Forever, Chinatown

NEW DOCS

“The only way for me to capture my memories is to make them in three dimensions.” Forever, Chinatown documents one man’s life, and his life’s work of recreating a San Francisco neighborhood that is rapidly vanishing into the past. Frank Wong’s extraordinary miniatures evoke sights, smells, and scenes from his childhood in this “city within a city.” A jazzy soundtrack, archival images, and Wong’s exquisitely detailed dioramas are presented alongside images of today’s Chinatown, which some residents still call “Baghdad-by-the-Bay.” Watch as the former Hollywood prop master painstakingly and lovingly seasons a doll-size wok and then whips up a take-out portion of spicy green beans complete with a tiny to-go box. “The Shoe-Shine Stand”—“Single-Room Occupancy”—“The Herb Store”—“The Laundry”—Forever, Chinatown invites you to stroll through this artist’s astonishing world.  DP

Director

James Q. Chan

Producers

James Q. Chan, Corey Tong

Associate Producer

Penelope Wong

Editors

Michael Palmieri, Donal Mosher (Assistant Editor)

Cinematographer

Jeff den Broeder

Additional Cinematography

Michael Palmieri (Miniatures Photography)

Release Year

2016

Festival Year

2016

Country

United States

Run Time

33 minutes

Premiere

World Premiere