STORIES
Stories of Chinatown residents, businesses, and culture by local artists.
You Are Here
You Are Here is a new series of short films highlighting the storied lives of our beloved community living in and around the historic San Francisco Chinatown neighborhood. The series is created by local SF resident and Emmy®Award-nominated filmmaker, James Q. Chan (Forever, Chinatown; Bloodline; Chinatown Rising) with a growing team of seasoned and aspiring filmmakers, editors, musicians, artists, and community organizations.
Everyday Heroines and Covid19 in Chinatown
Everyday Heroines and Covid19 in Chinatown is a collection of videos produced by members and staff of Chinatown Community Development Center’s Youth Program. CCDC partnered with Lowedown Productions who taught the mobile phone video production workshops via ZOOM.
Made in Chinatown
Made in Chinatown highlights the role that Chinatown’s local businesses, with their unique products, play for shoppers in their daily lives and on special occasions. Artists Vida K 鄺楚瑩 and Kelly Ma 馬慧欣 illustrations tell three shoppers’ journeys through the many stores and how they create foods and experiences for their families.
Chinatown Sweets and Pastries
Chinatown Sweets and Pastries celebrates sweet stories and memories of San Francisco Chinatown's candies, baked goods and desserts. It features artwork from Bay Area artist Vida Kuang, Tiffany Hsieh, graphics and light signs by Brandon Kit Ly @brandonkit and Tiff Hsieh, photos and film by Emma Marie Chiang @echiangphoto with assistance from Martin Peter Bustamante @calbustin.
Chinatown Home Cooking
Chinatown Home Cooking highlights the journey of four local immigrant home chefs who provide everyday nourishment and create a sense of belonging through their Chinese culinary traditions. The centerpiece is Kerry Chan-Laddaran’s 週日晚餐 short film Sunday Dinner, produced by Bummer Lamb Pictures, that premiered at 2017 CAAMfest. The film, along with photographs by Emma Marie Chiang 蔣智明 and stories share chefs’ journeys shopping at Chinatown’s many grocery, meat, fish, and dried food stores and then preparing dishes that offers a taste of home for their families.
Eat Chinatown
Eat Chinatown is a photo exhibit that commemorates classic Chinatown restaurants, diners and bakeries that have been operating for at least 40 years. The exhibit features personal narratives, present-day and historic photos and ephemera. It aims to capture what these establishments mean to the SF community, to three generations of San Franciscans and to people who simply love Chinese food.
by Andria Lo and Valerie Luu
Chinatown Pretty
Chinatown Pretty aims to celebrate the ingenuity, flair, and beauty of Chinatown and its longtime residents. The exhibition features large format photographic portraits and stories of the residents. Chinatown Pretty is accompanied by a street-style blog and Instagram, which continues “Chinatown Sartorialist,” a story they produced for The Bold Italic.
by Andria Lo and Valerie Luu
Coming Home
Coming Home: The 990 Pacific Relocation Story shares how one nonprofit, Chinatown Community Development Center, transitioned a building from government to community control, saving the homes of 100 seniors and adults with disabilities in San Francisco Chinatown. Photo/video storyteller Emma Marie Chiang created a multimedia website that combines photos, videos, and text to document the stories of 990 Pacific Avenue residents as they transition from temporary units and return home to newly refurbished units and the San Francisco Chinatown community.
CTA at 30: Power in Unity
Community Tenants Association (CTA) has become a leader in San Francisco’s housing advocate community with its roots firmly established in fighting unjust evictions and advocating for those in need. The exhibit CTA at 30: Power in Unity celebrates the 30 years of CTA’s members, actions, and role in the community through short videos by filmmaker James Q. Chan, stories, photos, and timeline of the efforts of its 1600 members.
藝術展華埠:
Chinatown’s Public Art
藝術展華埠: Chinatown’s Public Art is an exhibit featuring the ways art has defined and beautified the Chinatown neighborhood -- from the colorful murals, to pagoda-styled architecture, to the everyday practices of tai chi and Cantonese opera performed on the streets and parks. It features artwork by artist Margarita Soyfertis and Chinatown Community Development Center Youth
Movement: Transportation Justice in Chinatown
Movement focuses on Chinatown community leaders who have effectively advocated for public transportation and pedestrian safety for decades. Visual artists Bijun Liang and Vida Kuang have illustrated the many transportation journeys to Chinatown.