1998
Distributed by NAATA National Asian American Telecommunications Association Association (NAATA), 346 Ninth Street 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103
Produced by the National Asian American TeleCommunication Association in association with the Independent Television Service
Directed by Spencer Nakasano
VHS, color, 57 min.
College - Adult
Multicultural Studies
Reviewed by Selina Wang, Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans
Recommended
This one-hour-documentary film is a camcorder diary by two Asian-american teenagers, Kelly and Tony. Kelly, a refugee from Laos, is a determined, goal- oriented, high school honor student full of "American dreams" that she would like to fulfill in her life: getting a higher education, making a lot of money, living in a big house. Like most teenage American girls, Kelly met her prince, Tony, who is a junior high dropout and ex-con. She was pregnant a few months later. Unlike American girls, Kelly has to simultaneously deal with Laotian tradition from both her own and Tony's families, such as drinking ginger tea and taking an herbal bath after giving birth to her baby, moving into her mother-in-law's house, and taking care of Tony's family consisting of eight kids. For americanized Kelly, she can force herself to accept some of the traditional expectations of her Asian culture, but things like having to give up her college education in order to stay in the house, and focusing on being a housewife, would absolutely contradict the picture she has of her future. Once cruel reality surrounds optimistic Kelly, she starts to have regrets and wonders if she will ever realize her dreams.
Tony works as a van driver for the East Bay Asian Youth Center. Once he has a baby with Kelly, he slowly learns to face the consequences of his past and realizes that he has responsibility for his family. He manages to keep out of trouble for two years, and is finally granted permission to stay in the United States. He does not understand the need that Kelly has to continue her education, nor her dislike for trying to meet the traditional expectations of his family. He has several poignant conversations with his mentor and employer, David, who tries to explain why Kelly may feel so strongly about her education and independence.
Kelly obviously knows that her life needs to go in a definite direction, and that education and responsibility are important to her. Tony does not yet have the maturity to know that these issues even exist, much less that they can be so important to Kelly.
There are no conclusions reached in this film. It illustrates how lives can unfold, depending on the choices that are made. There are no answers, but only questions. Kelly has dreams, but how does she expect them to be fulfilled with Tony? She is smart, has goals, and is aware of responsibility, but gets pregnant at a young age. When she is at the most crucial crossroad in her relationship, questioning her choices, her life with Tony and his family, she becomes pregnant again.
The camcorder filming technique makes the film feel very real and intimate. The "home movie" quality emphasizes the honesty and stark reality of the problems Kelly and Tony are having. There is no doubt that these are real people, facing enormous challenges.
This film is recommended for senior high students, and especially for Asian American teenagers who can relate to the pressures of living in two cultures.