Dear Corky Screening and Discussion Event Sells Out Pao Art Center Theater
“Dear Corky” Screening at Pao Arts Center, Photo Credit: The Chinatown Project
February 12, 2023 - Visitors gathered at Pao Arts Center on a bright Sunday afternoon for a sold out screening of Curtis Chin’s documentary short, Dear Corky, and a conversation between Curtis and local digital storytelling group, The Chinatown Project. Among the audience were friend groups, families, film enthusiasts, and old friends of the film’s subject, the late photographer and activist Corky Lee.
As the film proceeded, showing Corky’s photographs of powerful moments in AAPI activism and media history, audience members learned more about Corky’s life and creative process behind his photography work.
Screening of Curtis Chin’s Dear Corky at Pao Arts Center, Photo Credit: The Chinatown Project
Following the screening of the Dear Corky, the film’s creator, Curtis Chin, and The Chinatown Project’s Aubrey Tang and Billy Chen joined the stage for a conversation about the film, Corky Lee, and the process of making creative works that document and celebrate the lives of real people and communities. A surprise childhood friend of Corky Lee from the audience joined the speakers on stage to share more about his friendship with late photographer and Asian American icon.
Curtis, Aubrey, and Billy discussed Curtis’ experience developing the film, the difficulties of the film funding landscape, but also the rich experience bringing the film across the country and regularly meeting friends of Corky and long time fans of his at screenings and discussions.
The conversation around Corky’s work preserving crucial moments in AAPI history turned to the question of the current state of AAPI representation in the creative industry. Curtis’ next project is a memoir about his upbringing in a beloved Chinese restaurant in Detroit, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant, to be released this October by publishing house, Little, Brown. The trio discussed the significance of book’s release by a large publishing house, an opportunity that is still hard-fought for AAPI writers.
Postcard for Curtis Chin’s upcoming memoir, Everything I learned, I learned in a Chinese Restaurant, Photo Credit: The Chinatown Project
Audience Q & A at “Dear Corky” screening and discussion event, Photo Credit: The Chinatown Project
Audience members were eager to talk more about the process of storytelling, particularly the often unseen labor and struggles of the people behind the camera or keyboard. An aspect of the film that struck many in the room was the amount of physical labor Corky Lee endured over decades to bring his heavy photography equipment to rallies and press events, and the toll it took on his physical health to capture those historic moments in photos for future generations.
Being able to gather as a community to appreciate Corky’s work and to learn more about his life, in his own words, was deeply meaningful to the event’s attendees.
“I didn’t know a lot about Corky Lee before coming here today and I thought the documentary film was really insightful and inspiring. I also really enjoyed the conversation with Curtis Chin and learning more about the background of the film and his upcoming book. I’m so excited to read his book!”
“It’s nice to see the history and the changes of Chinatown through Corky’s photos.”
Audience at “Dear Corky” screening and discussion event, Photo Credit: The Chinatown Project
Towards the end of the event, Curtis reflected on what it meant to share AAPI stories, as an AAPI creative, at Pao Arts Center, a community space devoted to uplifting AAPI experiences.
“I love doing events in community spaces because any time there’s an outpouring of support, it shows me that there’s this underserved community who’s thirsting for their stories to be told, and they’re stories I like to tell, so that validates the work that I do. It’s wonderful having a crowd come out here, supporting one of the people that was so committed to our community and it’s that type of relationship that’s something I want to help nurture.”
Thank you so much everyone who attended the event and thank you to Curtis Chin and The Chinatown Project for bringing your work and perspectives to our audience!
Left to right: The Chinatown Project’s Aubrey Tang, Curtis Chin, and The Chinatown Project’s Billy Song Chen; Photo Credit: The Chinatown Project