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Asian American Mental Health Documentaries & Movies

Mental health and mental illness are very challenging topics to talk about or discuss, especially among Asians, Asian Americans and Asian Pacific Islanders. Real-life stories portrayed in films and movies can powerfully help people to start those discussions, to address these matters in an indirect way, and towards erasing shame.

Award-winning speaker and advocate Emily Wu Troung compiles this list of film documentaries about Asian Americans and mental health. Posted with permission. Thank you Emily! (show your thanks and like her Facebook page)

Films & Documentaries re: API Mental Health

“Looking for Luke” by Eric I-Hwa Lu & Elaine Coin
Website: lookingforlukefilm.com
Facebook Page: facebook.com/lookingforlukefilm

“Unbroken Glass” by Dinesh Sabu
Website: unbrokenglassfilm.com
Facebook Page: facebook.com/UnbrokenGlassFilm/
Watch online @ worldchannel.org/episode/unbroken-glass/

Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Kristina Wong Website: flyingwong.com
Trailer here: flyingwong.com/trailer.html
Facebook Page: facebook.com/flyingwong

“The S Word” by Lisa Klein 
Facebook Page: facebook.com/SuiDoc
Website: theswordmovie.com

Voices: Human & Untold Stories of Psychosis” by Gary Tsai & Hiroshi Hara
Trailer here: voicesdocumentary.com
Facebook Page: facebook.com/voicesdocumentary

Can” by Pearl J. Park 
Trailer here: youtube.com/watch?v=V720lROtoPE
Website: amongourkin.org

Silent War: Asian American Reckoning with Mental Healthsilentwarmovie.com

The Laundromat” by Vanessa Yee 
Website: atthelaundromat.com
Trailer here: vimeo.com/37093248
Facebook Page: facebook.com/TheLaundromatDocumentary

“Adultolescence” by Vicky Shen
Website: adultolescence.net
Facebook Page: facebook.com/adultolescence

The House of Suh” by Iris K. Shim
Website: thehouseofsuh.com 
Facebook Page: facebook.com/thehouseofsuh
Free viewing on Hulu: hulu.com/watch/527813

Children of the Camps” by Dr. Satsuki Ina 
pbs.org/childofcamp/documentary/

The Cats of Mirikitani” by Linda Hattendorf & Masa Yoshikawa 
thecatsofmirikitani.com

Dialogues with Madwomen” by Allie Light 
wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c141.shtml

Who’s Going to Pay for These Donuts, Anyway?” by Janice Tanaka 
wmm.com/filmcatalog/pages/c112.shtml

Raymond’s Portrait” by Donald C. Young 
fanlight.com/catalog/films/267_rp.php

[attempted] “Things I Never Said” is a documentary seeking to inspire API groups to open up about their mental health issues. They’re raising funds for production costs via an Indiegogo crowdfunding in February-March 2019.

AAPI Mental Health Resources

The following are resources listed at this page of mental health resources for people of color, curated by the American Psychological Association (APA) :

Also see this list of top articles about Asian American mental health.

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