Taiwan Films Archives | Talking Taiwan Podcast

Anthony Kao of Cinema Escapist Recommends Films About Taiwan Ep 117

Felicia Lin — Sun, 21 Feb 2021 19:18:29 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

This week we welcome back Anthony Kao, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Cinema Escapist to Talking Taiwan. I’ve asked him to recommend films that help familiarize people with Taiwan. He’ll be recommending films about Taiwan that best represent certain decades, eras or significant historical events.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Anthony’s recommendations are of films made after the lifting of martial law in Taiwan 1987
In selecting films to recommend Anthony tried to select a variety of film genres to suit the different tastes of Talking Taiwan listeners
The films Anthony recommends represent a diverse array of Taiwan’s culture and historical phenomena
The five films that Anthony recommends: A City of Sadness (1989), Yi Yi (1999), Cape No. 7 (2008)
The historical and political relevance of Anthony’s film recommendations
The Taiwan history film trilogy by film director Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢): A City of Sadness (1989), Good Men, Good Women (好男好女1995), The Puppetmaster (1993)
New Taiwanese Cinema
Second New Wave of Taiwan Cinema

Anthony Kao of Cinema Escapist Often First to Cover Taiwanese Films Ep 116

Felicia Lin — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 12:40:34 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Anthony Kao is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Cinema Escapist, which is often the first or only publication that covers Taiwanese film or television shows. I’ve found it has some really great reviews and recommendations of films from and about Taiwan. Cinema Escapist also covers films from all around the world and takes a look at their social and political context.

Anthony spoke with me about how he started Cinema Escapist and their unique approach to discussing film. Next week we’ll have Anthony back to recommend films about Taiwan that represent different decades or historical events significant to Taiwan.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Where Anthony’s interest in film comes from
Film as a way to explore the world
Cinema Escapist’s focus on international films and the social and political context of films
Anthony’s interest in Taiwanese film and television
How Cinema Escapist is often the first or only publication that covers Taiwanese film or television shows
Publications about Taiwan recommended by Anthony
Anthony’s approach to writing about film
When and why Anthony started Cinema Escapist
How Cinema Escapist has changed over time
What’s behind the name “Cinema Escapist”
The challenges of running Cinema Escapist which has a completely volunteer staff
The interesting experiences and people that Anthony has met through Cinema Escapist
Cinema Escapist’s plans to go into podcasting

Tony Coolidge: Finding his Indigenous Roots in Taiwan Ep 112

Felicia Lin — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 14:02:14 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Did you know that there are 16 indigenous tribes officially recognized in Taiwan and up to 29 self-identified tribes? Also, Taiwan’s current President Tsai Ing-wen’s paternal grandmother was from the Paiwan tribe. My guest on this episode of Talking Taiwan is Tony Coolidge. Tony is the Founder of the Atayal organization, which is named after his mother’s indigenous tribe. In this interview Tony talks about finding his indigenous roots and the indigenous people of Taiwan. This is part one of a two part interview.

In part two of our interview, Tony will talk about his work with Indigenous Bridges through his nonprofit, the Atayal organization.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Tony discovered his indigenous roots
Tony memories of his mother and the lessons she taught him
Tony’s mother’s connection to Taiwan and her indigenous roots
The first time that Tony visited Taiwan and met his mother’s family
Tony’s mother’s village Wulai
The documentary film that was made about Tony’s month-long trip to Taiwan with his brother during which time he met with several indigenous peoples and learned more about the culture
Tony’s mother’s struggles as an indigenous person and why she may have hidden her indigenous background from him
The pressure that Tony’s grandfather (his mother’s father, who was the chief/mayor of Wulai) had to show allegiance to the Chinese under the Kuomintang regime
How the indigenous peoples’ identity was suppressed under the Kuomintang regime and led to discrimination and abuse of indigenous people
The discrimination that indigenous people faced under the rule of the Kuomintang and Japanese
How the discrimination and abuse of indigenous people has changed over time
Tony’s desire to preserve indigenous culture
How policies of former President of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian and the changing attitudes of the media contributed to changing people views of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan
Some key facts about the Atayal tribe (that Tony’s mother belonged to)
The mountainous and lowland indigenous tribes of Taiwan
How many indigenous tribes are presently recognized in Taiwan
The story of how the Atayal tribe’s custom of headhunting was ended
How Tony’s sons are learning the Atayal language
Tony started his nonprofit organization in 2001
In 2004 Tony’s nonprofit had its first indigenous cultural festival in Orlando, Florida
Alice the teacher of indigenous cultures that Tony met in 2004 and how she was instrumental in arranging the trip during which much of the documentary about Tony’s life was filmed
Tony’s trip to Taiwan in December 2004- January 2005 with his brother and the documentary film crew
How the trip to Taiwan affected Tony’s brother
How the death of Tony’s father-in-law happened in the middle of the trip and film
The challenges that Tony and his brother faced during the trip
The similarities and differences amongst Taiwan’s indigenous tribes
How the lives of indigenous peoples changed overnight when the Japanese removed them from their villages in the mountains
How have the indigenous peoples of Taiwan have adjusted over time
Social issues facing young indigenous peoples
The story of an indigenous policeman, Sakino who created a hunting, survival club through with he passed down indigenous knowledge
The most memorable moments of Tony’s 2004 trip to Taiwan
The abandoned village in the mountains (in Pintung) that Tony visited in the documentary film
How the 16 tribes now recognized in Taiwan were mostly originally mountainous tribes because the lowland tribes have been assimilated so long ago
Research has shown that more than 70% of Taiwanese have some indigenous DNA

