FINDING HOME: AAPI SHORTS

A selection of short films about Asian immigrants searching for their place in America: the opportunities found, and the challenges faced along the way.

2024 | Documentary & Narrative | USA | 82 min | English, Mandarin and Tibetan, with English Subtitles | Digital

Presented In Partnership with:

https://ccamuseum.org/

The Chinese American Museum of Chicago (CAMOC) is a dynamic cultural institution dedicated to uncovering and celebrating the rich history and experiences of Chinese Americans in the Midwest, with a special focus on Chicago’s Chinatown. We are more than a museum; we are a vibrant, evolving community hub that offers a fresh perspective on Chinese American identity. At CAMOC, we aim to be a welcoming, contemporary, and dynamic space that embraces a fresh take on iconic cultural elements, expanding the visual and cultural language beyond stereotypes.

https://www.cbcacchicago.org/

Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community (CBCAC) is a civic engagement nonprofit in Chicago Chinatown established in 1998. CBCAC unites the resources of member organizations and individual members to empower Chinese American communities in Greater Chicago. CBCAC carries out its mission through civic education, issue advocacy, communication with policy makers, and community mobilization.

Monday, May 19, 2025
6:00 PM

Gene Siskel Film Center
164 N State St, Chicago, IL 60601

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Saraṇam Gacchâmi (I Take Refuge)

Directed by Priyanka Suryaneni [In-Person for Q&A]
https://prisuryaneni.com/

Thupten Donyo, a visionary Buddhist monk from the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, leads one of the Bay Area's largest Tibetan monasteries—an invaluable sanctuary for Tibetan culture and community in the diaspora. He wears many hats at the monastery—prayer leader, spiritual guide, gardener, and even Halloween party planner! Now, nearing retirement, he hopes to find a worthy successor to carry forward the Monastery's legacy.

Rock Springs

Directed by David Huang
https://www.davidhuangfilm.com/

In the tense days before the 1885 Chinese Massacre in Rock Springs, Wyoming, two brothers—Lor and Leo Sun—struggle to survive rising violence. Lor dreams of heading West for a new life, while Leo, loyal to the mining company, remains with his crew. The night before the massacre, they part ways. As chaos erupts, Lor must choose between leading his fellow miners to safety or risking everything to find his brother.

Bluff City Chinese

Directed by Thandi Cai [In-Person for Q&A]
https://bluffcitychinese.com/

Bluff City Chinese follows two Chinese American storytellers, filmmaker Thandi Cai and Delta elder Emerald Dunn, as they uncover the untold history of Chinese immigrants in Memphis, Tennessee. Through personal journeys, community oral histories, and archival research, the film weaves a 150-year tapestry of identity, belonging, and resilience. Set against a backdrop of social and racial tensions, this intergenerational collaboration celebrates the power of storytelling to preserve heritage, bridge divides, and inspire unity for future generations.

2024 | Narrative | USA | 47 mins | English | Digital