staying in the US for 12 years, returns to the Philippines after his father’s death. Upon his return, Florante, a classically-trained musician, is re-introduced to the music of harana, a unique Filipino tradition where men would sing under the window of the house of a woman to declare his love.
“Harana captures a tender side of the Philippines that is rarely seen,” the CAAM said.
Other documentaries to be aired are the following:
“Soul of a Banquet” by Wayne Wang (60 minutes). In this documentary, celebrated director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club) follows Cecilia Chiang, the woman who introduced America to authentic Chinese food. Her internationally-renowned San Francisco restaurant The Mandarin opened in 1961 and changed the course of American cuisine. Through interviews with Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, and Chiang herself, the documentary showcases Chiang’s remarkable food and paints a touching portrait of her life.
From peking duck in Manhattan’s Chinatown to the kimchi of Los Angeles’s Koreatown to the nationwide ramen renaissance, the six-episode travelogue takes audiences across the country to show how Asian cuisine has transformed the landscape of food in the United States. The series also takes a look at some of the country’s most talented chefs including ramen chef Ivan Orkin, carpenter turned Thai chef Andy Ricker, Filipino Food Movement founder PJ Quesada, and Korean Top Chef winner Kristen Kish.
“Stateless” by Duc Nguyen (60 minutes). Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Duc H. Nguyen, the documentary presents another side of immigration by following a group Vietnamese people who are not considered as a national by any state. Through flashbacks and real time interviews, Nguyen uncovers the complicated international history and politics in the post Vietnam-American war era, which resulted in over 2,000 Vietnamese refugees or “Long-Stayers” in the Philippines trapped without nationality or citizenship.
“Memory of Forgotten War” by Deann Borshay Liem (30 minutes). In this documentary, historians Bruce Cumings and Ji-Yeon Yuh curate four accounts from survivors of the Korean War (1950-1953). Through newsreels, US military footage, and archival photographs, the documentary gives historical context to these personal stories of loss and struggle.
“This is My Home Now” by Mariah Dunn Kramer and Dean MacLeod (30 minutes). This documentary documents the lives of four youths who belong to an ethnic group in Central Vietnam Highlands, the Montagnard, as their families have come to America in the past decade.
The documentary shows the struggles of these youths who are living in two worlds—that of their parents and grandparents, who lived in the highlands of Vietnam but fled from government persecution for their Christian religion and desire for autonomy—and one of constant learning and adaptation to be Americans in North Carolina. --Elizabeth Marcelo/KBK, GMA News
In a statement, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) said the three documentaries are part of the series that will be aired in various local channels in the US as part of CAAM’s annual celebration of “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”
The CAAM is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco, USA, which aims to produce stories about the Asian experience in the US.
“CAAM does this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting works in film, television and digital media,” the organization said on its website.
For this year, the CAAM’s month-long series of documentaries will be hosted by award-winning Broadway performer Lea Salonga.
“From game-changing labor movements to the many cuisines of Asia to the significance of iconic public transit… this year’s programming further illustrates some of the many diverse stories of Asian and Asian American culture,” CAAM said.
Aside from the three documentaries about the Filipino culture, also part of this year’s programming are five other documentaries about other Asian countries, one of them by the award-winning director Wayne Wang of the critically acclaimed movie “The Joy Luck Club,” based on a novel by Amy Tan.
The following are the CAAM-produced documentaries to be aired in the whole month of May in US television:
“The Delano Manongs” by Marissa Aroy (30 minutes). The documentary trails the life of Filipino-American labor organizer Larry Itliong. Often overlooked in history, Itliong helped lead Filipino, Mexican-American natives also called as Chicanos and other ethnic farm workers in the Delano, California Grape Strike of 1965. This strike then brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union. The documentary uses interviews as well as archival and present-day footage to illustrate a story that highlights the many struggles and achievements of the movement.
“Jeepney” by Esy Casey and Sarah Friedland (30 minutes). In this documentary, the directors go beyond the exterior of the redecorated post-World War II military vehicle also called as jeepney. Rather, the documentary follows the lives of three individuals who share a connection with these vibrant vehicles which have become the mode of public transportation in the Philippines: Gerry, a witty driver who has deep affection for tradition; Lhudz, whose remarkable artwork appears on the vehicles; and Manny, who grew up near a US military base and watched the evolution of the jeepney.
“With the vivid and historically rich jeepney, the documentary uncovers deeply personal stories and the effects of globalization,” the CAAM said.
“Harana” by Benito Bautista (60 minutes). The documentary centers on Florante Aguilar, who, after staying in the US for 12 years, returns to the Philippines after his father’s death. Upon his return, Florante, a classically-trained musician, is re-introduced to the music of harana, a unique Filipino tradition where men would sing under the window of the house of a woman to declare his love.
“Harana captures a tender side of the Philippines that is rarely seen,” the CAAM said.
Other documentaries to be aired are the following:
“Soul of a Banquet” by Wayne Wang (60 minutes). In this documentary, celebrated director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club) follows Cecilia Chiang, the woman who introduced America to authentic Chinese food. Her internationally-renowned San Francisco restaurant The Mandarin opened in 1961 and changed the course of American cuisine. Through interviews with Alice Waters, Ruth Reichl, and Chiang herself, the documentary showcases Chiang’s remarkable food and paints a touching portrait of her life.
From peking duck in Manhattan’s Chinatown to the kimchi of Los Angeles’s Koreatown to the nationwide ramen renaissance, the six-episode travelogue takes audiences across the country to show how Asian cuisine has transformed the landscape of food in the United States. The series also takes a look at some of the country’s most talented chefs including ramen chef Ivan Orkin, carpenter turned Thai chef Andy Ricker, Filipino Food Movement founder PJ Quesada, and Korean Top Chef winner Kristen Kish.
“Stateless” by Duc Nguyen (60 minutes). Directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Duc H. Nguyen, the documentary presents another side of immigration by following a group Vietnamese people who are not considered as a national by any state. Through flashbacks and real time interviews, Nguyen uncovers the complicated international history and politics in the post Vietnam-American war era, which resulted in over 2,000 Vietnamese refugees or “Long-Stayers” in the Philippines trapped without nationality or citizenship.
“Memory of Forgotten War” by Deann Borshay Liem (30 minutes). In this documentary, historians Bruce Cumings and Ji-Yeon Yuh curate four accounts from survivors of the Korean War (1950-1953). Through newsreels, US military footage, and archival photographs, the documentary gives historical context to these personal stories of loss and struggle.
“This is My Home Now” by Mariah Dunn Kramer and Dean MacLeod (30 minutes). This documentary documents the lives of four youths who belong to an ethnic group in Central Vietnam Highlands, the Montagnard, as their families have come to America in the past decade.
The documentary shows the struggles of these youths who are living in two worlds—that of their parents and grandparents, who lived in the highlands of Vietnam but fled from government persecution for their Christian religion and desire for autonomy—and one of constant learning and adaptation to be Americans in North Carolina. --Elizabeth Marcelo/KBK, GMA News
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