Auntie Sewing Squad 2: Supporting Communities On the Fringe Through Caring Ep 107

Felicia Lin — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:34:39 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Kristina Wong and Valerie Soe are back to talk about the Auntie Sewing Squad. When they were last here (on episode 75) the Auntie Sewing Squad was about two months old with over 600 members. A lot has happened with the Auntie Sewing Squad since then.

As you listen to the episode, you might be wondering why is there a dog crying in the background as Kristina talks to us? And what major announcement is Valerie going to make about yet another off-shoot project? You might want to go back and listen to episode 75 first or at least read this description of the Auntie Sewing Squad from their website:

The Auntie Sewing Squad was founded on March 24, 2020 by performance artist and comedian Kristina Wong as a casual effort to connect with other friends sewing homemade masks for essential workers due to the Federal Government’s failure to prepare them with proper personal protective equipment.

Auntie Sewing Squad has been featured on CNN, NBC, KCRW, Washington Post, Good Morning America and many more. We Go Down Sewing, a cross between an anthology, memoir, and a visual record of the work of the Auntie Sewing Squad will be published in Fall 2021 by University of California Press. The Aunties also collaborated with the Kronos Quartet on the film “Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad” which uses music by Kronos and testimony and footage provided by the Aunties. We are a college course at San Francisco State University. We also have hosted two rounds of an online summer mask sewing camp for kids. Our relationship with various First Nations has extended to include fundraising and sending them sewing and relief supplies. We have sent several vans filled with sewing and hygiene supplies to the Seamstresses United Navajo & Hopi Nation for distribution throughout both reservations.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How the Auntie Sewing Squad has developed and changed since we last spoke
How Kristina’s role has changed
How masks, mask wearing and mask making have become a political statement
How the Auntie Sewing Squad’s work is about supporting communities forgotten by the federal government such as first nations, incarcerated communities, poor communities of color, migrants at the border
How sewing masks is a political statement for many of the aunties
The Auntie Sewing Squad’s Core Values
The Auntie Sewing Squad’s fiscal sponsor Art2Action which allows donations received by the Auntie Sewing Squad to be tax deductible
Historian Shakedown Auntie Rebecca Solnit
The Karl Marx quote that applies to the Auntie Sewing Squad
How Auntie Care started with an offering of hand salve
The Auntie Sewing Squad’s collaboration with the Kronos Quartet on the eight-minute short film, “Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad”
The press that the Auntie Sewing Squad has received
Kristina’s Good Morning America appearance
The coat and clothing drives that the Auntie Sewing Squad has organized for Lakota Nation and the Navajo Nation
The book about the Auntie Sewing Squad, We Go Down Sewing
The full-length documentary film about the Auntie Sewing Squad that’s in the works
The crazy requests for masks that the Auntie Sewing Squad still receives
Monk robe fabric that was donated to make masks
How the Auntie Sewing Squad has become a sort of national network that supports various communities in need- from people affected by California wildfires to migrants in need of masks in Tijuana
How Kristina’s show and live tour “Kristina Wong for Public Office” became a Zoom and an online experience
The Auntie Sewing Squad’s Kid Sewing Summer Camp

