film Archives - Sampan

November 18, 2023 0

Sunshine Brings Science to the Screen

The Coolidge Theater screened Sunshine (2007) on November 6th as part of their “Science on Screen” programming, including a talk by Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Katharine Reeves. The talk that accompanied the Sci-fi/horror film was on the topic “What It’s Like to Fly Through a Solar Eruption.” The audience laughed along with Dr. Reeves throughout the entire half-hour presentation as she gave a humorous and accessible lecture to a room full of moviegoers. It provided a nice introduction to the very […]

November 18, 2023 0

Killers of the Flower Moon Is a Painful Descent Into Historical Injustice

by Yizhen Zhang

In the vast expanses of the Oklahoma Hills, where the blooming flowers succumb to the shadows of taller plants in May, a grim chapter of American history unfolds in the 2023 epic Western crime drama, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” The film meticulously chronicles the chilling series of murders that plagued the Osage Tribe during the Osage “Reign of Terror” in May 1921. The narrative roots itself in the aftermath of the Osage Allotment Act of 1906 and the Burke […]

July 12, 2022 0

Immigrant and Minority Representation at the Roxbury Film Festival

by Sonia Cavazos

Authentic and truthful minority representation in media and film is difficult to come by, but the Roxbury Film Festival has promised to do just that. The line up in this year’s festival celebrates the diverse untold stories of different minorities, with films that focus on immigration and poverty. Celebrating its 24th year in action, the Roxbury Film Festival boasts a startling line-up, the kick-off feature being Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story. From influential Gospel singers during the Civil Rights […]

Waikiki film at Boston Asian American Film Festival

November 5, 2021 0

Boston Asian American Film Festival — building visual connections

by Shira Laucharoen

This year’s Boston Asian American Film Festival (BAAFF) presented stories that may have unintentionally centered around a common theme of healing, or the medicinal value of movies. A fitting thread for a community “rising together” out of the pandemic. While the previous year’s selection of films seemed to emphasize activism and social and political issues impacting Asians, such as the frontlines of the pandemic and the suppression of media in the Philippines, the featured 2021 productions were slightly more intimate, […]

September 17, 2021 0

Shang-Chi: the success of cinematic Asian-American representation

by Sampan Staff

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings made history on September 3, 2021 as the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to feature an Asian lead. Just days later, it became the new record holder of highest grossing film during Labor Day weekend, and the highest grossing overall during the COVID-19 pandemic, having earned $71.4 million at the box office. Shang-Chi is an adaptation of a Marvel Comics storyline with dated origins that has been brought back […]

Boston's Chinatown in A Tale of Three Chinatowns Film

June 25, 2021 0

“A Tale of Three Chinatowns” raises concerns about neighborhoods’ survival

by Shira Laucharoen

Photo courtesy of ArtsEmerson “A Tale of Three Chinatowns” is a documentary film screened through the Roxbury International Film Festival, in partnership with the Shared Stories series at ArtsEmerson. The movie, which focuses on the survival of Chinatowns in Boston, Washington D.C., and Chicago, will be played from June 23-27. It explores the persistence of Chinatowns in these cities, examining their roles as cultural gateways and as homes to communities of immigrants. Due to urban development and gentrification, many of […]

Pak and Hoi elderly gentlemen form a relationship

June 11, 2021 0

ArtsEmerson’s Chinese-American Experiences film gives voice to closeted, elderly Asians

by Shira Laucharoen

ArtsEmerson’s feature film “Suk Suk” depicts the poignant, quietly emotional story of two closeted, married men living in Hong Kong in their twilight years, who secretly begin a relationship together. Carrying a poetically shot and intimate narrative, the film, directed and written by Raymond Yeung, will be featured in ArtsEmerson’s Projecting Connections: Chinese American Experiences series, streaming from June 9-13. Through its sensitive depiction of the characters’ lives, the movie offers insight into what it means to be queer in […]

A shot from Jon Osaki's documentary "Alternative Facts," about Japanese internment

March 5, 2021 0

‘Alternative Facts’ sheds light on Japanese American internment

by Shira Laucharoen

The incarceration of Japanese Americans in internment camps happened during World War II, but the culture of false information and political manipulation that went on then is still very active today, according to filmmaker Jon Osaki. His movie, “Alternative Facts: The Lies of Executive Order 9066,” was featured in “Shared Stories,” a monthly film series that began streaming from February 24 – 28. The program was a collaboration between the Boston Asian American Film Festival, Boston Latino International Film Festival, […]

February 19, 2021 0

Pamelyn Chee on being an Asian actress and upcoming film ‘Boogie’

by Carey Lin

Singaporean actress Pamelyn Chee fell in love with acting when she was seven, playing her first role as a duck in a performance with a Chinese Dance Troupe. “I really enjoy the kind of feeling where you’re just 100% there. Acting is the only sort of thing that provides that feeling of being present,” said Chee. “It was 99% foolishness and 1% determination to never give up. …This was truly what I wanted to do, and I was okay with […]

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