#CAAMFest 2014

[lovexstereo]

#CAAMfest will be screening @nickyneon 's #ZeroOne 🎞 We played CAAMFest in 2014 & 2016, and our hearts and our song #ZeroOne will be there once more 🙏 Peeps in San Francisco 🌉 get ur tickets now!! 🎟 ➡️➡️➡️ @caamedia https://caamfest.com/2019/movies/zero-one . . #러브엑스테레오 #lovexstereo #nickneon #shortfilm #OutHereShorts Break a leg @nickyneon 🙌🙌🙌 (at AMC Dine-In Kabuki 8) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwJm-dvFH-7/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=w6ee4n4bneez

[wontonkatsu-blog]

Blog #5: CAAMFest 2017 - Gook //  Jessica Rahel

March 14, 2017

Last Saturday, March 11, I went to see Gook with my group, our mentor Kevin, Floris from TheFoodJunkies, and her friend Oscar. Gook is a film about the relationships between Korean-Americans and African-Americans during the LA riots back in 1992. This film is written and directed by Justin Chon. It stars Justin Chon himself along with David So, one of my favorite YouTubers, and Simone Baker, the girl who plays 11-year old Kamilla. It was a great bonding experience with my group mates, the film was amazing and well made, and I got to meet David So and Wesley Chan! But first, let’s start from the beginning.

Before CAAMfest, I knew that David So had worked hard on this film alongside Justin Chon. I have seen stills and behind the scenes footage on David So’s Instagram back in August last year and they finally wrapped in September. He would caption these posts with the hashtag #GooktheFilm and talk about how this project is something that he and his crew were working very hard on. I remembered thinking, “Man, they are working hard! Great makeup artists… someone is getting beat up!” I was interested and curious in those behind the scenes media, but I never knew that I would actually watch the film since I knew it was not going to be free. However, when I learned that going to CAAMFest and watching an Asian-American film is a requirement for this class, I got really excited and wondered if Gook is on the list. When the lineup was posted, I quickly checked and was thrilled to see that it is. Knowing that David and Justin had worked hard on the film, I made up my mind about which film I wanted to see and quickly told my group mates. I even thought, “Maybe I’ll get to meet David So and Justin Chon… just like how I met Wes and Phil from Wong Fu back in CAAMFest 2014…

On the day of the screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in the Mission District, I was a bit nervous because I was told to come at 8 pm when it starts at 9 pm. I personally was about to be there at 8 pm anyways, but get some Boba Guys or some kind of food to keep me happy during the film. I met up with Kevin there, but because it was pitch black in the Mission District and dangerous (and the fact that I was coughing nonstop), I got cough drops at Walgreens instead so I wouldn’t cough as much during the film. I already ate dinner anyway, and snacks would just agitate my throat. We met up with the rest of the group and got our seats (it took a while to decide where I wanted to sit because I wanted to meet David So as soon as it’s done).

I’ve had a fear of sudden “loud” noises since I was little. I hate balloons popping, jump scares, someone screaming out of nowhere, etc. I’ve also hated it when people fight in front of me, whether it be my parents or me fighting with one or both of my parents. When I was in my teenage years, I would fight with my parents all the time, especially with my mom. The fights would get so bad that things can be thrown, such as shoes, sandals, hangers, and other random items. During the film, I would cover my ears at times because of these fears and experience that I’ve had since I was little. When Eli threw shoes at Daniel for simply “having fun”, I got really scared that he was going to hurt Daniel. It was like I could feel what Daniel felt during that scene. Also, any scene that involved a gun scared me. I immediately cover my ears whenever a gun is involved because I was scared that it could go off at any moment. When a gun did go off, I just felt annoyed that I had to hear that, even though I covered my ears. Although my heart was beating most of the time, I definitely enjoyed the rush and excitement that I felt while watching the film.

I learned about the beating of Rodney King, a taxi driver who was beaten by the LAPD, who were acquitted of all charges against them, even though there is video proof. This triggered the LA community and thus started the LA riots of 1992.