Ways to donate to the Auntie Sewing Squad:

Tax-deductible donation link thanks to Art2Action who has waived the fiscal sponsor fees: https://donorbox.org/auntie-sewing-squad

Kristina Wong PayPal General Donations using (Friends & Family): k@kristinasherylwong.com

Kristina Wong Venmo General Donations HERE: “GiveKristinaWongMoney”

Kristina Wong with set pieces from her show “Kristina Wong for Public Office”

Kristina Wong’s website: http://kristinawong.com/

Kristina Wong’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ilovekristinawong/

Kristina Wong’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYVB9LCGQewhp4LxlachKPQ

Kristina and Valerie’s previous Talking Taiwan interview about the Auntie Sewing Squad: https://staging.talkingtaiwan.com/auntie-sewing-squad-combats-covid-19-one-mask-at-a-time-ep-75/

Valerie with a screen shot of “Radical Care: The Auntie Sewing Squad”

Valerie Soe’s blog: https://beyondasiaphilia.com/

Valerie’s previous Talking Taiwan interview about her documentary film, Love Boat Taiwan: https://staging.talkingtaiwan.com/love-boat-taiwan-interview-asian-american-studies-professor-film-maker-valerie-soe-ep-66/

We Go Down Sewing, a cross between an anthology, memoir, and a visual record of the work of the Auntie Sewing Squad will be published in Fall 2021 by University of California Press

The Tom’s model: https://bit.ly/3oPzNUJ

Art2Action’s website: http://www.art2action.org/

Art2Action’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/art2action/

Kronos Quartet musician wearing a mask made by the Auntie Sewing Squad

Kronos Quartet musicians wearing masks made by the Auntie Sewing Squad

The Kronos Quartet: https://kronosquartet.org/

Historian Shakedown Auntie Rebecca Solnit’s article for The Guardian, “The way we get through this is together: the rise of mutual aid under coronavirus,” which features a mention of the Auntie Sewing Squad: https://bit.ly/2LDuK8d

The post Auntie Sewing Squad 2: Supporting Communities On the Fringe Through Caring Ep 107 appeared first on Talking Taiwan Podcast.

Jason Chew Talks About Being a Filmmaker Ep 105

Felicia Lin — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 10:09:29 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

On this episode of Talking Taiwan I speak with Jason Chew about being a filmmaker. We talked about how he veered away from his traditional Taiwanese upbringing and parents’ expectations that he become a lawyer.

As a filmmaker, he’s worked with several different clients in both Taiwan (a funeral home and cosmetics company) and the U.S. He shared how one project with the NYPD required him to wear a bulletproof vest while cruising around with the NYPD to the scene of a crime.

When I asked him what inspires his creativity, Jason responded by asking “where don’t you find inspiration… everything could be inspiration.”

Check out the show notes on the Talking Taiwan website for some of the great film directors that have inspired Jason and a few of the classic films about Taiwan that he recommends.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Jason’s connection to musician Treya, who we interviewed in episode 55
Jason’s “traditional Taiwanese upbringing” and what a “traditional Taiwanese upbringing” means to him
How he went from being on the path to attend law school to applying for film school
What it was like attending NYU Film School in Singapore
What Jason’s film career has been like so far
The difference between film editing, shooting, and directing
What sets someone apart as a director
What is cinematography
Jason’s short films
The music video he worked on for Treya’s song Magic
The work that Jason did on the NYPD’s Domain Awareness System (DAS) which is a sort of monitoring service
How Jason and his colleagues rode around in an NYPD police car to crime scenes in response to alerts from the Shot Spotter, which is a series of microphones that listen for shots fired
Jason’s thoughts on Black Lives Matter
Jason’s work with Taiwanese companies
Jason’s parents’ reaction to his choice to pursue a career as a filmmaker instead of law
What inspires him as a cinematographer
The crowdfunding campaigns on student films that he’s worked on
Jason’s favorite films about Taiwan
Films that he recommends for people who would like to know more about Taiwan
Jason’s work on the short film A Father’s Son – A 90s Chinatown Noir Thriller, which is based on the characters from Henry Chang’s NYPD Detective Jack Yu crime series novels
What Jason enjoys the most about filmmaking
How the pandemic has affected Jason
What Jason is currently working on
Jason’s advice for people interested in pursuing filmmaking
Jason’s advice on how to push through tough challenging times

