Our next free screening for Connect SD is taking place on Saturday, February 6 at 1PM at the Bayside Community Center in Linda Vista. It's a documentary film that spans 18 years, following the life of a Hmong shaman, trying to uphold his family traditions in Michigan. Here's the trailer:
We screened this film at the SDAFF in 2001, and I'm so glad to be able to see it again. Hope you can join us!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Q&A with director Zeus Quijano, Jr.
Lee Ann Kim interviews Zeus Quijano, Jr., director of the short documentary, POINT OF ENTRY, which screened at the 2009 San Diego Asian Film Festival. Point of Entry is screening again in San Diego on 1/22/10 as part of SDAFF’s Connect program, as well as at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival.
LA: How did you find Carlos, and what inspired you to tell his story? Was he afraid of exposing his immigration status on camera?
ZEUS: I would go to the restaurant that Carlos works in and being that he’s an amiable person, we would talk quite a lot. We’d talk about family and he’d tell me about his life in Mexico and it would be heartbreaking to hear him reminisce about having to leave his loved ones.
Because Carlos is such a kind and caring person, I knew that I wanted to tell his story. The story of illegal immigration has been told before, but I knew that if I focused on Carlos and his family and not the issue, something more powerful would resonate. Also, what inspired me was the chance to give him and his family a voice. The media doesn’t give that opportunity out much. Illegal immigrants are unfortunately and usually relegated to negative statistics.
I was more afraid for him as far as exposing his immigration status. Carlos is very adamant about wanting to tell his story. He’d tell me over and over again that he wants to be out in the open about it. He doesn’t feel like he’s done anything wrong. He has an honest job and cares for his family. America has given him many opportunities.
LA: I've seen this story so many times before. But what really made it different was spending time with his family in Mexico, showing who he left behind. What was that experience like, and was the family reluctant in any way?
ZEUS: My wife Lisa and I had never been to Mexico, but I knew that I wanted to go there to give Carlos a chance to see his family. I knew Carlos wouldn’t be able to go and we had our reservations, but in my heart, I knew that the family that raised such a kind person in Carlos would be equally kind to us.
The family took us in and treated us like…well…family. They were wonderful and they cared about our safety and well-being. They knew that the purpose for us being there was to give them a chance to see each other and that opened up the door tremendously. They were very forthcoming and honest. It was a great experience.
LA: What kind of message do you want to share in this film?
ZEUS: It’s a simple film. It doesn’t have a huge message. It’s just a movie about a family that loves each other…they just happen to live on opposite sides of an unyielding border fence.
LA: Is there a difference between how Latino/Mexican audiences see this film and the way non Latino audience see this film? What is their reaction?
It depends. There have been non Latinos who understand the immigration and separation. There have been non Latinos who haven’t but have told me that seeing them in this light has opened their eyes to something they haven’t been exposed to.
I was fortunate to screen the film to a Latino audience, and the reaction was favorable across the board. They felt very connected to the family and that was something I was hoping for.
LA: Did Carlos and his family see the film? If so, how do they feel about it?
ZEUS: Carlos loved it. It was both painful and joyful being able to “see” his family.
LA: I read in an interview about your best friend, a Border Patrol Agent who saw the film but had no comment. Has he talked to you about the film yet? And if not, what do you attribute his silence?
ZEUS: My best friend deals with illegal immigrants on a daily basis and some of them aren’t very nice. He also knows that not all of them are bad, but it’s his job to protect the borders. We have yet to talk about the film. We’ll talk about sports, though.
LA: Please share any surprising reaction to the film - esp if someone still feels negatively towards "illegals"
ZEUS: My trailer was posted on youtube and there were a couple of people who haven’t seen the film, but felt it necessary to say that Carlos is here illegally and that he needs to go back.
I understand that it’s a difficult issue to deal with, but at the end of the day, we’re all humans. People look to better themselves and it’s a shame that a few bad people ruin it for the honest and caring people out there. I imagine that the majority of illegal immigrants are honest and hard working. It’s just a sad situation.
Official Point of Entry website: http://www.pointofentrymovie.com/
Watch the trailer of POINT OF ENTRY on Youtube, click HERE.
LA: How did you find Carlos, and what inspired you to tell his story? Was he afraid of exposing his immigration status on camera?
ZEUS: I would go to the restaurant that Carlos works in and being that he’s an amiable person, we would talk quite a lot. We’d talk about family and he’d tell me about his life in Mexico and it would be heartbreaking to hear him reminisce about having to leave his loved ones.
Because Carlos is such a kind and caring person, I knew that I wanted to tell his story. The story of illegal immigration has been told before, but I knew that if I focused on Carlos and his family and not the issue, something more powerful would resonate. Also, what inspired me was the chance to give him and his family a voice. The media doesn’t give that opportunity out much. Illegal immigrants are unfortunately and usually relegated to negative statistics.I was more afraid for him as far as exposing his immigration status. Carlos is very adamant about wanting to tell his story. He’d tell me over and over again that he wants to be out in the open about it. He doesn’t feel like he’s done anything wrong. He has an honest job and cares for his family. America has given him many opportunities.
LA: I've seen this story so many times before. But what really made it different was spending time with his family in Mexico, showing who he left behind. What was that experience like, and was the family reluctant in any way?
ZEUS: My wife Lisa and I had never been to Mexico, but I knew that I wanted to go there to give Carlos a chance to see his family. I knew Carlos wouldn’t be able to go and we had our reservations, but in my heart, I knew that the family that raised such a kind person in Carlos would be equally kind to us.
