Flushing
There are millions of Chinese immigrants in the United States. Flushing, located in Queens, New York, is the largest Chinese community in the United States. The life of Chinese immigrants in America are concentrated in this narrow area.
Very different from the impression of domestic Chinese, Chinese immigrants in the United States are not as happy and wealthy as they are imagined, more are the dilemmas that must be faced. Language barriers, huge cultural differences, lack of identity, struggling at the bottom of society, and the lack of effective protection, all of these leading to the distrust and sensitive attitude of Chinese immigrants to the United States. They always existed on this land as an outsider. While pursuing a better life, they are also eager for a sense of belonging. When they came here with an “American dream”, maybe they knew this dream could become a fragile bubble just due to their vulnerable situation, or maybe they didn’t.
This piece of work focuses on the special Chinese immigrant district of Flushing, trying to look at their living conditions from the perspective of identity. When a Chinese immigrants choose to come to the United States, to some extent, he/she choose to split a part of their own. They may experience some sacrifices and face the choices they would never face in China. And they are willing to go through all this for what, what has they been gained in the process and what has been given up. I hope through this short film could cause more understanding of the Chinese immigrant community.
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Sihan CuiDirector
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Sihan CuiWriter
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Sihan CuiProducer
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Project Type:Documentary, Experimental, Short, Student
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Runtime:7 minutes 17 seconds
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Completion Date:May 10, 2019
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Country of Origin:China
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:Chinese
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes
Sihan Cui is a documentary photographer who lives and works in New York City. She is currently studying at the School of Visual Arts for MFA program in Photography, Video and Related Media department.
Sihan Cui has been committed to documentary photography. She has been focusing on the diversification of social communities, living reality of social minorities and the public's stereotype towards them. After moving to New York, she noticed that the living status of Chinese immigrants in New York are very special and complicated, especially for the “new immigrants” who have moved to America after 1980s. She began to focus on the current situation of Chinese new immigrants in the United States and has been working on a series of projects about that.