A history of hatred
Sally Trans’ mixed-media short film documents centuries of anti-Asian racism in the US.
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Credits
View on- Director Sally Tran
- Producer Phuong Vo
- Colorist Ayumi Ashley
Explore full credits, grab hi-res stills and more on shots Vault
Credits
powered by- Director Sally Tran
- Producer Phuong Vo
- Colorist Ayumi Ashley
This exquisite, painful film by Vietnamese directory Sally Tran tells the story of the suffering of the Asian diaspora in the US.
From the Gold Rush of 1849 when Chinese immigrants were shipped to California as cheap labour, Asians have endured discrimination and hate crimes, and with the recent surge of racism the shame of bigotry and bias seems set to continue.
Using illustrations, animation, news broadcasts and testimonies, this film documents horrific massacres, the fetishisation of Asian women and girls, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882- 1943, in which people were banned from entering the US solely on the basis of race.
On the production of the film, Tran commented: “we were shooting on the format of the time, so during the 1800s, we shot on 16 millimetre; during the 1900s, we shot on 8 millimetre; we used VHS for Vincent Chin’s killing in 1982, and then digital when we got to the 2000s.”
A collaboration with AAPI creatives, including cinematographer Isabella Tan, the aim of the piece is to continue the Education in Action drive towards equality, while directing support to AAPI-led organizations fighting for social justice.
