The acclaimed filmmaker Karen Cho discusses her new film, Big Fight in Little Chinatown, the opening night film of DOXA: Documentary Film Festival this Thursday, 04 May 2023, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Big Fight in Little Chinatown is the new feature documentary from the acclaimed filmmaker Karen Cho. It’s also the opening film at DOXA, the Documentary Film Festival. The film screens this Thursday, 04 May 2023 and Tuesday, 09 May 2023. Visit www.doxafestival.ca for tickets and information, and do check back as screenings are usually added for popular films. This film will no doubt be one to watch, as Vancouver is one of the three cities that Ms. Cho, who joins me now, features. The movie is about community resilience and resistance as Chinatowns across the United States and Canada face the challenge of the COVID pandemic, and the rise of anti-Asian racism. Vancouver’s Chinatown, along with New York City’s and Montreal’s come into focus in this film, as Karen chronicles the challenges not just in recent years, but historically. Chinatowns have always been a target, not just of developers, police, or governments, and as we see in the film, this is but the latest challenge. It does seem critical though, especially now, so I’ll ask Karen what’s so special about Chinatowns, and why it’s urgent to save them. Karen Cho is the award-winning filmmaker of In the Shadow of Gold Mountain, Seeking Refuge, and Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada. And not just at DOXA, but at events across the country, there’ll be screenings between now and the fall in Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Ottawa, as well as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston, with more cities and events to be added. The film will also be broadcast on Radio Canada, and TVO. Visit www.bigfightinlittlechinatown.com. We taped this interview nearly two weeks ago, with Karen joining me from Montreal. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Karen Cho; Ms. Cho, good morning.

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