16 | Friday, May 15, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE A new series examines the lives of Asian Americans
SAN FRANCISCO — A fiveepisode doc umentary series entitled Asian Americans has been released in the United States, with its first two episodes premiering on the Public Broadcasting Service on Mon day. The series delivers “a bold, fresh per spective on a history that matters today, more than ever, as America becomes more diverse and more divided while facing unimaginable challenges”, PBS says on its website. Led by a team of Asian American film makers, the series examines the signifi cant role of Asian Americans in shaping US history and identity, from Chinese rail workers’ longforgotten contribution in the 1850s to modern refugee crises in a glo bally connected world. At a digital town hall organized by the Center for Asian American Media in con nection with the series’ premiere, US con gresswoman Judy Chu says for many Asian Americans, it’s not just the health risks of the coronavirus that are a cause for concern right now, but also “the anti Asian bigotry that this pandemic has incited”. Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to US Congress, adds: “There’s no better time to reflect on the history of con tributions of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community. “This is especially true when it comes to Acclaimed authors (from left) Ma Chiahui from Hong Kong, Alai from Sichuan province and Xiaobai from Shanghai voice their views on litera Top: addressing antiAsian hate crimes. ture and bigger issues like the meaning of life in the new documentary, Wenxue De Richang (“everyday life of literature”). Painter Wu Above left: “We must continue to push back against Xiaohai visits author Ma Yuan’s home in a remote village in Yunnan province. Writer Mai Jia (left) leads critic Shi Hang on a visit to the Above right: the xenophobia every time it rears its ugly house where he spent his childhood in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY head … Our history has shown us that Asian Americans have often been used as it goes in times of crisis. “We are seeing this again today, which is why it is more important now than ever that we stand united and make our voices heard.” The rest of the documentary’s three epi Journey of authors sodes aired on Tuesday. The premiere is also a part of the films and performances program of San Francisco’s AsiaPacific American Heritage Month. May has been celebrated as APA Heri A new Chinese documentary is drawing academics and young viewers, tage Month for the past 15 years in San Wang Kaihao reports. Francisco. Because of the COVID19 pan demic, this year’s APA events cannot take place as usual. irector Wang Shengzhi says As to the challenges faced by Chinese has received 8.6 points out of 10. San Francisco mayor London Breed there was little to direct in writers, Alai says his work was once “I’m surprised to find many people calls for fighting against discrimination his newly released fivepart turned down by some publishers who in their early 20s love it, though we and hate amid the pandemic while documentary. said his writing was elegant but too originally thought it may cater to aca addressing the virtual opening of APA DA coproduction of mainland channel good to sell well in the market. demics,” Wang says. “We often Heritage Month. Straits TV and streaming platform You “People always want to buy the best thought they (young people) prefer “During this global pandemic, the APA ku, the documentary on wellknown things in the material world,” Alai says. short clips with quick rhythm. Howev communities are facing unfair treatment, Chinese authors debuted on April 16. “However, in the spiritual world, why is er, who doesn’t have a sleepless night prejudice and threats simply because of In Wenxue De Richang (“everyday something ‘too’ good to sell?” when hearing raindrops outside and who they are,” she says. “There is no place life of literature”), an author is featured Though Wang had expected the falling into nostalgia? It reminds us for discrimination and hate in our city or in each episode, with other guests — a authors to voice their views on modern not to simply stereotype young gener our country.” literary critic, an artist and a writer — literature in the documentary, their ations.” also speaking, while Wang is seen interviews went on to bigger issues In modern society, not everyone has XINHUA observing their conversations over two such as the meaning of life and analy the time to read books, he adds. or three days. ses of their own personalities. Wang “People still consider reading to be a “Each author has a different person did not intervene. beautiful thing. We hope our documen ality,” Wang tells China Daily via phone. “Compared with texts, visuals seem tary awakens this feeling.” “But they have one thing in common — too shallow to fully display what they Meng Yan, producer of the documen they all instinctively distance them wanted to express through literature,” tary, says literature is not the threshold selves from the camera because they Wang says. for the audience. don’t want to ‘act’.” “I don’t expect to reflect how great “The authors talk about home He continues, “It took more time to writers they are via the documentary. If towns, generation gaps, juvenile persuade them to join the project than you want to know, you have to read issues, life and death, and many the shooting per se. Nevertheless, hear People still consider their books … I can only offer a glimpse themes concerning all of us,” she says. ing their indepth dialogues was very of their lives.” “Audiences will be led to notice enjoyable.” reading to be a Wang was best known for his some subtle emotions in life, which Though Wang has a master’s degree beautiful thing. We acclaimed documentary, Breakfast in can be easily neglected … Books are in Chinese literature, he says he’s not China, which is close to people’s every only teasers to introduce us to the competent enough to vein a fair dia hope our documentary day lives. Consequently, speaking of authors’ worlds. We can think of our logue with the authors. That’s why he awakens this feeling.” authors’ everyday lives, Wang once own pain points and explore what is a invited critics, artists and writers as thought it was probably better to shoot really interesting life.” guests in the documentary, whose Wang Shengzhi, director of scenes of them visiting teahouses or Meng says the COVID19 pandemic understanding of literature and the documentary Wenxue De markets. has also given the audience more space spiritual world is roughly on par with Richang “But I found their everyday lives to resonate with and get inspired by the the authors’. often have nothing to do with that,” production. “It enabled them to share their bril Wang says, adding that Alai, for exam “Only when faced with diseases or liant minds,” Wang explains. Alai gets emotional on camera recall ple, spends a lot of his time at home — other emergencies do people begin to One episode is on Ma Yuan, 67, a nov ing his experience of the devastating reading, meditating and smoking. consider how their lives can be rear elist who rose to fame in the 1980s for magnitude8.0 earthquake in Sichuan “We set the scenes where they (the ranged and what the next steps should his creative narrative skills. Ma left in 2008 when speaking to literary critic authors) felt comfortable.” be.” Shanghai in 2008 after being diag Xie Youshun. Novelist Ma Chiahui, who lives in While the documentary may trigger nosed with cancer and has lived in a For Alai, it was a bitter yet inspira Hong Kong, chose to talk about life and people’s metaphysical thinking, one small village of the Hani ethnic group tional time to consider the matter of death while walking in a graveyard in thing is still very downtoearth: in Yunnan province since. life and death on a deeper level. One another episode. Though the authors’ works and glori The documentary shows painter Wu night after the earthquake, he was rest And, “feeling uncomfortable” can be ous resumes do not frequently appear Xiaohai visiting Ma in his selfdesigned ing in his car, listening to Mozart’s inspirational. in the documentary except when they villa, where studies are named after Requiem, and was shocked to suddenly In one episode, author Mai Jia, 55, are invited to read some chapters from eminent writers such as Victor Hugo find the car surrounded by people. No whose spygenre novels, including their own books, some of their novels and Leo Tolstoy. one spoke a word. Decoded and The Message, have been have been out of stock online since the “Today’s people really show them “I thought they would smash the translated into more than 30 langua documentary was released, the direct selves on social media. They have gone window (for robbery),” Alai says in the ges, talks with nostalgia in the house or says. far from the nature of life,” Ma says in episode. “But everyone was just listen where he spent his childhood. Some It took Wang two years to collect the the episode. “I’m not a hermit … I’m ing. When the music stopped, they left people are seen playing mahjong. The footage in spite of the relatively short only living in a way that is like the quietly … That’s the feeling I would like author suddenly begins to introspect: duration of shooting. essence of literature, unadorned but to include in my writing.” “Training in literature has made me too “I have to take a long time getting out poetic.” It took him a decade to begin writing sensitive to find joy in everyday enter of one author’s world and looking for The PBS documentary series, Asian A similar situation is noticed in the his novel on the catastrophe, Yun tainment. I am too sensitive and can the right mood for the next one,” he Americans, examines the significant episode on Alai, 61, an author of Tibet Zhong Ji (“diary in the clouds”), which easily go to extremes.” says. role of Asian Americans in US society, an ethnicity who’s based in Chengdu, is narrated from a Tibetan monk’s per Mai, who was initially tense during He has followed 10 authors for the politics and pop culture over the past Sichuan province, and is best known spective to reveal not only pain but also recording, fully opens his heart later. project, so there will be a season two, few centuries. The show features for his novel, Dust Settled Down. He awe of nature. Wang says it is the documentary’s most with five more episodes. reflections from Fresh Off the Boat does not use WeChat and had to be per “In spite of huge loss, you have noth highlighted moment. star Randall Park (above) and is suaded by Wang to appear in the docu ing to hate, because it’s brought on by On Douban, a major film and TV Contact the writer at conarrated by actor Daniel Dae Kim mentary. nature,” Alai says in the documentary. review website, Wenxue De Richang [email protected] (top). PHOTOS BY AP