Introduction

Hola, Mundo!!!

I’m an “emerging filmmaker”. What does that mean? It means that I’m juggling a full-time job and taking night classes to further my craft while continuing to edit my past shorts that I am spending an outrageous amount of money on to submit to film festivals.

Hopefully, in the near future, I will be “discovered” so that I can take off the hopeful adjective and call myself a “filmmaker”.

Anyway, here’s a short synopsis of my film:

“Breaking the Heterotype”

Run time: 20 min

Genre: Short Documentary

In “Breaking the Heterotype”, six women of Asian descent in the nation’s most prestigious women’s college speak out about the taboo topic of sexuality and how it affects them. They touch on topics such as coming out, internal reconciliation, facing their own prejudices, cultural constraints, nature vs. nurture, being in an all women environment, stereotypes, and expectations.

Screening:

Premiering at

The San Diego Asian Film Festival 2006

October 12-19

Specific show time and location TBA.

 

Director’s Statement:

I set about making “Breaking the Heterotype” in order to prompt discussion on sexuality, especially within the Asian American community. Since the subject is taboo, and many have struggled to either hide or ignore their sexuality, this documentary sets out to share a glimpse of the brave women who chose to open up and share their personal histories. The purpose of this film is to get people to feel more comfortable talking about their sexuality and to let people know that there are people out there who can be of support or in the least, offer some company. There are many stereotypes that act to conform, constrain, and oppress women of Asian descent. One of these is that women of Asian descent are submissive heterosexual women. In this film, six women speak out candidly about what it means to be a living stereotype-breaker.

 

3-LINE SYNOPSIS.
Women of Asian descent at a women’s college speak out about sexuality and race.

PROGRAMMING DESCRIPTORS.
FORMS: Documentary, Experimental, Short
GENRES: Educational, Deconstruction, Independent, Reality, Culture, Art
NICHES: Asian, Asian American, Gay/Lesbian, Women, Student

FOREIGN TITLES.

ENGLISH

Breaking The Heterotype

125-WORD SYNOPSIS.
Women of Asian descent from a small liberal arts college speak out about sexuality and how it affects them as women of color. Written by the six participants, the documentary reveals truthful experiences by this diverse group of women. From the queer and questioning hapa experience to struggling with cultural norms from a recently arrived international student from India, to the questioning experience of a Korean American woman who feels as though she’s a living stereotype, to women who are sure how to define their sexuality, ‘Breaking the Heterotype’ is an intelligent short documentary that explores the depth and colors of the queer experience as seen through the eyes of young women of Asian descent.

250-WORD SYNOPSIS.
Women of Asian descent from a small liberal arts college speak out about sexuality and how it affects them as women of color. Written by the six participants, the documentary reveals truthful experiences by this diverse group of women.
Julia speaks out about her experience in dealing with defining her sexuality as a hapa woman who is seen as completely straight by the outside world. Leah, a Hapa woman from Hawaii, describes her inner turmoils of being defined a certain way and her hopes in breaking those misconceptions. Aliya, an international student from Canada,considers herself bisexual and comments on the coming out experience and her perceptions on the American culture. Xan is an international student from India who provides an interesting perspective on racism from someone who has never experienced it in her hometown. Jeenah, a Korean American woman who is recently coming into understanding her racial and sexual identity, reveals the struggles of being confined to the model minority stereotype. Kat speaks out on her experience as a lesbian who ‘looks white’ to the outside world. Her half Indian, half white heritage puts her on the fence of having to constantly define herself, and she gives us a glimpse into her process of self-exploration.

‘Breaking the Heterotype’ is an intelligent short documentary that explores the depth and colors of the queer experience as seen through the eyes of young women of Asian descent.