Get Anna May Wong on PBS
My one-hour documentary, Anna May Wong: In Her Own Words, shows how Anna May Wong (1905-1961) became an artist, a world figure and an activist in spite of the prejudices of her time. It had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival and has been in four American and Canadian festivals.
Right from the beginning, I wanted this documentary to reach a wider audience, especially young Asian Americans and other minorities, to inspire them to have a dream and to follow it the way Anna did. One of the filmās funders, the Center for Asian American Media, will distribute it to public television stations. But first, I have to buy the broadcast rights to footage I use from Anna May Wongās films. Paying for rights, and for the insurance PBS requires, will cost me $20,000. If I canāt raise that money, the film wonāt reach a national audience.
Anna May Wong grew up in Los Angeles, where her parents ran a laundry. She first started, at age 17, in Toll of the Sea, a silent version of Madame Butterfly. She went on to make dozens of films in Hollywood, London and Berlin, co-starring with Marlene Dietrich, Anthony Quinn, Douglas Fairbanks and Philip Ahn. She was glamorous; photographers loved her. She was a charming and interesting person whose friends included Carl van Vechten, Evelyn Waugh and Paul Robeson. Yet she spent most of her career playing painted dolls and dragon ladies.
Many older Asian Americans look down on Anna for playing stock Asian characters. But a younger generation sees her as a pioneering artist who beat the odds in a tough industry. Besides her strength as a woman, I admire her for pushing herself as an actress. When her film roles were limited, she traveled around Europe performing in cabarets, polishing her talents as a singer, dancer and monologist. When MGM didnāt cast her in The Good Earth, a film set in China, she went to China anyway and filmed her trip. Long before anyone was called a ācommunity activist,ā she devoted herself to the Chinese American communityās war effort during World War II. She was way ahead of her time. Her courage to be herself against all odds is truly inspiring, the kind of story I want my ten-year-old daughter to know.
The Center for Asian American Media, a consortium of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, exists to bring Asian American programs to public TV. Don Young, Program Director at CAAM, says this about the project:
“I feel that ‘Anna May Wong’ is a very strong prospect for broadcast during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May). Yunah has done an exceptional job with her material ā she has put a tremendous amount of energy and intelligence into the film. She has one more hurdle to pass before we can send the film to PBS. She has secured partial copyright licenses for her film clips of Anna May Wong — for festival screenings, but not for national broadcast. Until she does that, she cannot obtain the Errors and Omissions Insurance PBS requires. Both of these steps cost money. I strongly urge anyone who cares about Asian Americans in the media to help Yunah tie up these loose ends.”
Nevermind PBS, I think a movie should be made about Anna May Wong’s life! The unfortunate reality about PBS and so many similar outlets is that it is all about money. Because they are always in dire need of donations to exist, money sources dictate what is shown rather than quality. However, through the proper exposure, I do believe that the right person will see it and collaborate with you to enable you to bring her story to life.
Best of luck to you Yunah and to Eyestrane! I am rooting for you both!
Ah, it is not my project. It is however, Yunah’s and she deserves to try. She made it for the right reasons. PBS does ask too much from the external producers of shows before accepting a project. They want financing and sponsors in place and everything laid out for them. Their submission requirements are very steep. The problem, in this case, is also to buy the rights to the film clips used in the documentary. The film has been shown to great reviews and of all the things there is to support in this world I think the asian-american community, especially those involved in entertainment, would want the story of one of the few Asian-women actors to make it in Hollywood and opened the doors to them told.
http://www.mysinchew.com/node/46461
http://softfilm.blogspot.com/2011/03/anna-may-wong-in-her-own-words.html
Yunah deserves a lot of credit! She doesn’t have a big fat check behind her and the film documentary has been shown to great reviews. That says everything. I used to love PBS growing up but they have been sacrificing great work for money/connections or the hand that feeds them, if you will. The quality is clearly not what it used to be especially that of the early eighties when I saw Mikhail Baryshnikov perform for the first time ever! In order for great artists like Yunah to showcase her work, and for PBS to raise the bar on the quality of its feature presentations, money cannot be the first priority anymore. I know that I am not alone when I say that the quality has been suffering for quite some time. Bring it back to where it was in the early eighties and even raise the bar higher with documentaries like Yunah’s. Then you will not be so dependent on high net worth individual donors to survive. There is a mass population of educated and cultured individuals out there who are in the position to support PBS but you need to appeal to them.
I for one can’t wait to see it! BTW I loved “The Good Earth” but always thought that it was odd that O-lan was an American made to look Asian. So very obvious.
One of my Asian fans (a guy no less!) has seen Yunah’s film at MOCA last year! Good luck to you ladies!
I am not Asian and I am also a guy and I liked it!
