Sunday, December 27, 2009

MOVIE TO WATCH: Treeless Mountain (Korean - 2008)

If a clear border between documentary and narrative movies exists. I think it lies between the fictional film Treeless Mountain and the documentary The Story of the Weeping Camel. Both of these films unfold quietly and delicately at their own pace.

The world of Treeless Mountain is so enveloping and complete, and the are scenes so precisely selected. It manages to use mood, delicate as a leaf's skeleton, as the storytelling engine of the movie. Which is a nearly impossible task to accomplish or explain.

Treeless Mountain Trailer:


Here is the director So Young Kim talking a little bit about the making of the movie:

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Townhall on the state of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health in California

Here is the internet video series I have cut together from California Assemblymember Mike Eng's November 18th, 2009 townhall meeting on the state of mental health in the AANHPI community in California. This townhall is a continuation of the work that Assemblymember Eng has been doing to help disaggregate data on Asian and Pacific Islander sub-groubs.

This is an album of some of Mike Eng's opening comments, a few community members, and excerpts from all of the panel members who spoke that day.