Asian-American and Pacific Islander STORIES
The films on this page focus heavily on the LGBTQ API experiences in America, including stories from Hawaiian, Indian and Pakistani cultures.
To find these resources through your local library, please use the invaluable Worldcat.org and search by Title or Director or use this search box below!
All In My Family. Dir. Hao Wu, 2018. 46 minutes
In this intimate and endearing short documentary, director Hao Wu, an immigrant to the United States from China, explores the fallout in his eccentric but loving family when he and his partner choose to have two children via surrogacy. Hao’s coming out has caused some conflict in his family before and, as a result, he is not out to his grandfather. However, suddenly showing up in China with two children raises many questions and Hao must decide whether to tell his grandfather the whole truth. Despite its short runtime, this delightful film provides meaningful insights on culture clash, family expectations, maturation, and the upsides and pitfalls of the truth.
Chutney Popcorn. Dir. Nisha Ganatra, 1999. 91 minutes
In this delightful and well-observed comedy, Sarita and Reena, two sisters with a devout and pious Indian mother, navigate the struggles of not following the cultural and religious expectations of them. Sarita is a newlywed, to her mother’s great satisfaction, but discovers she is medically unable to conceive. Reena is the black sheep of the family – a family that has never come to terms with the fact that she’s a lesbian, happily living with her Caucasian girlfriend, Lisa. An unlikely solution, with unforeseen complications and turmoil, arises when Reena offers to carry Sarita and her husband’s child to term. With a keen eye for family and relationship dynamics, this funny, wise film presents a crowd-pleasing story of an Indian family marrying tradition and modern life to reinvent itself stronger than ever.
Coming Out, Coming Home. Dir. Hima B., 1996. 44 minutes
Touching stories of Asian-American families actively working together to overcome their own homophobia and regressive attitudes propel this landmark documentary. Four families, 3 Chinese-American and 1 Filipino-American, tell their stories of what happened when a child comes out as gay or lesbian. They discuss their initial reactions, often informed by misinformation or cultural mores, and how they placed the values of love and family over prejudice. Still relevant today, this uplifting short documentary provides a roadmap and inspiration for families, often steeped in homophobia and misogyny, with LGBT members.
Front Cover. Dir. Ray Yeung, 2015. 87 minutes
A strong cast and disarmingly heartfelt moments propel this fast-paced comedy about Ryan, a gay fashion designer struggling with internalized racism about his Chinese heritage, so much so that he is far more comfortable around white people, despite the constant microaggressions he endures from them. He is paired with a flippant and homophobic Beijing superstar actor looking for a makeover ahead of his big Western crossover however the two bond in many surprising ways, helping them both to grow. This film offers a unique examination of characters who haven’t sought to find balance in the intersections they live in, instead only making peace with one aspect of themselves. That the profound unhappiness the results from that can be explored so well in a film so cheerful makes this a real gem.
In God’s House. Dir. Lina Oshino, 2006. 22 minutes
In the tradition of Hima B.’s Coming Out, Coming Home, this short documentary focuses on Asian-American families, specifically devoutly Christian and Catholic families, who have gay and lesbian family members. Very clearly intended as a conversation-starter within families and church communities, In God’s House addresses family and religious responsibilities to LGBT members and how they have often failed at living up to those responsibilities, often with devastating consequences. In addressing the toxic hypocrisy that leads to negative outcomes for Asian-American LGBT folks, this uplifting film also makes the case for radical love as a healing balm for communities torn about by religious- or culturally-informed prejudice.
In the Family. Dir. Patrick Wang, 2011. 169 minutes
Patrick Wang’s utterly absorbing, quiet, humanist masterstroke is an essential queer film that, despite being the longest film in this canon, earns every minute of its runtime and even leaves you wishing you could spend more time with these characters. Wang himself plays Joey, a Chinese-American contractor who lives with his partner Cody and co-parents Cody’s son, Chip, from a previous marriage. They seem to have found peace and happiness as a family unit, even with Cody’s extended family, until Cody dies in an accident. Chip, whose mother died in childbirth, continues to live with Joey and they grow and recover together from this trauma, until the extended family contests custody, throwing all lives into turmoil. This uniquely astute character study examines what happens next when all parties, who clearly want the best for Chip, try to find a way to navigate to the best possible solution. Joey’s ethnicity and his sexuality are not always explicitly centered, but they are clearly undercurrents, gently affecting characters’ motivations. The subtlety and wisdom of this film are truly something to behold, all the way up to its emotional, pitch-perfect final shot. A must-see.
Kumu Hina. Dir. Joe Wilson, 2013. 77 minutes
Hina Wong-Kalu, the driven, talented and intrepid protagonist, shines and brings to life this emotional docudrama about the Māhū tradition (analogous but not identical to two-spirit or transgender identities) in Hawaiian cultures and the joys and struggles that accompany modern Māhū lives in Hawaii. Hina uses her strength, determination and deep knowledge of Hawaiian traditions to teach and mentor young students, especially girls who seek to excel in traditionally male spaces. A significant and uniquely insightful subplot of the film focuses on the complexities and expectations of love and marriage as a Trans woman in America.