That is great Calamity. AMW is definitely a pioneer for Asian women. That AA Model Minority guy is a little disturbing! lol! He is after us as well!
There has been more interest in giving AMW credit in the last few years. I know of a couple of documentaries in the works and they all face similar copyright issues and financial funding problems. Her story has particular significance for me because I recently encountered an unpleasant Asian American (male, I believe) who calls himself “AA Model Minority” have issues with me doing burlesque as an Asian woman, in particular how I niche-market myself as “The Asian Sexsation”. He seems very worked up by my public persona, and seems to feel that I shouldn’t be calling out my ethnicity to market oneself. I think it’s a similar struggle that AMW experienced with the traditional way of “assimiliating”, the desire to not be noticed, to be a “model minority” as an example to the majority culture. Problematic on so many levels besides sanitizing one’s individuality over perceived idea of good for the rest. Anyway! I’m donating!
Thank you, Calamity. Regardless of the scandals in her personal like and the roles she was given the opportunity to play in her career (after all, that is why she went to Europe) she did affect many attitudes towards asian actors in film at that time. Sessue Hayakawa as well (wonder why no one talks about him?!). I spoke to a friend of mine at PBS who said some very discouraging things about the company in general. Let’s just say that Marisa’s comment about their attitude towards money is spot on. It is an uphill battle but every contribution counts. Thank you for your generosity. Ignore “AA Model Minority” and the rest of them who hate. They are not worth the time but I have very much enjoyed reading the rebuttals to his tweets!
You know what they say, behind every successful “independent” woman filmmaker there is a man writing out a big fat check! LOL
If every individual donates even just $1-$5 each, that will make up for the lack of testosterone behind this project. Women should help other women to be successful in their own right. Kudos to Calamity for taking the first step!
We succeeded!
It was 263 backers increasing their pledges at the last minute that really made the difference. I have been moved by all the people who took up our cause, e-mailing, tweeting and calling for support. This was not like applying for a grant. It was like finding friends in all over the place.
I can’t thank you enough.
Congrats Yunah!!!
That is great news! We need more rich people to step up!
I am sooo happy for you Yunah! You most definitely deserve it. Every bit helps! I can see Harvey Weinstein taking on a project like this. He has the rare gift of turning an important documentary into a high quality blockbuster film. His latest film is about the life of Margaret Thatcher and he is very knowledgable about Asian culture to boot! He was quoted in a periodical some time ago as telling people to look out for the multi-talented Rain!
In other words, you’re only as good as your last time on stage.
In other words, Jane Fonda needs to finally bow out gracefully! No more Gloria Swanson in “Sunset Boulevard” bits! Perhaps she can use her money to pay someone to keep taking photos of her to keep in her house and office on display in order to prevent going insane! š
Sunset Boulevard starring Jane Fonda! š
I Am Big, It’s the Pictures That Got Small – Sunset Blvd.
Mr. DeMille, I’m Ready for My Close-Up – Sunset Blvd.
In other words, Hanoi Jane needs to pack it in for good!
Anna May Wong, and Sonia Ghandi, these are the projects that truly deserve major funding and distribution marketing! What an interesting story! Great American Storytelling has taken a major back seat to nudity, vulgarity and sheer nonsense! My mom’s friend treated us to a movie and they both felt that it was disgusting and in very poor taste! It contained the usual recipe of poor taste= the gay lesbian couple, adultery, sex, Jane Fonda going practically nude and flashing her fake boobs etc. etc. etc. Jane Fonda will do and say anything to stay relevant in front of the screen=very sad and pathetic; so much for “aging gracefully.” This movie is boring, in very poor taste and irrelevant! š The movie is called “This Is Where I Leave You” = don’t waste your valuable time and money on this shitty feature and Leave It! The movie was terrible! This is a major reason why the Asians are taking over Hollywood and it cannot happen soon enough! I am so sick of Jane Fonda, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jason Bateman, and the rest of the “connected” group of cronies on the Hollywood circuit! They take roles from seriously talented actors and others who would be discovered if not for them! We need movies about Queen Noor of Jordan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Yoko Ono, Peyton Manning, Steve Wynn, Richard Branson, the late Dr. Jonas Salk and others who made a REAL CONTRIBUTION to mankind!! š
Five thumbs down!! I am working on a film with Lisa Friedman of Sockeye Productions in NYC about a disabled pro-athlete who overcomes her disabilities and defies all! It will feature the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah and the great cutting edge work that they do at that innovative institution. Look out for it because I start raising funds for it starting this January! š
Say Goodbye to Hollywood
Jane Fonda should have been blacklisted from Hollywood or her American citizenship revoked. I can’t stand that traitor bitch! You can read all about this disloyal bitch, just type Hanoi Jane in google! #NEVERFORGET