Here's another story on the earliest known Chinese American film, The Curse of Quon Gwon, written and directed by Marion Wong over 92 years ago: Chinese Film from 1916 is a rare gem. The 1916 film was recently uncovered by filmmaker Arthur Dong, on a very old nitrate film stock. It's an amazing find because the film was so well-preserved, but also because the silent film reveals a little bit about the regular lives of Chinese Americans in 1916—a rare depiction, since most Hollywood films of that era portrayed Asians as "mysterious, opium smoking deviants."
For those of you in the Bay Area, The Curse of Quon Gwon will receive a one-time only special screening 7:30pm tonight at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland. With live accompaniment by the Mighty Wurlitzer organ, the way silent films were shown back in the day. Sounds like it's going to be very cool. The screening will by followed by Arthur Dong's documentary Hollywood Chinese.
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