I also learned about the relationship between Korean-Americans and African-Americans at the time. Based on this film, everyone had their own set opinions on each other and act upon those opinions. The model minority for Asian-Americans caused other minorities to see them as rich and successful when in reality, Eli and Daniel were struggling to keep their shoe store open. This idea is implanted into 11-year-old Kamilla as she seeks to work at the store to ditch school, and also ditch her family. When she sees that they are in fact struggling, I could tell that she is scared and wants to help as much as she can. She wants to help because she sees them as “family”, but she does not see her own family as “family”. Eli and Daniel form a friendship with her and treats her kindly. This is where I learn about the brotherly love that they both have for Kamilla.

Lastly, I learned about injustice. There is hate, racism, and injustice in this world. In my opinion, the thing that started the LA riots was racism. It later became injustice because the police were not acquitted, and then hate rose because of it. This caused many innocent deaths, along with Kamilla’s. All she was trying to do was make peace by causing a disturbance. By causing the disturbance, she accidentally kills herself. This is where Eli and Daniel make up and decides to burn the store down.

I have to be honest, though- Would I watch this film if it was not directed by Justin Chon and did not star a YouTuber like David So? Probably not. I would probably watch a cheesy romantic film… something Wong Fu would create. Would I regret watching this even if it was not directed by Justin Chon and did not star David So? No. If I watched something else, I wouldn’t have learned about the LA riots and how it affected the LA community. I was born and grew up in Indonesia. I came to America at a time when everyone was trying to be more accepting and kind towards one another, so I did not experience much racism. Watching this film really opened up my eyes a bit further away from my sheltered upbringing and see what life was like back then when racism, violence, and hatred were more prevalent.

______________________________________________________________

OKAY, THE FUN PART. MEETING WESLEY CHAN AND DAVID SO. RIGHT after the Q&A, I rushed towards the front left of the theater. Oscar arrived there first and got a picture with BOTH Wes and David. I’m not basic like that. I can’t just talk to them both like that! I NEED A SPECIAL MOMENT WITH BOTH OF THEM, SEPARATELY. My group, including Kevin, stayed close and waited for me as I meet Wes and STRUGGLE to meet David (I had to keep chasing him down because they kept telling him to “take it outside”) (also, thanks, guys, for dealing with my inner fangirl :P).

After Oscar met Wes, it was my turn. Surprisingly, I was less awkward with Wes this time because I knew exactly what to say. I told him that my all-time favorite Wong Fu short is the one he wrote, “Two After Noon” because I can relate to it. I shook his hand, hugged him, took a picture, and said goodbye. Oh, and he also said that he liked my shirt… It was a Nice Guy shirt that I bought from 3 years ago. I felt so accomplished because I told him what I’ve always wanted to tell him.

THE HARD PART- CHASING DOWN DAVID SO. Now, I understand that it was my choice that I did not get David and Wes at the same time like Oscar did. When Wes was done talking to me, they told David to “take it outside”, and I slightly regretted that I didn’t do the same thing Oscar did. I could have taken a picture with both of them first, and then talk to Wes. But then again, I’d like to talk to David too! SO. THE CHASE. I followed right behind him as he seemed like he was about to walk towards the outside of the theater, but instead, he went to Paul Kim and talked for what felt like 5 minutes. After talking to Paul Kim, he met up with 2 guys before it was my turn and I said to him, “Sorry, is this a good place?” (because he was already getting kicked out of the theater… low key not trying to break any rules here either). HE TOUCHED MY LEFT SHOULDER, said, “You know what, I think we should go outside (or something like that)”. Then, we all went outside (like a snake following him), and he met up with someone else for about 2 minutes before getting to me. I said something along the lines of, “Hi David! (shakes his hand) I watch JustKiddingNews every day so it’s like you’re already a part of my life. (takes picture). Great job on the movie, it’s nice to meet you!” I don’t remember what he said exactly, but he thanked me for coming. As long as I got my picture, I’M GREAT. PERSEVERANCE, BABY! According to Kevin, I was shaking!

Overall, it was a great night. My heart felt really full after meeting Wes and David. After that, we took a group photo outside. Floris asked me, “Are you satisfied?” I said, “Yep.” And I meant it. I’ll never forget this experience.

-Jessica Rahel

[historiassobremusicasdelmundo]

¿QUIÉN ES SUBOI, LA RAPERA VIETNAMITA QUE CONQUISTA EL MUNDO?