Small Talk at LGBTQ Film Festival: An Interview with Director Huang Hui-chen Ep 92

Felicia Lin — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 14:51:43 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

A relationship between mother and daughter that was so stonewalled that it took 20 years and a camcorder to make a breakthrough- this was the subject of Huang Hui-chen’s first feature documentary film, Small Talk. Small Talk is one of two documentary films being screened at the Austin Asian American Film Festival’s Prismatic Taiwan (September 4-13), a virtual, six-film series celebrating the past and present of queer Taiwanese cinema. Hui-chen spoke candidly about this deeply personal film that she described as a letter to her mother. She also revealed what happened in the aftermath of the film, and the filmmaking advice that the legendary Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao-hsien gave her. Her film and personal story give hope to others dealing difficult parent-child relationships. Special thanks to the Austin Asian American Film Festival and Stacey Pai for providing translation.

To purchase tickets to watch Small Talk and learn about the other films featured in Prismatic Taiwan visit: www.aaafilmfest.org/ Talking Taiwan listeners will get $2 off when they use the code TALKING. The Prismatic Taiwan Queer Film Series, features six LGBTQ Taiwan films spanning from 1970 to 2016. You can watch all six films for under $15. To learn more Prismatic Taiwan check out last week’s episode, Episode 91.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Hui-chen’s work as an activist
When she got interested in documentary filmmaking
How it took her so long (20 years) to make Small Talk into a movie that her mother and relatives didn’t think she’d actually be able to do it
The footage of her nieces discussing whether their grandma (Hu-Chen’s mother) is a boy or a girl
How she got her mother to finally talk
How she got other family members and her mother’s girlfriends to talk in the film
The one person who she would have like to interview for the movie, but did not
How the film, Small Talk is like a letter to her mother
Why Hui-chen’s husband doesn’t appear in the film
While Hui-chen’s now ex-husband doesn’t appear in Small Talk he will be in her next film which will be about the relationship between love and social activism
Hui-chen’s mother’s reaction to the film after watching it
How Hui-chen’s mother’s reacted when Small Talk was screened at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards
How the film Small Talk has affected her and mother’s relationship with their relatives
What was Hui-chen’s sister’s reaction to Small Talk
How the film Small Talk has affected Hui-chen’s relationship with her mother
How Hui-chen’s relatives reacted to and dealt with to her mother’s lesbianism
How Hou Hsiao-hsien took a leap of faith when he got involved and became the executive producer of Small Talk
What filmmaking advice Hou Hsiao-hsien gave her
How Hui-chen feels about Small Talk having been selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards
Hui-chen’s book about her mother that reveals more that the film did not

Austin Asian American Film Festival: Prismatic Taiwan, A Series Celebrating Queer Taiwanese Cinema Ep 91

Felicia Lin — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 21:05:43 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Prismatic Taiwan, is a virtual, six-film series celebrating the past and present of queer Taiwanese cinema, co-presented by the Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF). I recently spoke with Hanna Huang, the Executive Director of the Austin Asian American Film Festival and Josh Martin of the special programs team about the lineup of films that span 1970-2016. As you’ll hear in the interview, a lot of research and thought went into the film selections. The films offer a different perspective on Taiwan’s history and insight into Taiwan’s LGBTQ history. You can watch all six films for under $15 and Talking Taiwan listeners can also get an additional $2 off when they use the code: TALKING.

