Asian American Videos Now Available For Consumers What do angry Asian American men, an interned white artist, a Korean adoptee, and a Japanese diplomat have in common? They're all part of a collection of Asian American videos available for the first time for home use. For the past 17 years, NAATA (National Asian American Telecommunications Association) has made these tapes available to teachers for classroom use. But now, you can enjoy new and classic Asian American works in your own home. Academy-award winning films such as Steven Okazaki's "Days of Waiting" and Deann Borshay Liem's acclaimed "First Person Plural" are among the 13 home video releases announced by Pear Sintumuang, NAATA's Distribution Director. "We're proud to present a diverse set of stories ranging from historical documentaries about Chinese and Japanese immigration to the U.S. to contemporary personal stories about breaking the communication barrier between Filipino American parents and their children, understanding the search for identity for Korean adoptees, and learning about new Asian immigrant groups such as the Hmong," said Ms. Sintumuang. The titles available for purchase include the following: "American Sons" by Steven Okazaki, "Another America" by Michael Cho, "Being Hmong Means Being Free" by Wisconsin Public Television, "Days of Waiting" by Steven Okazaki, "Filipino Americans: Discovering Their Past For The Future" by The Filipino American National Historical Society, "First Person Plural" by Deann Borshay Liem, "Forsaken Fields" by Midori Sperandeo, "Passing Through" by Nathan Adolfson, "Raymond's Portrait" by Donald Young, "Second Class Veterans" by Donald Young, "Separate Lives, Broken Dreams" by Jennie F. Lew, "Silent Sacrifices" by Patricia Heras, and "Visas and Virtue" by Chris Tashima. For a full description of these videos, please visit www.naatanet.org/shopnaata/homevideo. Purchases can be made online or by calling NAATA Distribution at 415.552.9550. NAATA is a non-profit community-based organization, which has been funding, presenting, and distributing Asian American films and videos since 1980. NAATA's mission is to present stories that convey the richness and diversity of the Asian American experience. We do this by funding, producing, distributing and exhibiting films, videos, and new media to the broadest audience possible. NAATA is a non-profit media arts organization supported with major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and additional funds from the California Arts Council.
	The film began as a concept between producers Martha Burr and Mei-Juin Chen several years ago. Burr was the editor of a kung fu magazine and Chen had recently debuted her documentary in Berlin on the famous Chinese opera star Mei Lanfang. Both shared an interest in Chinese culture and cross-cultural topics, especially between China and America. They decided to explore the stories of five immigrant kung fu monks from China's Shaolin Temple, the legendary birthplace of kung fu and Zen Buddhism and today's contemporary kung fu Mecca. The stories of the five kung fu monks who left their homeland are as individual and varied as the men themselves. Shi Guolin opened a successful Buddhist temple and kung fu school in Flushing, Queens. Li Peng Zhang has married an American woman and now is raising a family in Brooklyn, New York. Two monks, Shi Xing Hao and Shi De Shan, have landed in Houston, Texas, where they coach young athletes aspiring to the Olympics (where kung fu may be a medal sport in 2008) and teach brutal self-defense and submission takedowns to Texas police. And finally, one of the biggest Shaolin stars, Shi Xing Hong, is spring boarding to Las Vegas, where he sees a perfect opportunity to spread Zen and kung fu in America. Interspersed throughout the documentary is footage and history of China's Shaolin Temple in Henan province, chronicling the creation of Zen and kung fu by a wandering monk named Bodhidharma 1,500 years ago. Today the temple is a mega-tourist attraction, the world's largest kung fu school, and a UNESCO World Heritage Monument applicant. The film explores the cultural interface of Shaolin kung fu, Zen Buddhism and America. It is at once a story about immigrants, a story about kung fu and Buddhism, a story about dreams and a story about journeys. Obliquely it poses the question: will Shaolin change America, or will America change Shaolin? The program's interactive companion website at www.pbs.org/shaolinulysses features detailed information about the film, including an interview with the filmmakers, as well as links and resources pertaining to the film's subject matter. The site also features a talkback section for viewers to share their ideas, preview clips of the film, and much more. About The Filmmaker Martha Burr (Co-producer/Co-director/Writer/Sound) received her PhD in American Studies at New York University, where she also studied filmmaking after attending Harvard as an undergraduate. She has directed music videos for record companies such as Interscope, which aired on MTV's various shows, and worked in other film production capacities. Burr is a consultant for museums, including the Cowgirl Hall of Fame Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, and for documentaries such as the recent Kungfu: The Animal Within for the Discovery Channel. From 1997-2003 she was the Executive Editor of Kungfu magazine. In this role she pioneered three Special Issue magazines devoted exclusively to the Shaolin Temple, in 1999, 2000 and 2002. She has traveled extensively throughout China and works with many international martial arts organizations, including the leaders of the Chinese Wushu Association and Shaolin Temple. Burr was honored by her peers with the Outstanding Contribution award in the Hall of Fame of the USA Wushu Kungfu Federation in 1999. Mei-Juin Chen (Co-producer/Co-director/Camera/Editor) is a native of Taipei, Taiwan. She has resided in Los Angeles since 1989. She received her M.A. at the University of Southern California in Film and Anthropology. Chen has directed for the Current Affairs Department of China Central Television in Beijing. She has also translated and subtitled approximately 250 films into Chinese, and writes articles on American culture and film for Taiwan- and China-based newspapers and magazines. Chen is an award-winning documentary maker whose work has been shown on broadcast television in the US, Asia and Europe and in film festivals throughout the world. Her previous work, The Worlds of Mei Lanfang, debuted at the Berlin Film Festival 2000 and won an honor from Women in Film. Teodoro Maniaci (Director of Photography) has shot 20 commercial and documentary features since graduating from New York University with an MFA in film production. Several of these critically acclaimed features have premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and at Cannes, including The Business of Strangers and The Tao of Steve. His experimental documentary for Laurie Anderson premiered at Berlin International Film Festival in 2002. John Zorn (Composer) is a New York based avant-garde musician who has longtime interests in cultural collisions and interfaces. Zorn is known for his eclectic compositions and improvisational style. He often works with Asian musicians and Asian themes. He had composed dozens of film scores and scored Mei-Juin Chen's first documentary, Hollywood Hotel, in 1994. Beau Bridges (Narrator) is the son of actor Lloyd Bridges and brother of actor Jeff Bridges, with whom he co-starred with in The Fabulous Baker Boys. Bridges has starred in many films and television shows since he began acting in 1967, and has won several Emmy awards. He has four children and lives with his wife Wendy in Calabasas, California. About Independent Lens Independent Lens is a weekly series airing Tuesday nights at 10 P.M. on PBS. Hosted by Angela Bassett, the anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of dramas united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers. Independent Lens features unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history. Presented by ITVS, the series is supported by interactive companion websites, and national publicity and community outreach campaigns. Independent Lens is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding provided by PBS. About ITVS Independent Television Service (ITVS) funds and presents award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the Web and the weekly series Independent Lens on Tuesday nights at 10 P.M. on PBS. ITVS is a miracle of public policy created by media activists, citizens and politicians seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television. ITVS was established by a historic mandate of Congress to champion independently produced programs that take creative risks, spark public dialogue and serve underserved audiences. Since its inception in 1991, ITVS programs have revitalized the relationship between the public and public television, bringing TV audiences face-to-face with the lives and concerns of their fellow Americans. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. Contact itvs@itvs.org or visit www.itvs.org. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American People. This website: Copyright © 2003 Dream World Media, LLC. / Urban Mozaik Magazine. All rights reserved. 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