"The Oak Park Story, the new documentary that captures the lives of a predominantly Southeast Asian and Latino community in an Oakland slum, will premiere at the 2010 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. The film is directed, edited, co-produced and co-written by Valerie Soe and co-produced and co-written by Russell Jeung, both of whom are professors of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University."
Sylvie (Antisocial Ladder) sent this along to spread the word. I spent a whole week going to showings at the SF Asian American Film Festival last year and loved every minute of it. While I unfortunately won't be in the Bay this year for the event, you might be, so go watch everything and especially go check out The Oak Park Story! Here's their blog, Facebook page, and a video clip link.
"The film recounts the struggles of three very different families (Cambodian, Mexican, and white American) who find themselves together in a run-down apartment complex in Oakland, CA. Together, these three households encountered drug dealing, gang violence and prostitution right in their parking lot. Yet their worst problem was their Stanford-educated landlord, who raised rents even when El Nino rains flooded their units. Facing unsanitary housing conditions that led to the hospitalization of several children, 44 households of Oak Park banded together to sue and eventually won a landmark settlement, against their landlord. Despite the victory, this too brought about some surprising, unintended consequences."
-Hyphen Magazine-
Where: Sundance Kabuki Cinema, San Francisco
When: March 14, 2010 at 2:00 pm and March 15, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Tickets: Available at the SFIAAFF website