Por Sebastián Duarte

Es la reina vietnamita del hip-hop. Con veintisiete años, Suboi, nacida en la ciudad de Saigón, es la primera mujer en atreverse con el rap en un país donde el género cuenta con pocos seguidores y el gobierno analiza con lupa los mensajes de sus canciones, ya que el régimen es comunista. A pesar de las trabas, Suboi ha grabado dos discos, Walk y Run, tiene más de un millón de fans en Facebook y ya cuenta con giras por Estados Unidos, Asia y Europa. “Cuando empecé no estaba segura de convertirme en rapera porque mis opiniones no cumplían con las expectativas que mi familia, profesores, amigos o la sociedad en general tenían sobre mi. Es un reto ser mujer y cantante de rap en un país comunista. La mayoría del público vietnamita sabe muy poco de este género y es difícil hacer hip hop en un lugar en el que la música o el cine están tan controlados”, explica la talentosa rapera.

La madre de Suboi era una oficinista en el consulado australiano en Saigón, y su padre trabajaba como gerente de la fábrica. Suboi revela que solía ser una chica tímida que pasaba gran parte de su tiempo escribiendo y componiendo poemas ridículos.  

Suboi ganó su nombre en el escenario durante la escuela secundaria, "Su" es su apodo en casa y "boi" dado a que ella siempre se movió entre varones. Mientras crecía, era una adolescente rebelde que "se involucró con gente mala" pero recurrió a la música en busca de orientación. Se hizo fanática de la música hip hop a los catorce años y mejoró su inglés escuchando y hablando con raperos estadounidenses famosos como Eminem, por ejemplo. A los quince años comenzó a salir con mucha gente a la que ahora considera “muchos tipos malos”, lo que hizo que sus padres se preocupen por ella y por lo tanto siempre la vigilaban. Ella eligió tener una carrera musical porque la hacía sentir segura. También estaba interesada en el skate y aceptó la invitación para unirse a una banda de nü metal que hacía covers de Linkin Park. Luego se convirtió rápidamente en una rapera reconocida y respetada de la escena underground vietnamita. Suboi trabajaba como profesora de inglés y también de payaso en fiestas de cumpleaños infantiles para perseguir su pasión por el rap. Ella cree que los principales elementos que hacen que un rapero sea exitoso son que nunca se rinda, escuche a los demás, tome consejos y aprenda. Desde los primeros días de su carrera, Suboi tuvo dificultades para encontrar su propio mensaje a la audiencia y formar su propio estilo. Su familia y la idea previa del público de que el rap es solo para hombres fueron dos grandes desafíos para la primera rapera vietnamita. Aunque sus padres la apoyan actualmente, antes se oponían rotundamente, ya que no querían que su hija fuera una marimacho que siempre escuchaba rock, rap y leía letras en beats. A los diecisiete años, su talento se notó aún más cuando acompañó a su compañero rapero, Rapsoul, al estudio de grabación de Music Faces, para grabar su canción. Sin embargo, fue su voz la que notó el productor, lo que la llevó a invitarla a unirse al sello discográfico.

Su reconocimiento principal creció cuando fue invitada a cantar rap en el elenco de la estrella del pop vietnamita Ho Ngoc Ha, My Apology y Girls 'Night en el 2009.

A los veinte años, debutó con su álbum WALK, en agosto de 2010, que fue bien recibido por su fiel base de admiradores y críticos musicales en Vietnam. Después de dejar su sello discográfico Music Faces en 2012, comenzó su propia compañía autogestionada, Suboi Entertainment, y lanzó su segundo álbum de estudio titulado RUN, en 2014, con beats producidos tanto por productores vietnamitas locales como por productores internacionales de los Estados Unidos e Inglaterra.

Suboi fue invitado a actuar en CAAMFest 2014, el mayor escaparate de medios de Asia y América, en los Estados Unidos; sin embargo, no logró llegar a los Estados Unidos porque tuvo problemas para obtener su visa. En cambio, recién hizo su debut en USA el 13 de marzo de 2015, en conjunto con Awkwafina, una rapera de Nueva York. También hizo su debut como actriz en CAAMFest 2015, que se celebró en San Francisco, en Hollow, una película de terror dirigida por Ham Tran. El filme se convirtió en un éxito de taquilla y la llevó a su primer papel protagónico en Bitcoin Heist de 2016, un largometraje de robo vietnamita, también dirigido por Ham Tran.

