Filmmaking
My approach toward documentary filmmaking is based in community work. I see non-fiction narratives as a tool for community organizing to bridge audiences toward mobilization. I enjoy collaborating with grassroots organizations to create films that strengthen existing movements.
Please see selected examples of my filmmaking below.
FIGHTING FOR FAMILY
Role: Director, Producer, Editor
FIGHTING FOR FAMILY is a 30-minute documentary about the family separation caused by deportation. The film captures the love story between a young family who faces countless challenges, yet continues to be hopeful, resilient, and joyful. FIGHTING FOR FAMILY discusses the U.S. imperialist war machine and the intergenerational harm that it inflicts, from the refugee flight to the school to prison to deportation pipeline, but also highlights the power of resilience and community resistance. This film was produced in collaboration with community organizers in the movement to end Southeast Asian deportations and created alongside directly impacted individuals.
CAMBODIA TOWN: NOT FOR SALE
Role: Co-director
As small ethnic-owned businesses in East Anaheim Plaza are threatened by plans of redevelopment, the collective Long Beach community has mobilized to resist against this ongoing injustice.
This 8-minute short film, co-directed by Brandon Soun, was produced in collaboration with the Cambodia Town Thrives Coalition, and has been used at community events mobilizing the Long Beach community to resist gentrification.
PSA Video: Incarceration and COVID-19
Role: Director, Editor,
In partnership with the community group API RISE, I directed this PSA video, shot and recorded fully over Zoom, to spread awareness of public health hazards inside prisons, jails, and ICE detention centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
#PardonMaria
Role: Co-Director, cinematographer, editor
After changing her life and gaining her freedom from a 23-year prison sentence, Maria Kanaka faces a new challenge as she learns she may be deported to the Philippines. This short film was produced in collaboration with Maria Kanaka to supplement her application for a governor's pardon. Co-directed by Brandon Soun.