Project Description
Director: Larissa Lam
Cast: Baldwin Chiu, Charles Chiu, Edwin Chiu
Time: 01:16:10
Synopsis: Far East Deep South explores the seldom-told history of early Chinese immigrants living in the American South during the late 1800s to mid-1900s through the eyes of Charles Chiu and his family as they travel to Mississippi to find answers about his father, KC Lou. Far East Deep South expands the story introduced in our award-winning short, Finding Cleveland, which follows the Chiu family as they travel to Cleveland, MS for the first time to visit the gravesite of Charles Chiu’s father, KC Lou and grandfather, Chas J Lou. In the span of just several hours, a simple trip turns into an unexpected and emotional journey uncovering lost family history and the legacy of the early Chinese immigrants in the Deep South.
This fateful trip to Cleveland, MS only raised more questions and this film continues the journey as the Chiu family digs deeper into their past. The film provides a window into the lives of the Chinese in the South and the discrimination they faced in the midst of segregation. The film will not only highlight the struggles and perseverance of the Chinese, but explore the racial dynamics between between the white, black and Chinese communities and the added challenge exclusionary immigration policies like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 that impacted families for generations.
The film's story is told through a combination of cinema verite footage and interviews with local Mississippi residents the family encounters and historians. The film provides lessons on immigration, race and American identity that current and future generations can glean from this challenging time in history.
