ArtsEmerson is leading the way as documentaries, narratives and short films abound in this year’s line-up for the Boston Asian American Film Festival. The director of the festival, Susan Chinsen, and the director and co-director of one of the films were able to give some insight into the stories present and the work behind it.

The festival has two formats with different films. Susan Chinsen commented that, with the surprise of COVID, another way to interact and be a part of the festival was needed. The in-person screenings began October 20^th-23^rd and the virtual screenings will be October 21^st -31^st. The main concern this year was “accessibility” and “convenience”, Susan commented, allowing more people to “engage geographically.”  The five shorts programs that will be filling up the virtual screening are “Here I Am”, “Queer & Here” (this film appears in the in-person screening as well), “Looking Back, Moving Forward”, “After Dark”, and “Family Ties”.

The twelve-film line-up for the in-person screening sees an equally wide range of titles and content. Dealing With Dad is up first. Directed by Tom Huang, this film is a narrative about a corporate manager, alpha mom that drags her brother back home to take care of their despondent father that refuses to leave the house. With the aid of their mom and youngest brother, both unbothered by the dad’s situation, the family reconnects. Second up is “Reyna”, directed by Jenielle Ramos Salarda, an animated short about Vina who is playing the lead Queen in the Santacruzan festival. After her appearance is scrutinized, she struggles to prepare, and her sister encourages her to embrace herself. Third in the ring, directed by Deann Borshay Liem, is Crossings, a documentary following a group of international women peacemakers who travel the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, calling for an end to the war, expanding to a global campaign to educate and advocate for peace. Dawning is next, directed by Young Min Kim. It is a Korean-English spoken drama/psychological thriller about mental health, family trauma, abuse, and familial responsibilities as it follows a trauma therapist confronting her family’s past.

Fifth is A Father’s Son, directed by Patrick Chen. This story tracks a detective in the early 90s, investigating a murder in Manhattan Chinatown that could lead to a turf war. The four short films of Boston Chinatown Artivism is next, followed by Arts, Community & Boston Chinatown directed by Xinyan Fu. This documentary is about community artists that use their art to lift up the Chinatown community voices and Asian American experiences. “Dear Corky” comes after. Directed by Curtis Chin, this documentary is about a street photographer that recently died from COVID. He captured important events in Asian American history for fifty years. Next is Convergent Waves: Boston, directed by Lenora Lee. This film highlights activists’ contributions and non-profit leaders. “Wise Words from an Old Friend” follows suit, directed by Kenneth Eng. Tunney Lee gives advice to the next generation in this one. In Search of Bengali Harlem, directed by Vivek Bald and Alaudin Ullah soars onto the screen thereafter. This documentary follows Ullah from New York City to Bangladesh as he unravels his parents’ pasts, their struggles, and the missing history of mid-20^th century Harlem.

The shorts program “Queer & Here” follows, and is also included in the virtual screening. It focuses on self-expression and the depth of identity beyond orientation. The shorts within the program include “Hotter Up Close”, directed by Leland Montgomery, “Skin Can Breathe”, directed by Chheangkea Leng, “Danse Macabre”, directed by Randal Lee Kamradt and Maria Luna Kamradt, “Maneki”, directed by Brandon Okumura, “I Can’t Forget Him”, directed by Kevin Kai Wing Yiu, “All I Want is Everything”, directed by Allie Cuerdo. The narrative Golden Delicious comes next in the line-up. Directed by Jason Karman, this coming of age drama tracks an Asian Canadian teen trying out for basketball to get the attention of a new neighbor. Last is Bad Axe, directed by David Siev. This documentary is about an Asian American filmmaker that returns home to Bad Axe, MI from New York City at the dawn of the pandemic to help his family keep their restaurant open. Generational scars are uncovered as 2020 is depicted through the lens of this multicultural family amidst the striking political and discriminatory scene that hit its apex during that time.

