Larissa Lam won the prestigious Mary Pickford Award for Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking at the 2021 Coronado Island Film Festival. Named for the industry pioneer who was an actress, producer and co-founder of United Artists studio, the award is given to a female filmmaker in recognition of excellent achievement in the art of film. This year’s jury of Terry Curtin, founder of The Curtin Co. and Kristie Kershaw, founder and head of creative marketing, Fanthropology, presented the award to Larissa celebrating her work on Far East Deep South as director and producer. The award was designed by famed artist, James Hubbell.
CBS News Originals produced a new episode of their “Reverb” docuseries about youth in the Mississippi Delta dealing with anti-Asian racism today. Our producers, Larissa Lam and Baldwin Chiu, are featured in this special. You’ll even hear their daughter, Caliya, give some very wise commentary on American identity. Read more and watch it online here.
CBSN Originals documentary “Being Different in the Delta .” It premieres on CBSN Sunday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m., 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET.
Back by popular demand. Far East Deep South will make a return to TV on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 at 8pm Eastern Time on on the WORLD Channel documentary series America ReFramed (check local listings). It will also be available to stream on WORLDchannel.org, PBS.org and the PBS Video app beginning at time of broadcast on September 14 through October 14.
In a nation that is in need of stories of hope, Far East Deep Southis a deeply moving documentary that offers a poignant perspective on race relations, immigration and the deep roots of Chinese Americans in our national identity. The award-winning documentary follows Charles Chiu and his family (including his son, producer Baldwin Chiu, and daughter-in-law, director Larissa Lam) as they travel from California to Mississippi to find answers about Charles’ father, K.C. Lou. A retired Air Force reservist, Charles was left behind in China as a baby and is reluctant to discuss his family’s complicated past with his sons, Baldwin and Edwin. The family’s emotional journey to a place they’ve never seen leads to stunning revelations and a crash course on the surprising history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South. Through encounters with local residents who remember K.C., as well as interviews with historians, the family’s trip becomes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for discovery and healing. Directed by Larissa Lam and produced by Baldwin Chiu,Far East Deep South broadcasts
As more schools recognize the need for greater inclusion of Asian American history, Far East Deep South provides a window into a community few even know exists — Chinese immigrants in the Deep South — and reveals the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 impacted the Chiu family for generations. The family also learns about the symbiotic relationship between the Southern Black and Chinese communities during the Jim Crow era.
“Growing up in California, I learned very little about Asian American history,” said filmmaker Lam. “I made this film so that my daughter and future generations would learn more about the vast struggles and contributions of Asians in America. I hope that we can broaden the way American history is taught and discussed so that it includes the Asian American experience, especially as it pertains to learning about the American South.”
Producer Baldwin Chiu adds, “Through our film’s journey we learn that my family’s presence in America stretches six generations. Hearing more about the deeps roots of many Asians in America can help dispel the perception that we are ‘perpetual foreigners’ in the U.S.”
After a mostly virtual film festival run, Far East Deep South, was finally shown again on the big screen in front of a live, masked audience at the Phoenix Film Festival. It was held at the Harkins Theater in Scottsdale, AZ. Producer Baldwin Chiu and Editor Dwight Buhler attended the festival and participated in filmmaker Q&A and panels. Thank you to everyone who came out to see our film!
We’re honored to be part of the Houston Asian American Pacific Islander film festival aka HAAPIFest taking place virtually June 3-13. Our film will screen Saturday, June 5th at 6pm Central Time and our film screening block will open with two wonderful short films “Let’s Eat” and “Golden Boy”. Baldwin Chiu and Larissa Lam will also do a live Q&A session after the film.
Details: $5 per film block; $35 all-access pass; tickets can be reserved on Eventbrite through www.haapifest.com. Use promo code HAAPI50 to get 50% off.
You have to enter the code BEFORE checkout. At the top of the menu, there is a link that says “ENTER PROMO CODE”. Click on the link, enter the code, and hit ‘Apply’.
Directed by Larissa Lam and produced by Baldwin Chiu, Far East Deep South premieres on the WORLD Channel (PBS) documentary series America ReFramed on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, 8:00 p.m. ET (check local listings). It will also be available to stream on WORLDchannel.org, PBS.org and the PBS Video app beginning at time of broadcast on May 4 and throughout May in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
As America currently deals with a rash of anti-Asian sentiment, Far East Deep South is a deeply moving story that offers a poignant perspective on race relations, immigration and the deep roots of Chinese Americans in our national identity. The award-winning documentary follows Charles Chiu and his family (including his son, producer Baldwin Chiu, and daughter-in-law, director Larissa Lam) as they travel from California to Mississippi to find answers about Charles’ father, K.C. Lou. A retired Air Force reservist, Charles was left behind in China as a baby and is reluctant to discuss his family’s complicated past with his sons, Baldwin and Edwin. The family’s emotional journey to a place they’ve never seen leads to stunning revelations and a crash course on the surprising history of Chinese immigrants in the segregated South. Through encounters with local residents who remember K.C., as well as interviews with historians, Congresswoman Judy Chu and others, the family’s trip becomes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for discovery and healing.
Through the Chiu’s family story, Far East Deep South provides a window into a community few even know exists — Chinese immigrants in the Deep South — and reveals how exclusionary immigration laws such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 separated their family for generations. The family also learns about the symbiotic relationship between the Southern Black and Chinese communities during the Jim Crow era.
Our director, Larissa Lam, was asked by the L.A. Times to write a special Op-Ed in looking at the history in our film providing lessons we can learn today about community relationships. Read the article here.
“Nearly a century ago, bonds of community were formed among African Americans and Chinese immigrants. We can remember those bonds So we can improve the world we live in today” Well done @larissalam! #communitybuildinghttps://t.co/soegS5Gbsx
#USA ???????? "Many of us don’t feel a connection to our neighbors, especially those who don’t share our heritage. But the truth is that our histories in this country are more interconnected than we realize. It just hasn’t always been shown in our history books." ~@larissalamhttps://t.co/U62UTpGWKj
— ????????Curtis S. Chin (@CurtisSChin) April 4, 2021
March 26th is a day to #StandWithAsians and raise awareness about rising racism against the Asian American Pacific Islander communities. On Friday, March 26th at 10:30am Pacific/12:30 pm Central, join us for a virtual conversation with filmmakers of the award-winning documentaryFar East Deep South, Larissa Lam and Baldwin Chiu presented by the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, AR. Responding to the violence witnessed across the country against Asian and Pacific Islander communities, Lam and Chiu will join us for a conversation prior to the April 8 screening of their film, which addresses the history of Asian immigration to the states and continued discrimination against AAPI communities. The panel will be moderated by Er-Gene Kahng, violinist and professor at University of Arkansas.
Click button below for more info and register free to join:
It’s an honor for Far East Deep South to receive the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the 2021 Seattle Asian American Film Festival. There were so many great films featured at this year’s virtual edition of the festival and we were glad to also be selected as their Centerpiece Documentary. We thank the jury members and the festival organizers for recognizing our film.
Far East Deep South is now available to watch via university and higher learning access through Kanopy*. Kanopy is a widely used film streaming platform for universities. Here’s the link to our Kanopy page:
Use your university login to start watching. If the film is not available or you cannot get access to it, there’s a form on the page where they can request it and Kanopy will contact the librarian to see if they can add it. If your university does not have Kanopy, they can license the film through New Day Films.
*Currently, our film is not available through Kanopy at public libraries, only higher learning institutions.
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