Watch "Big Fight in Little Chinatown" film on Thursday, May 4
Documentary featuring Vancouver's Chinatown by Karen Cho opening at the DOXA Film Festival
With the 105 Keefer hearing fast approaching, we want to highlight the ongoing struggles against gentrification faced by Chinatowns worldwide. Karen Cho's documentary Big Fight in Little Chinatown will be the opening film of the DOXA Film Festival on Thursday, May 4th, providing a powerful reflection on this important issue.
Vancouver’s Chinatown is prominently featured in the documentary with a particular focus on the beloved Kam Wai Dim Sum 金威點心 and Hon Hsing Athletic Club 雲高華漢升體育.
More about the film and how to get tickets…
The pandemic and anti-Asian racism has accelerated the disappearance of many Chinatowns in North America, and with them the rich heritage of Chinese immigrant communities. Big Fight in Little Chinatown is a film about resistance, as people fight to stay where they’ve grown cultural roots.
Chinatowns coast to coast are resisting pressure from real estate developers and discriminatory municipal planning projects to preserve homes, family-run restaurants and gathering spaces. Under the looming threat of displacement and food insecurity, Chinatowns in Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal and New York are organizing and rallying support from the broader public. Crucial to these efforts is the shifting of public perspective; Chinatowns are not tourist destinations frozen in time, but areas that evolve and are enriched by multiple generations, as younger community members inherit their family’s established businesses.
As Chinatown communities in North America advocate for protected heritage status, their efforts are paving the way for more equitable recognition of Chinese immigrants' contributions to major infrastructure projects and food accessibility in low-income neighbourhoods, and an end to perpetual gentrification and displacement.
With the devastating economic impact of the pandemic and city redevelopment, Chinatowns in New York, Montréal and Vancouver search for innovative ways and resistance to keep their communities thriving. With lush verité footage of bustling Lunar New Year celebrations and warm social gatherings, filmmaker Karen Cho celebrates the vibrance of Chinatown communities. -DOC NYC
The screening will take place on Thursday, May 4th at 7pm at the SFU - Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema.
Tickets can be purchased here.
If you can’t make it to the opening night, here are additional screenings in Vancouver:
June 3 - In Community Screening @ Chinatown Cineplex Odeon (Tickets to come)
