Diaspora (short film)

By: Tingting Liu, Kayla Canama, Andrea Huang, Eleonora Shive
Course: IAT 344 Moving Images

Project description: Our film evokes nostalgia for children of immigrants as it serves as a link to reconnect them with their community. In the film we draw attention to the long history of Chinatown's nightlife before focusing on how the neighbourhood has changed due to gentrification and the disappearance of Chinese-owned nightclubs. However, our film asserts that clubbing is a crucial part of modern culture and still an irreplaceable part of Chinatown. The poet of Entertainment Jeremy Chu, which served as the basis for our film, illustrates how poetry has aided him in reconnecting with his Chinese heritage. Like many other children of immigrants, the poet believed that people's perceptions of him determined his cultural identity. Chu felt ashamed of not knowing his ancestors’ native tongue; however, this poem was his way of reconciling with this insecurity. Overall, we want to encourage students who are experiencing hardship to use art as a creative outlet.