Superfest Showcase

Hosted by us here at the Longmore Institute, Superfest is the longest running disability focused film festival. In this showcase, the Institute is partnering with the Asian Art Museum to highlight some films from past festivals that feature the intersection between disability and Asian or Asian American identity.

The showcase is Thursday, April 30th, at 6:30pm PT/9:30pm ET

After the screening, a panel of Asian American leaders in the disability community will share their reactions to the films and how they compare to the panelists’ experiences. Panelists include Diversability founder Tiffany Yu, science fiction author and blogger Claire Light, and UC Berkeley Professor of Anthropology Karen Nakamura.

Films that will be shown, in order:

The Nature of Pleasure: “The Nature of Pleasure” is by Thanh My Diep, who works as an artist at Creativity Explored. According to Thanh, “The film expresses my feelings about sexuality and disability. Many people understand what I mean, but others do not recognize people with disabilities as sexual beings.” (8 mins)

When Brenden Met Hiroe: A photographer from Australia returns to Japan to reunite with his friend Hiroe, who he met at a blind and deaf/blind workshop the year before. The pair spend an unforgettable day together. (23 mins)

Rhizophora: Forty years after the Vietnam War, the toxic remnants of Agent Orange have not faded. A dreamlike meditation on the impact of war and the resilience of humanity, “Rhizophora” follows 11 disabled Vietnamese youth on a whimsical, poignant, and whirling journey through a day in their lives. (16 mins)

Traveller: A young woman born with a disability searches for a career despite rampant discrimination. She travels to Japan where she finds strength in disability activism and community, and returns home with a newfound sense of pride. (25 mins)