Every year, thousands of North Koreans make the dangerous journey across the border to escape oppression and poverty. In March of 2005, Danny was one of them. He crossed into China and escaped a life of indoctrination, routine public executions, and starvation. As Danny traveled, he saw a world he never knew existed. A world where movement was not monitored by the government, information was readily available, and most importantly at the time, there was enough food to fill his empty belly. This is a documentary about Danny’s story– from his challenging life in North Korea, to his brave escape to China, and his resettlement journey in the United States. Meet Danny, he’s from North Korea.
She is the femme fatale behind a rogue state’s most deadly terrorist act. In this exclusive interview, Kim Hyon Hui reveals her experiences as North Korea’s top female agent and discusses the nation’s war cries.
“I was in no position to argue if a mission was right or wrong”, says Kim Hyon Hui. In 1987, she successfully carried out a mission to blow up a South Korean airliner, killing 115 people. Sentenced to death in Seoul, she was later pardoned by the South Korean government, who decided she was merely a brainwashed victim of the Kim cult. In this exclusive interview, she recounts her journey from a bright teenager, hand-picked by the regime to become a deadly agent, to dealing with a life of guilt. “I regret what I did and I am repentant”, says Kim Hyon Hui, who feels it is now her destiny to testify about the “terror perpetrated by North Korea”.
In episode 3 of the webseries They’re All So Beautiful, they attempt to answer the question “What do Asian men think of Yellow Fever?” If the predominant Asian fetish is of men (of all ethnicities) toward Asian women, where does that leave Asian and Asian American men? While stereotypes of Asian women make them desirable (submissive, catering, attentive, empathetic) Asian men have been historically seen as invisible, or worse. Men and women speak candidly about Asian male stereotypes, such as: “when an Asian women has chinky eyes, they’re exotic, but when an Asian man has chinky eyes, it’s just chinky.” A white female store owner comes right out and says that Asian men “seem serious, studious” and “up-tight.” Spoken word artist Bao Phi and diverse Asian American men offer counterpoints to the misperceptions, and reflect on how “yellow fever” impacts Asian male identity. Often poking fun, these men also comment on stereotypes about Asian women with an “insider’s” perspective. “In my experience, Asian women are belligerent, demanding and controlling… and I support that,” states one mid-aged Asian American man. A young Asian American man also notes that Asian American women out-marry more than any other ethnicity in America. So why is that?
Talking head commentary from experts and everyday Asian/Americans, as well as interviews with patrons of Asian fetish forums spell out the implications of race-based romantic preferences with honesty and humor, making They’re All So Beautiful provocative while politically agnostic. It promises to surprise viewers with its thoughtful look at modern love and relationships, just as with Lum’s award-winning documentary, Seeking Asian Female, which provides the thematic basis of They’re All So Beautiful.
Weekly webisodes will air online leading up to the national broadcast of Seeking Asian Female on Independent Lens on Monday, May 6, 2013 at 10:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).
They’re All So Beautiful Episode 3
More about They’re All So Beautiful
They’re All So Beautiful is a six-part web series directed by Debbie Lum and co-produced by Maikiko James. The short online documentary episodes are designed to stimulate discussion on yellow fever – a unique but in many ways ubiquitous predilection Western men have for women of Asian descent. Each video starts with a question:
Episode 1: What is Yellow Fever?
Episode 2: Do you have to be white to have Yellow Fever?
Episode 3: What do Asian men think of it?
Episode 4: What about White Fever-Asian women who seek out white men?
Episode 5: What about marriage?
Korean-American actor Daniel Dae Kim discusses how he sees Asian Americans making a difference in U.S. society. From television to government, Asian American have been making inroads into the mainstream media. Get ready to celebrate your Asian Pacific American heritage in the month of May.
Made In Asia NYC cranked out their latest short Letting Go. It’s a short film that illustrates the difficulty of becoming independent and growing as an individual, even if it means turning away from the things you love most. One of the hardest things is having “the talk” about the situation and where to go from here.
1935 Los Angeles, community leader Sei Fujii, one of the most pinnacle civil rights leaders in the early 20th century, uncovers the corrupt activities of his community’s underground mafia. He must choose between saving the face of his deteriorating community and confronting the issues head on through his newspaper. The narrative highlights the journey of Sei Fujii away from his political contributions, but into his interpersonal journey to defend and promote his deteriorating community during the Great Depression.
Lil Tokyo Reporter is the story of Sei Fujii (Tashima), a civic rights leader who vowed to protect his people, defending them in legal cases with Attorney Wright (Whitney) and building a much needed hospital for the Japanese American community. During the Great Depression, the community unites at their first annual pageant parade while Fujii promotes their accomplishments through his new radio program and newspaper. Wright brings to Fujii’s attention a group running the local gambling hall who decided to take advantage of his community. Fujii must make a decision to confront the issue through his reporting and newspaper. Will these local baddies win over our historic civil rights leader? Or will our hero survive a road that will lead him into many unexpected twist of events. Tune in this summer to find out.
The film stars Chris Tashima, Eijiro Ozaki, Ikuma Ando, Keiko Agena, and Sewell Whitney. Look for it hitting a film festival near you.
