Hello, good readers! It is time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Sue Ding.
Who are you?
I'm Sue Ding. I'm a documentary filmmaker and interactive media producer, a storyteller and story collector.
What are you?
Asian-American, Chinese-American, Director-Producer, Aries-Pisces, Slytherin-Ravenclaw, New York-LA... all the hyphens.
Where are you?
In Silverlake, angrily sipping an overpriced matcha latte (it's not even good!).
Where are you from?
Mostly New York -- I grew up upstate and lived in the city for a good stretch.
What do you do?
I'm directing a documentary about Claudia Kishi from the Baby-Sitters Club books! She was one of the only Asian American characters in popular culture when I was a kid, and she was also artistic, cool, and not a stereotype or a sidekick. Claudia inspired so many young readers of color, many of whom went on to pursue creative careers. In the film, I interview Asian American creators including YA authors C.B. Lee and Sarah Kuhn, comic artist Yumi Sakugawa, Angry Asian Man founder Phil Yu, and producer Naia Cucukov (who is helming the new live-action BSC TV series) about Claudia's legacy and the importance of media representation.
I'm running a Kickstarter campaign to finish the film, and we have just 5 days left to reach our goal -pl- ease check out the project at ClaudiaKishi.Club and consider joining us to get the film out into the world!
When I'm not hustling for my Kickstarter 24/7, I'm the Senior Programmer for New Media at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, highlighting VR and AR work by AAPI creators. I'm also producing an interactive installation at Manzanar, where more than 10,000 Japanese-Americans were incarcerated during WWII. You can find out more at my website or follow me on Instagram / Twitter for updates.
What are you all about?
Dessert, mostly. And the desert, now that I'm based in Los Angeles! Also: art, books, films, and speculative fiction.
What makes you angry?
Racism, xenophobia, voter suppression, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, mass incarceration. The model minority myth and all the bullshit that goes along with it. The lack of diverse perspectives, stories, and gatekeepers in the media. And nothing gets my blood pressure up faster than cable news.
