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This film block contains both documentaries and narratives all centered on finding a stronger sense of belonging through community and kinships. Many of these films center on the importance of building and maintaining bonds in their examination of the dynamics of diasporic Asian American identity.
This screening features 8 films. Toggle between film descriptions by scrolling and clicking on the buttons on the top right.
A young Chinese American woman tries to relearn Mandarin--a language she once knew as a child. Introducing Mimi explores the humor and frustration of losing your voice and finding it again.
Director - Emai Lai
Introducing Mimi” is a film co-created by director Emai Lai and screenwriter Amy Chu.
This story was inspired by Amy’s experience taking Mandarin classes, relearning and reconnecting with her family’s Wuhan dialect. Emai on the other hand, rage-quit Chinese school as a child and has never been fluent in Mandarin. She’s now attempting to repair her relationship with learning new languages and currently holds a 471-day streak on Duolingo.
Like many second-generation Asian Americans, we both share the frustration and regret of feeling disconnected from a culture or language we feel we "should" know better – whether it’s the language our parents speak, one we learned in school, or one we knew as children. While Mimi’s story focuses on her relationship with Mandarin, we hope it resonates with anyone who has a connection to a second language or has felt any angst about growing up and changing. At the end of the day, we want audiences to feel empowered and inspired to express themselves, even if they don’t have all the words for it.
This film block contains both documentaries and narratives all centered on finding a stronger sense of belonging through community and kinships. Many of these films center on the importance of building and maintaining bonds in their examination of the dynamics of diasporic Asian American identity.
This screening features 8 films. Toggle between film descriptions by scrolling and clicking on the buttons on the top right.
A young Chinese American woman tries to relearn Mandarin--a language she once knew as a child. Introducing Mimi explores the humor and frustration of losing your voice and finding it again.
Director - Emai Lai
Introducing Mimi” is a film co-created by director Emai Lai and screenwriter Amy Chu.
This story was inspired by Amy’s experience taking Mandarin classes, relearning and reconnecting with her family’s Wuhan dialect. Emai on the other hand, rage-quit Chinese school as a child and has never been fluent in Mandarin. She’s now attempting to repair her relationship with learning new languages and currently holds a 471-day streak on Duolingo.
Like many second-generation Asian Americans, we both share the frustration and regret of feeling disconnected from a culture or language we feel we "should" know better – whether it’s the language our parents speak, one we learned in school, or one we knew as children. While Mimi’s story focuses on her relationship with Mandarin, we hope it resonates with anyone who has a connection to a second language or has felt any angst about growing up and changing. At the end of the day, we want audiences to feel empowered and inspired to express themselves, even if they don’t have all the words for it.