The family took us in and treated us like…well…family. They were wonderful and they cared about our safety and well-being. They knew that the purpose for us being there was to give them a chance to see each other and that opened up the door tremendously. They were very forthcoming and honest. It was a great experience.
LA: What kind of message do you want to share in this film?
ZEUS: It’s a simple film. It doesn’t have a huge message. It’s just a movie about a family that loves each other…they just happen to live on opposite sides of an unyielding border fence.
LA: Is there a difference between how Latino/Mexican audiences see this film and the way non Latino audience see this film? What is their reaction?
It depends. There have been non Latinos who understand the immigration and separation. There have been non Latinos who haven’t but have told me that seeing them in this light has opened their eyes to something they haven’t been exposed to.
I was fortunate to screen the film to a Latino audience, and the reaction was favorable across the board. They felt very connected to the family and that was something I was hoping for.
LA: Did Carlos and his family see the film? If so, how do they feel about it?
ZEUS: Carlos loved it. It was both painful and joyful being able to “see” his family.
LA: I read in an interview about your best friend, a Border Patrol Agent who saw the film but had no comment. Has he talked to you about the film yet? And if not, what do you attribute his silence?
ZEUS: My best friend deals with illegal immigrants on a daily basis and some of them aren’t very nice. He also knows that not all of them are bad, but it’s his job to protect the borders. We have yet to talk about the film. We’ll talk about sports, though.
LA: Please share any surprising reaction to the film - esp if someone still feels negatively towards "illegals"
ZEUS: My trailer was posted on youtube and there were a couple of people who haven’t seen the film, but felt it necessary to say that Carlos is here illegally and that he needs to go back.
I understand that it’s a difficult issue to deal with, but at the end of the day, we’re all humans. People look to better themselves and it’s a shame that a few bad people ruin it for the honest and caring people out there. I imagine that the majority of illegal immigrants are honest and hard working. It’s just a sad situation.
Official Point of Entry website: http://www.pointofentrymovie.com/
Watch the trailer of POINT OF ENTRY on Youtube, click HERE.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
How to Watch Film Critically
One of the goals of our Connect San Diego program is to enhance our community's film literacy and ability to watch films critically. Not only does this make film viewing a more enjoyable experience, but it also increases our community's appreciate of film as art.
Please share this one-sheet on How to Watch Film with your family and friends.
How to Watch Film
Please share this one-sheet on How to Watch Film with your family and friends.
How to Watch Film
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Point of Entry - FREE FILM THIS FRIDAY
We're kicking off our Connect San Diego film series at the Bayside Community Center in Linda Vista with the film, POINT OF ENTRY, by director Zeus Quijano. This film is extremely relevant in San Diego, given all the heated debate about immigration.
POINT OF ENTRY (Free Film Screening)
Friday, Jan 22 6:30 - 7:30pm
Bayside Community Center
2202 Comstock Street
San Diego, CA 92111-6502
(858) 278-0771
Friday, January 15, 2010
Gathering the Troops
Years ago, when I first moved into San Diego, one of the first places I looked for a place to live was in Linda Vista. Home to the beautiful campus of the University of San Diego, Linda Vista holds a very special place in my heart - especially since we began our very first San Diego Asian Film Festival there in August 2000.
Now many years later, I return to Linda Vista through our partnership with the Bayside Community Center to launch a grassroots media arts program called CONNECT SAN DIEGO, where we are planning to bring together Hmong, Vietnamese, Mixtec, and Mexican residents together through film, digital storytelling, and rich discourse.
One of the best things of working with Bayside Community Center, is its passionate executive director, Jorge Riquelme, who has advocacy in his blood. I'm talkin' this brother is DOWN. And he always makes certain we're well-fed. (Gracias, compadre!)
We also invited leaders from various ethnic organizations to get their commitment to this program. I was so happy to see every group represented in this small room, and by the end of the evening, everyone seemed to agree what we proposed was a good start to connecting communities cross-culturally and inter-generationally within Linda Vista.
There are so many rich histories, languages, and cultures here, but the citizens themselves may not share them with one another because of various barriers. We hope to change that.
After our meeting of the minds, one our way to the parking lot, I was surprised to see this small group of young people at Bayside's basketball court practicing their lion dance. (It is that time of year, after all for Lucky Lion dancers). It was a nice end to a culturally enriching day.
Now many years later, I return to Linda Vista through our partnership with the Bayside Community Center to launch a grassroots media arts program called CONNECT SAN DIEGO, where we are planning to bring together Hmong, Vietnamese, Mixtec, and Mexican residents together through film, digital storytelling, and rich discourse.
One of the best things of working with Bayside Community Center, is its passionate executive director, Jorge Riquelme, who has advocacy in his blood. I'm talkin' this brother is DOWN. And he always makes certain we're well-fed. (Gracias, compadre!)
We also invited leaders from various ethnic organizations to get their commitment to this program. I was so happy to see every group represented in this small room, and by the end of the evening, everyone seemed to agree what we proposed was a good start to connecting communities cross-culturally and inter-generationally within Linda Vista.
There are so many rich histories, languages, and cultures here, but the citizens themselves may not share them with one another because of various barriers. We hope to change that.
After our meeting of the minds, one our way to the parking lot, I was surprised to see this small group of young people at Bayside's basketball court practicing their lion dance. (It is that time of year, after all for Lucky Lion dancers). It was a nice end to a culturally enriching day.
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