Mile-high hair. Synthesized sounds. Teenage rebellion.
Join us at the Closing Reception of our month-long celebration of Asian American Heritage Month. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War and resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees in the United States, we will be screening the Tribeca winning documentary feature film, New Wave. Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai was on a mission to excavate an untold story of rebellious punks in the chaotic world of 80s Vietnamese New Wave until she uncovers a hidden past. Watch the trailer here. There will be a post-screening Q&A with the director.
Free and open to all! Donations are encouraged for those who have the financial capacity to contribute so we can continue making our programs accessible.
This event is brought to you by ACL Spokane’s Chai Culture Club, Asians for Collective Action, Better Health Together, KH Consulting, Gonzaga University, Gesa Credit Union, Teas Company, Electric Photoland, YWCA Spokane, KSPS PBS, KYRS, and Garland Theater.
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About the Director
Elizabeth Ai is a Chinese Vietnamese American award-winning filmmaker, storyteller, and author. Her debut feature documentary, NEW WAVE, premiered in competition at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, earning a Special Jury Mention for Best New Documentary Director and critical acclaim from The New York Times, Vogue, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle. The New York Times selected it as a festival Critics’ Pick, calling it “a soft scream of a film” about ’80s Vietnamese diaspora culture, while Vogue praised its revelatory storytelling.
She is the author of New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora and an Emmy winner and nominee for her branded content with ESPN and National Geographic. She created the original pilot for VICE/Munchies’ Bong Appétit, which was later picked up for a series on Viceland. Her producing credits include Dirty Hands, Saigon Electric, Ba, and A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem.
An alum of Sundance, Tribeca, Berlinale, and Firelight Media, Ai’s work has been supported by the Center for Asian American Media, Cinereach, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
About Chai Culture Club
ACL Spokane’s Chai Culture Club aims to communally experience complex Asian and Asian American narratives through divergent cultural media (such as film/visual arts, literary, music/podcast, and theater/performance). We help create spaces of belonging where club members can celebrate our community stories and critically discuss their impact. Club membership is free and open to any Asians/Asian Americans in the Spokane area. Occasionally, we will have events open to the public. Sign up at bit.ly/chaicultureclub. For questions, please contact Frances at fmortel@aclspokane.org.