Next week’s episode will feature my interview with one of the film directors, Huang Hui-chen about her film, Small Talk, a deeply personal documentary that was 20 years in the making.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How the Austin Asian American Film Festival has screened many Taiwanese films throughout the years
The retrospective of six Hou Hsiao-hsien films at the Austin Asian American Film Festival in September 2018
How a Taiwan Queer Film Retrospective has actually been in the works since 2018
The Austin Asian American film festival started in 2004, but was known as the Austin Asian film festival until 2007 when an Asian American organizer, Masashi Niwano stepped in
The mission of the Austin Asian American Film Festival, which is to bring to light Asian and Asian American stories through cinema
Their programming is year round
The main film festival is usually held in June, but this year they had a short film online festival featuring 36 short films
Prismatic Taiwan, a six film retrospective of queer films spanning 1970-2016
A retrospective of Asian American films is being planned for the late fall (November)
The meaning behind the name Prismatic Taiwan
How they translated the word prismatic with the Chinese word for kaleidoscope, therefore Prismatic Taiwan A Queer Film Series has been translated into Chinese as: 萬花同志電
How the first film of Prismatic Taiwan, The End of the Track from 1970 was thought lost but has been recovered and is being reintroduced to audiences
How they narrowed down the film selection from over 20 films to 6
The one film that they couldn’t include in Prismatic Taiwan when the Austin Asian American Film Festival went online, Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet
The second film in the series, Outcasts (aka The Outsiders) as made in 1986 right before martial law in Taiwan was lifted
How they selected films that were not that easy to find
The River, was set in 1997 around the emergence of the gay club scene in Taipei
Not Simply a Wedding Banquet, set in 1997 is a documentary
Spider Lilies (2007) and Small Talk (2016) feature female gay characters whereas The River and Not Simply a Wedding Banquet feature male gay characters
September 5^thlive event, a Transnational Queer Activism Panel featuring Film Director Zero Chou in collaboration with Asian Cinevision along with others from the U.K. and Taiwan
Small Talk (2016) is a documentary film that was 20 years in the making and was executive produced by Hou Hsiao-hsien and Taiwan’s submission to the Academy Awards
These films tell the story of Taiwan’s history and queer history
How Director Tsai Ming-Liang, made the film I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone in Malaysia but it was banned there
Previously Tsai Ming-Liang had said that he wasn’t comfortable having his films in a queer film festival but that has changed since the legalization of gay marriage in Taiwan
How there were film distributors or filmmakers who didn’t want their film to be a part of the queer series
The background of Mou Tun-Fei the director of The End of The Track
How the design of the poster for Prismatic Taiwan was inspired by Kaohsiung’s Love River
Prismatic Taiwan is offering a SPECIAL DISCOUNT to listeners of Talking Taiwan, just use the code: TALKING to get $2 off when you purchase your tickets from August 38-September 13

This Is My Brain in Love: A Conversation With Author I.W. Gregorio Ep 87

Felicia Lin — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 14:03:51 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

July is Black, Indigenous, People of Color Mental Health Awareness Month, so I thought this would be good time to invite Dr. Ilene Wong, who writes as I.W. Gregorio on to Talking Taiwan to talk about her latest novel, This Is My Brain in Love. Dr. Wong has described the novel as a happy book about mental illness across cultures. We spoke about how she balances her medical and writing careers and her first book, None of the Above.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Why she writes under the pen name “I.W. Gregorio”
How she went from being a doctor to a YA author and which came first
How she balances her career in medicine with her writing
How her medical career informs her writing
How much of her novel draws from her personal life
Her thoughts on the model minority myth and stereotypes
What she thinks of the media’s focus on suicide as the endpoint of depression
YA books and movies that romanticized death by suicide
The difference between being down in the dumps and clinically depressed
How difficult was it for Ilene to come out about her mental health issues
Why she felt compelled to write this book now
How her family dealt with her depression
The paradoxical views that some doctors have about medicating for mental health issues
How we might de-stigmatize mental health
The difference between passive and active suicide ideation
Her writing process and the importance of having critique partners
The feedback that she’s received on the book
Her first book None of the Above
What the term “intersex” means
Why she writes for YA audiences
Her advice for aspiring authors
Ilene’s connection to Taiwan

Grace Lee: Documentary Filmmaker on A-Doc Ep 76

Felicia Lin — Mon, 25 May 2020 10:37:00 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

A-Doc, the Asian American Documentary Network was established in 2016 and is a resource and network for nonfiction filmmakers at all different stages of their career. I spoke with one of A-Doc’s Co-founders, Grace Lee, about the organization, and its “Asian American Stories of the Coronavirus” microdoc series, with microdocs being released throughout the month of May and beyond.

Grace also told me about two of her most recent documentary film projects, the PBS five-part documentary “Asian Americans,” which will air May 11 and May 12, and the “And She Could Be Next” docuseries for POV on PBS that will be released in June. And she shared an interesting piece of advice for aspiring documentary filmmakers, to learn the difference between asking questions that reveal a story or insight vs. information.

