WHAT'S WRONG WITH FRANK CHIN?

World Premiere

USA 2005 | 97mins | Video Color

In person: Director Curtis Choy and subject Frank Chin

Author, activist...curmudgeon: these are just some of the ways Frank Chin has been described. For three decades now, Chin has distinguished himself through rich, imaginative writings and controversial critiques on the state of Asian American culture. This new documentary by Curtis Choy (FALL OF THE I-HOTEL, SFIAAFF '83) captures Chin in all his full complexity and contradictions, unflinchingly displaying both his literary accomplishments and his personal controversies. Choy profiles Chin's many accomplishments, from publishing the groundbreaking Asian American literature anthology AIIIEEEEE! to founding the annual Day of Remembrance memorials. However, Choy is equally devoted to examining the more contentious parts of Chin's life. The film recounts the public battle between Chin and Maxine Hong Kingston, letter by letter, blow for blow, neither coddling nor condemning either author's position. Choy builds a portrait of Chin in full, unflinching detail, leaving it to the audience to draw their own conclusions about the man's legacy. Adding nuance are commentaries by luminaries such as poet Lawson Fusao Inada, bookseller David Ishii and professor Elaine Kim. Ultimately, however, it's Choy's impromptu interviews with Chin that offer the most provocative insights into the man. The author's outspokenness may be legend, yet he remains an enigma to most.

—Oliver Wang

Frank Chin will read at City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco on Sunday, March 13, at 5pm.

Sponsored by East West Bank