Sandra Oh, Senator Tammy Duckworth and Kumail Nanjiani are among fifteen voices profiled in The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas, the documentary exploring what it means to be Asian or Pacific Islander in America.
The documentary captures stories that range from deeply personal struggles to moments of triumph.
Other featured participants are chef Yia Vang; activist Amanda Nguyen; musician DJ Rekha; journalist Connie Chung; athlete and activist Schuyler Bailar; nurse Madelyn Yu; entrepreneur Haroon Mokhtarzada; comedian Bowen Yang; photographer Manny Crisostomo; astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala; activist Kathy Masaoka; and surfer and scientist Cliff Kapono.
Directed by Eugene Yi (The Rose: Come Back to Me, Free Chol Soo Lee), The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas debuts Wednesday, May 13 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
The A List: 15 Stories From Asian and Pacific Diasporas is a tapestry of personal vignettes from across the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in America.
The film captures lived experiences from high-profile celebrities like Sandra Oh to unsung heroes like Madelyn Yu, a retired nurse in New Jersey. These intimate first-person accounts invite viewers to question umbrella terms like “Asian American” and “AAPI” and instead draw attention to the individuals and communities themselves.
Other notable voices featured in the film include pioneering journalist Connie Chung; army-helicopter-pilot-turned-senator Tammy Duckworth; trans advocate and athlete Schuyler Bailar; activist and astronaut Amanda Nguyen; surfer and scientist Cliff Kapono; DJ Rekha, whose underground parties transformed the New York City music scene; and Haroon Mokhtarzada, a child refugee who went on to become a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist.
The 15 participants reflect the diverse histories and cultures across Asia and the Pacific Islands and attempt the impossible: to reflect a community whose roots span two-thirds of the world. Their moving stories of tragedy and triumph, joy and pain, illustrate the commonalities from which a community can emerge. With original interviews and rich archival materials, the film reframes the proverbial “A List” by placing these communities squarely at the center of American life.
The film is the latest in the “The List” series of documentary films, large-format photography portraits, and books that examine the rich cultures of various underrepresented communities, created by renowned photographer and filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Past projects include HBO’s “The Black List,” “The Trans List,” “The Out List,” and “The Latino List.”
With interviews by Jada Yuan (The Washington Post, The New York Times, New York Magazine), the documentary is executive produced by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, Lou Reed: Rock and Roll Heart) producers, Chad Thompson, Eugene Yi, and Jada Yuan. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen.
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