- Post Production
- Motion
- Live Action
No Less Asian
For this year’s AANHPI History Month in May, we wanted to showcase how the Asian Canadian experience isn’t singular, but actually very multifaceted through the medium of dance.
For this year’s AANHPI History Month in May, we wanted to showcase how the Asian Canadian experience isn’t singular, but actually very multifaceted through the medium of dance.
Melissa Lam, director, editor and badass human shares her thoughts on her experience and what this story represents: “Speaking from my own Chinese-Canadian experience of growing up in Singapore, I attended an international school there, then moved across the globe to Vancouver as a young adult. As a result, it was sometimes difficult to navigate my cultural identity.
I can only speak English so I never truly got to build a relationship with my grandparents who only speak Mandarin and Cantonese. I pursued a career in film, which felt risky when I was younger, considering how I had an immense fear of not “making it” and ultimately being a failure.
I always felt a little out of place - both in my hometown and in Canada. Now as an adult, I am much more grounded in my identity, and I know now that it’s okay to resonate with more than one culture. It’s also comforting to learn that so many 2nd generation Asian Canadians can also resonate with this story. I think it’s essential to honour our heritage and express our unique journeys, and dance lets us tell these stories in a vibrant and powerful way, connecting us to our roots and each other. Thank you to our talented dancers for sharing their stories.”
Credits
Director, Editor, Mix Media Artist Melissa Lam @m.elli Producer: Ann Dinh @anndinh DP, Cam Op: Stefan Feldmann @nevernotaproducer Post Supervisor: Bronwyn Davies @bwyndavies Sound Designer: Adam Johnson @adamjaudio Colorist: Tyson Rider @tysonjrider Designer: Andy Burdin @heyandyb
Dancers:
Melody Meilin @melodymeilin
Tegvaran Sooch @tegvaran
Lamya Monisha Rahman @lamyarahman
Caleb Agno @caleb.agno