Kukan, a landmark color film that documented Chinese resistance to the Japanese invasion of China in the early days of World War II, was the first ever American feature documentary to receive an Academy Award® in 1942. When Robin Lung discovers a badly damaged film print of the “lost” Kukan, she pieces together the inspirational tale of the two renegades behind the making of it -- Chinese American playwright Li Ling-Ai and cameraman Rey Scott. Through a dynamic mix of verite, archival, and re-enactment footage, Finding Kukan creates an unforgettable portrait of a female filmmaking pioneer, and sheds light on the long history of racial and gender discrimination behind the camera, which continues to reverberate in Hollywood today.
Finding Kukan is both a personal film about a fourth generation Chinese American digging into her own culture and a wide-ranging exploration of decades of history between China and the United States.
DVD Extra Features include: Full 85-minute Kukan, 1941 (mastered from VHS) & Partial 35-minute version of Kukan, 1941 (mastered from 16mm)
20-page Viewer's Guide available to download (includes time-coded DVD chapter markers)
Streaming version available with Chinese language subtitles
The film is an excellent teaching and research tool for courses in:
*Ethnic/Asian American Studies
*Gender/Feminist Studies
*Film Studies
*American/World History
*Political Science & International Relations
*Immigration Studies
*War & Genocide Studies