The Boston Asian American Film Festival is in its 14^th season. Susan Chinsen, the festival director, mentioned that the initial idea rebounded off of the other film festivals that took place in other states. “If they can have one, why can’t Boston have one too?” But the outcome was far greater and more influential. “It’s a vehicle.” Chinsen said. “The festival became a bridge between the audience and filmmakers.” She is looking forward to a few films herself. Among those are Crossings, Bad Axe, and In Search of Bengali Harlem. The latter reminded her of some social issues. “It (In Search of Bengali Harlem) reminded me of Chinatown and the how they survived this period of exclusion.” Susan commented. And so much was revealed about the making of the movie and the history uncovered.

It took years to conduct the research, travel from place to place, and track down and talk to the different people that Alaudin Ullah grew up with or knew of. Being co-director and comedian who inspired the film, Alaudin spoke about the process with the other co-director, Vivek Bald. “Vivek did the academic work of seeing where the boats landed and getting the documents.” Ullah said. “Those documents were like ghosts talking to us. They took nothing but pennies and created a whole new generation. We owe it to them to tell that story.” His parents are part of that story and is the focus of the film, uncovering their past was also a way to see how they contributed to the aura and culture of mid-20^th century Harlem. They were invited in, as other South Asians were, during a time of laws permitting Asian exclusion and restrictions on immigration. Harlem became a place away from that where they could dream.

The reality of the situation for South Asians is not well known. Alaudin mentioned the struggles of coming into the country, even illegally. “Post ’65 you had an affluent class of successful Asian Academics, but before, you had people jumping ship.” The ship jumping is literal as many South Asians worked aboard ships and jumped off to come into America during the 20s, when Alaudin’s own father made it in. “America wasn’t rolling out the red carpet for Bengalis.” Alaudin said. “You had a wave of Muslim men who came here illegally and got beaten and discriminated against.” That is until they were invited to Harlem, and it became home where many Bengali and South Asian men ended up marrying Puerto Rican and African American women, creating the blend of culture seen today.

The journey for this film though began before the traveling, before the research, at a South Asian Electronica party called Mutiny where Alaudin met Vivek Bald, a scholar, writer, and filmmaker who also went by the name DJ Siraiki. “It happened so organically.” Alaudin said when speaking of the connection and comradery that turned into filmmaking partnership. “It’s been a long process. It’s truly been a labor of love.”

“It really jumped out to me,” Vivek added, “because his father came to the U.S. in a period in which people assumed no one migrated from South Asia. It went against the grain of everything I knew. I decided to go into a PhD program. I wanted to answer this question of how they got here with strict migration laws. Alaudin’s father was part of this history. Of escaping horrible conditions on the ship. It’s an important story for the present time, of African Americans and Puerto Ricans and Bangladeshi building together.” Alaudin included that the relationships built there also included African American and Puerto Rican women encouraging the Bangladeshi men to go outside the box, to reach for more. “It’s like, I don’t want a piece of the pie,” Aludin said, “I want the whole recipe.” The story is one of struggles, hardships, and pain, but also of connection, support, encouragement, growth, and understanding. “There’s this quote,” Alaudin said, “ ‘When it works, it’s making an audience look out a window they don’t normally.” And that’s exactly what this film does. A lot was filmed and discovered in the journey from New York to Bangladesh, and the plethora of footage obtained was masterfully edited by an alum of MIT, Beyza Boyacioglu.

The importance of relating these different stories, narratives, and documentaries is profound. The sharing of experience, the uncovering of history, which is more than discovery, but honesty about the past. It provides a truthful lens through which one might see how they got here, whose shoulders they are standing on, and what different people have had to survive through. “People have been encouraged by filmmakers.” Susan concluded, “Even though one may not have experienced that same thing, it is an expression with the desire to want to survive to feel included.” Some of the films will also be holding live or virtual Q&As with the directors, including In Search of Bengali Harlem. This line-up will be one to remember.