Asain World Film Festival

It begins with a single frame and the question of how to fill it. Filmmakers, actors, and visual artists are familiar with the urge to answer this burning question. With careful composition, the image formed by a single frame can take on a life of its own and live in perpetuity in the minds of its audience. By stringing together a single frame with another, an entire narrative can be built.

It is not until we go beyond the frame, however, beyond what is immediately presented, that true meaning can be made. When we consider not just the immediate but the historical context of a film or actor, our understanding and appreciation deepens.

Throughout Anna May Wong’s career, her undeniable gravitas and masterful use of facial expressions left lasting impressions on Hollywood and beyond. Although her stardom was undeniable, her trajectory toward it was not easy.

Wong navigated the film industry in a time when Asian stars were few and far between, and the roles available to them were rife with stereotypes. Despite these obstacles and discrimination, she was a composer, breathing life and nuance into these roles with her powerful performances.