Milind Soman Made Me Gay. Dir. Harjant Gill, 2002. 26 minutes
A collection of queer men from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds, and many different cultural and family traditions, describe how the intersections of their identities lead to unique and fascinating experiences in America, especially after Matthew Shepard’s murder and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. This short film manages to touch on homophobia, islamophobia, alienation, and navigating dating, often interracial dating, in the 21st century. Its strengths are not necessarily in focusing on the difficult issues facing these men but in how they find inspiration, what keeps them motivated and what they want for their futures. This film fills an important gap with perspectives that have been alarmingly absent from the body of films giving voice to QPOC.
Saving Face. Dir. Alice Wu, 2004. 97 minutes
The romantic farce is a very difficult subgenre to execute well, but Alice Wu’s beloved comedy manages to knock it out of the park. Wilhelmina “Wil” Pang, a skilled Chinese-American surgeon but closeted lesbian, is constantly pressured by her more traditional mother to settle down with a man. Wil has grown used to living with this pressure, but her life is turned upside down when, in quick succession, she is charmed and romanced by gorgeous dancer Vivian (Lynn Chen) and her mother scandalizes her community by becoming pregnant out of wedlock at age 48. Despite the madcap hijinks that follow, this film succeeds in its clever and lived-in depictions of a close-knit Chinese-American community (indeed, at least half of the dialogue is in Mandarin) and the infectiously warm romance at its center.
Spa Night. Dir. Andrew Ahn, 2016. 96 minutes
Andrew Ahn’s contemplative, melancholy, and sensually shot drama focuses on a Korean immigrant family struggling to survive the broken promises of the “American Dream.” David, the son, is fiercely loyal to his parents, but seems overcome by both isolation and fear. His parents gave up everything to migrate to America so David could attend a good college, get married, and have children, but David is mortified to tell them that not only does college seem unattractive, but he’s been acknowledging his attraction to other men more and more consciously. When the family’s business fails, David gets a job at the local spa, which is a cultural hub of sorts but also, as he discovers, a cruising spot for the men who frequent it. What sets Spa Night apart from other LGBT coming-of-age stories is that the focus is on the internal rather than actions. Ahn wisely trusts the viewer to read between the lines, rather than overtly stating the cascading emotions of sorrow, longing, alienation, disappointment, and regret. Even when events climax, the understatement of the moment is more powerful than anything more overt could ever be. This understated, mature film is gloomier than many other narrative films on this list, but it’s one of the truest and most enriching.
Speak Easy, B. Dir. Becca Park, 2018. 15 minutes
Becca Park’s surreal, lush, and funny short film examines themes of depression, abandonment, and cultural alienation. Becca Park herself plays the title character, attempting to find a way to explain the complexity of these feelings to a white therapist who may not be equipped to understand. We follow her on a metaphorical journey to vast deserts, kitschy diners, and a hilarious interaction with her own inner child. Rarely has a film packed so many complex ideas surrounding intersectional identities into such a short and aesthetically daring film.
The Wedding Banquet. Dir. Ang Lee, 1993. 107 minutes
Ang Lee’s groundbreaking classic is half farce, half touching family character study. The Wedding Banquet tells the story of Wai-Tung, a Taiwanese immigrant, whose parents constantly pressure him to find a wife and settle down. Unbeknownst to them, Wai-Tung is both gay and in a happy, long-term relationship with Simon, a Caucasian man. They hatch a plan to get Wai-Tung’s parents’ off his back by entering into a sham marriage with one of his poorer tenants, which backfires in routinely hilarious ways. This film explores both the gay immigrant experience in America and how intersectional issues of culture, generational differences, and family expectations can disrupt QPOC’s lives by pulling them in far too many directions at once, while also providing well-earned hope that the experiences and expectations can be reconciled. This film might seem jarringly dated at times to younger viewers (obviously, marriage equality was 20 years away and the scene where a character receives a first-generation cell phone as a gift is unintentionally hilarious in modern times), but this film was and is an astonishing achievement and a surprisingly mainstream critical and commercial success, proving that there was an audience for stories like this. P.S. - The long scene of the titular wedding banquet is one of the most joyously entertaining celebrations ever captured on film.
The Worlds of Bernice Bing. Dir. Madeleine Lim, 2013. 35 minutes
This lean, brisk, and loving exploration of influential Chinese-American lesbian artist and activist Bernice Bing is an expertly crafted retrospective on her life and works. Bing’s tumultuous personal life, prolific artistic contributions, and intersectional issues in the art world are explored in surprising depth for a film of this runtime. This is a profound and emotional paean to one of art’s most unfairly overlooked pioneers is a worthy and eye-opening tribute.