This May is the 20th year of Asian Heritage Month, wherein we celebrate the accomplishments, history and lives of Asian Canadians in Canada. We implore you to read more about Asian Heritage Month, especially the vexed and important history of Asian diasporas in Canada, through the link here.
For the 20th year of Asian Heritage Month, this month at Films We Like, we are celebrating the wonderful and amazing cinema that Asia has given us through our #AsianHeritageCollection. Whether it be films directed by Asian directors, films about influential and inspiring Asian people, or films about the history, culture, and stories that originate from Asia, we hope to capture the full breadth of beauty and intricacy of Asian cinema in our collection.
Asian Heritage Collection
Old Stone (2016)
Starting our #AsianHeritageCollection is Canadian director Johnny Ma's debut film, Old Stone. Lao Shi, a cab driver in China, hits a motorcyclist, leaving him trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare as no stone is left unturned. Old Stone was an official selection of TIFF 2016, where it was named Best Canadian First Feature Film.
Mekong Hotel (2012)
At Mekong River, a hotel straddles the border between Thailand and Laos, and the fragile line between dream and reality. Award-winning filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul explores the relationship between a vampire-like mother and daughter.
Court (2014)
In Mumbai, India, an aging protest singer is arrested for allegedly "encouraging" a construction worker's suicide after listening to one of his protest songs. Chaitanya Tamhane's directorial debut Court examines the frustrating legal system in India, challenging the way courtroom dramas usually depicted courts in films. Court won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film along with several other awards.
Manakamana (2013)
In Nepal, a group of pilgrims travel to Manakamana temple, a highly venerated sacred place of the Hindu Goddess Bhagwati, an incarnation of Parvati. The experimental documentary Manakamana won the Golden Leopard at the 2013 Locarno Film Festival, where it garnered a great deal of buzz.
Drive My Car (2021)
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's 2021 Drive My Car exemplifies the extraordinary accomplishments of Japanese cinema, being the fifth Japanese film in history to win Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, and nominated for three other categories. This critically acclaimed three-hour epic follows an aging, widowed actor and his chauffeur, a 20-year-old girl. A tale of grief, love and sorrow.
Ash is Purest White (2018)
Internationally acclaimed director Jia Zhangke's 2018 film, Ash is Purest White, explores familiar themes of crime, drama and romance while continuing to observe modern Chinese society with an urgent, empathetic eye.
Tokyo Idols (2017)
Tokyo Idols directed by Kyoko Miyake is an important look into feminist issues occurring in Japan. Idol culture has given rise to pop stars and girl bands, as well as the growing cultural obsession with youth and young female sexuality.
Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir (2020)
An intimate portrait of the groundbreaking writer, Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club which explores intergenerational conflict between four generations of Chinese-American women. Her stories, which commonly concern issues of Asian-American diasporas and women, elevate her to her status in American literature as a respected cultural icon to celebrate during this month of May.
The Donut King (2020)
Alice Gu's The Donut King exemplifies the resilience in Asian-American communities as it follows Cambodian refugee, Ted Ngoy, after he escaped the Khmer Rouge in the 70s and moved to California to start his own chain of donut shops in the west coast. Fifty years later and he is a multimillionaire. The Donut King is a story about immigration, assimilation, prejudice, and who gets access to the American Dream—and what happens when you achieve it.
FWL’s #AsianHeritageCollection
Find out where to watch all of these titles in our #AsianHeritage collection.
About Films We Like
Founded by award-winning documentary filmmaker Ron Mann (Grass, Comic Book Confidential, Carmine Street Guitars) Films We Like is a boutique distributor of documentary, independent, and international films in Canada. Recent releases include the Academy Award winning film Drive My Car by Ryusuke Hamaguchi