En 2015, fue invitada a realizar un escaparate oficial en South by Southwest (SXSW), convirtiéndose en la primera artista vietnamita en ser invitada oficialmente por el festival. Tras su espectáculo, recibió excelentes críticas por parte de la prensa y, en 2016, fue invitada a volver a actuar en SXSW, por segundo año consecutivo.  

Para 2016, Suboi estaba reconstruyendo su carrera musical después de lo que ella consideraba una pausa creativa. Lanzó su nuevo single titulado Doi, a principio de año, haciendo hincapié en un "ritmo oscuro" que había sido reacio a lanzar al principio de su carrera.

El 25 de mayo de 2016, Suboi captó la atención inmediata de los medios internacionales luego de hacer críticas al presidente Barack Obama en una sesión de preguntas y respuestas con líderes jóvenes en Ciudad Ho Chi Minh. El breve intercambio entre Suboi y el presidente de los Estados Unidos lo llevó a reflexionar sobre la historia de la música rap y la importancia del arte para una nación.

Hàng Lâm Trang Anh (tal es su verdadero nombre) rapea en vietnamita y en inglés (aprendió el idioma traduciendo canciones de Eminem en un cibercafé) y tiene que ingeniárselas para escapar de la censura porque las letras que hablan de sexo, drogas o cuestiones políticas no son bienvenidas en su país. “Por el momento no he tenido ningún problema con el gobierno, pero en Vietnam no es recomendable hacer canciones sobre política. Hacerlo supone convertirte en un cantante prohibido y que la prensa deje de escribir sobre ti. Por eso la mayoría de los artistas se mantienen alejados de estos temas. Mis canciones hablan sobre mis experiencias, mis errores, mi juventud, sobre la gente que me rodea o acerca de cómo veo las cosas”, aclara.

Pero también se las ingenia para expresar sus opiniones acerca de temas espinosos y sus letras están llenas de metáforas y dobles sentidos. “Cuando incluyo palabrotas en mis temas tengo que lanzarlos de forma no oficial a través de Internet sin que pasen el filtro de los censores. Es la única forma para escapar de ellos y que las canciones puedan llegar a mi público sin licencia previa”, explica la vietnamita.

[caamedia-blog]

American Broadway meets China’s larger-than-life theatrical dream in The Road to Fame, as young students from China’s highly-esteemed Central Academy of Drama are given their senior year finals: to be cast and to perform in Fame. Director Hao Wu addresses the universal persistent and uncomfortable questions of youth, while also addressing the realities of the first generation affected by China’s one-child policy.

[caamedia-blog]

American Arab takes a gritty, lucid look at the realities of Arab and Muslim American communities in the United States. Iraqi-American director Usama Alshaibi (Nice Bombs, 2006), doesn't shy away from confronting difficult questions around violence, hate crimes, and experiencing racism in post-9/11 America. Alshaibi’s counter-narratives don’t rely on trying to prove a capacity for assimilation into America. Instead, he chooses to face this deep racism by detailing different, complex and nuanced stories of Arab Americans as individuals, and asking bold questions around citizenship, home, and belonging. American Arab is visually captivating and playful, using experimental tones to take on an otherwise heavy subject.

[caamedia-blog]

Duc Nguyen’s film, Stateless, follows the story of a group of Vietnamese refugees stranded in the Philippines for sixteen years after the closure of refugee camps. Raw and delicate, Stateless depicts both the struggles and resilience for asylum speakers as they wait on their dream of creating “home”.

[caamedia-blog]

Isang Bagsak! Meaning: If one falls, we all fall. Almost fifty years after the struggles and solidarities of the farm workers’ movement, and coming parallel with the highly-anticipated release of the film Cesar Chavez, Marissa Aroy’s independent film tells the lesser-known background of the Great Grape Strike of 1965. Aroy brings light to the significance of organizer Larry Itliong and the 1500 Filipino farm workers in Delano, California who helped light a movement which gave political voice to Chicano, Filipino, Chinese migrant workers and the development of the United Farm Workers. Delano Manongs pays respect to the elders of the American labor movement, and their shared passion, sacrifice, and sense of unity.