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

How Grace got involved with the Auntie Sewing Squad
A-Doc (Asian American Documentary Network) and its mission
The A-Doc “Asian American Stories of the Coronavirus” microdoc series
How Valerie’s microdoc “Sewing in the Time of Coronavirus” became A-Doc’s proof of concept for the “Asian American Stories of the Coronavirus” microdoc series
The events, work and initiatives of A-Doc
Resources that Grace recommends for documentary filmmakers to deal with the COVI-19 pandemic
A-Doc’s partnership with the Center for Asian American Media (in San Francisco) on a mentorship/fellowship program
A-Doc’s work on creating a database of documentary films made by Asian American filmmakers
The networking opportunities for filmmakers facilitated by A-Doc
What’s in the future for A-Doc
How has the landscape of Asian American documentary films and filmmakers changed since Grace started her career
The PBS five-part documentary “Asian Americans,” that Grace worked on
“And She Could Be Next” series for POV (television’s longest-running showcase for independent non-fiction films on PBS) that Grace has worked on
Grace’s advice for aspiring documentary filmmakers

Auntie Sewing Squad Combats Covid-19 One Mask at a Time Ep 75

Felicia Lin — Sun, 17 May 2020 17:38:08 +0000

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

What a fun, spirited conversation I had with my guests Valerie Soe and Kristina Wong! We could certainly use more conversations like this in this post-COVID-19 world. We talked about the Auntie Sewing Squad, a sewing circle formed during the global Coronavirus pandemic, that has taken on making masks first for frontline medical and essential workers, and now for vulnerable marginalized communities, who have no financial means to purchase masks.

My guests are Valerie Soe, an Asian American Studies Professor and Film maker, and Kristina Wong, a performance artist. comedian, writer and elected representative.

Valerie has been on Talking Taiwan previously to talk about her documentary film Love Boat: Taiwan and she recently made a microdocumentary, “Sewing in the Time of Coronavirus,” which incidentally, is how I learned about the Auntie Sewing Squad.

Kristina, is the force behind the Auntie Sewing Squad. She recently streamed a live performance, “Kristina Wong Sweatshop Overlord” over Zoom and YouTube. It’s her latest work born out of the current COVID-19 lockdown, about how she went from volunteer sewist to a “sweatshop” overlord in ten days.

Listen in and enjoy our conversation!

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

The mission/purpose of the Auntie Sewing Squad
Why Kristina was initially reluctant to wear a mask herself when the pandemic first hit Los Angeles
How the Auntie Sewing Squad grew from a dozen members to over 600
Writing Auntie Rebecca Solnit’s piece for The Guardian which mentions the Auntie Sewing Squad
“Aunties” located in states other than California
What funds donated to the Auntie Sewing Squad (via Kristina) used for
The unfortunate acronym that represents to the Auntie Sewing Squad
What “Auntie Care” is
Does Kristina plan on making the Auntie Sewing Squad into a non-profit organization
The microdocumentary film that Valerie made for A-Doc (Asian American Documentary Network)
How Kristina helped an LA hospital fix broken N95 masks that were given to them by the Federal government
Stories about the amazing dedication of the sewing aunties
How you can support the Auntie Sewing Squad even if you don’t sew
How much longer the Auntie Sewing Squad will continue sewing masks
Kristina’s connection to the “Love Boat program”
Kristina and Valerie’s advice for how to deal with lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic

Taiwan Films Archives | Talking Taiwan Podcast

Anthony Kao of Cinema Escapist Recommends Films About Taiwan Ep 117

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Anthony Kao of Cinema Escapist Often First to Cover Taiwanese Films Ep 116

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Tony Coolidge: Finding his Indigenous Roots in Taiwan Ep 112

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Auntie Sewing Squad 2: Supporting Communities On the Fringe Through Caring Ep 107

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Ways to donate to the Auntie Sewing Squad:

Jason Chew Talks About Being a Filmmaker Ep 105

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Small Talk at LGBTQ Film Festival: An Interview with Director Huang Hui-chen Ep 92

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Austin Asian American Film Festival: Prismatic Taiwan, A Series Celebrating Queer Taiwanese Cinema Ep 91

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

This Is My Brain in Love: A Conversation With Author I.W. Gregorio Ep 87

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Grace Lee: Documentary Filmmaker on A-Doc Ep 76

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

Auntie Sewing Squad Combats Covid-19 One Mask at a Time Ep 75

A note from Talking Taiwan host Felicia Lin:

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links: