Film: That Asian Thing

Thursday, June 26, 2008



This is coming pretty late, but you still have time to watch the documentary That Asian Thing online for free down at Lycos Cinema, as well as - and more importantly - vote for it to become part of the Independent Features Film Festival at the Tribeca Cinemas.

All you need to do is vote for it by going to http://cinema.lycos.com/movies/that_asian_thing.

Here's a synopsis of the film:

'That Asian Thing' is a culmination of interviews by Jonald Reyes, an Asian-American, who attempts to figure out why there is a low impact of Asian-Americans in mainstream American culture. As he explores his city of Chicago, IL, he finds a growing Asian-American community that continues to educate people on the cultural medium between what is 'Asian' and what is 'American.' Along the way, questions are brought to the forefront: What is mainstream culture? What is Asian-America? and how does this 'model minority' not excel in mediated entertainment? This film exposes performances from amazing spoken word artists, rappers, folk singers, and rock bands. Also, his interviews with actors and comedians spark up thoughts of Asian-American representation and observations.
I haven't seen it myself yet, but caught some clips and while rough, looks like it could be pretty cool. Here's a list of Asian American artists from the film's website at http://www.thatasianthing.com/: