“Turning poop culture into pop culture is the fastest way to solve the sanitation crisis” (Jack Sim) Yes, there is scatological humor in Lily Zepeda’s documentary Mr. Toilet: The World’s #2 Man. How can there not be given the subject: a worldwide sanitation crisis. It tells us that 2.5 billion people (about 40 percent of… [Read More]
Kingdom – Japanese Telling of Chinese History
If you strip away the sex and dragons from Game of Thrones you have the story of trying to unite warring factions into a single kingdom and bring the period of warfare to an end. Kingdom (based on a seinen manga series of graphic novels, and later a seventy-seven episode anime tv series) is a… [Read More]
The Farewell: The Beautiful Lie
Based on an actual lie,’ The Farewell follows the young Chinese-born but U.S.-raised Billi (Awkwafina) who reluctantly returns to Changchun to find that, although the whole family knows their beloved matriarch, Nai-Nai (grandma), has been given mere weeks to live, everyone has decided not to tell Nai Nai herself. To ensure that she doesn’t worry about her… [Read More]
When Love Sets Us Free: 1on1 with Celia Au (IN A NEW YORK MINUTE)
Currently playing at the Newport Beach Film Festival in Los Angeles, In a New York Minutegives a glimpse into the lives of three strangers who inadvertently discover that their problems may be solved by a single pregnancy test. Amy (Amy Chen) is haunted by a past breakup that has manifested into an eating disorder. Angel (Yi… [Read More]
The New Legends of Monkey: New Legends, Classic Story
The New Legends of Monkey follows the journey of Tripitaka (Luciane Buchanan), a young monk who lives in a world of gods and demons. Seeking an answer to the evils of the world, Tripitaka releases the Monkey King (Chai Hanson), a powerful yet cocky god who has the potential to reset the balance of spiritual power… [Read More]
The Girl and the Picture – 1 on 1 Interview with Director Vanessa Roth
I recently had the chance to talk by phone with Academy Award winner Vanessa Roth about her new short documentary, The Girl and the Picture, that played at the Newport Beach Film Festival. The film tells the story of Madame Xia, who as an eight year old girl survived the Nanjing Massacre (sometimes referred to… [Read More]
The Last Dalai Lama? – A Life of Compassion
The Dalai Lama is one of those persons who through their lives have transcended the religious labels that we choose to put on them. People of any faith—or even no faith—would do well to encounter this one who shares his life with us.
Born in China – This year’s Earth Day gift from Disneynature
There are four main animals that we get to meet and learn about: giant pandas, golden snub-nosed monkeys, snow leopards, and chiru antelope. The film flows back and forth between these animals as season moves to season.
Behind Bayonets and Barbed Wire – WWII POW experience
This is a bit of history that will soon be relegated to a time beyond the memory of the living. As such, this film adds perhaps one last time for the story to be heard from some who lived it.
Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang
Fire and gunpowder may seem like strange media for an artist, but Cai Guo-Qiang has mastered making art out of such ephemeral and temporary material.
