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DUE EAST, THIRTEEN ’S ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, RUNS THROUGHOUT MAYThirteen continues its devotion to programming that captures the stories and experiences of the diverse tri-state population with DUE EAST, the station ’s annual celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Running Tuesday, May 4 through Monday, May 31, DUE EAST offers a wide variety of programs including premieres and encore presentations. "Throughout the year, Thirteen is committed to showcasing and celebrating the cultural and ethnic diversity that makes New York City and its environs so special and unique," said Paula Kerger, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Thirteen. "In May, we are pleased to feature an exciting line-up of programs that explore the history and heritage of one of our fastest growing populations – the various groups that make up the larger community of Asian and Pacific Americans." Thirteen’s DUE EAST celebration will include films and documentaries such as INDEPENDENT LENS: One Night at the Grand Star / Double Exposure, airing Tuesday, May 4 at 10 p.m. One Night at the Grand Star focuses on the ways in which a Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles became one of the city’s most intergenerational and culturally integrated neighborhood nightclubs. In Double Exposure, a self-proclaimed "old Chinese lady" makes her first film. The result is an experimental program that expresses her roots in two countries through humor, thoughtfulness and double-exposed images. ARIRANG: THE KOREAN AMERICAN JOURNEY /T HE KOREAN AMERICAN DREAM, airing Monday, May 10 at 9 p.m., is a compelling and moving two-part documentary beginning with the journey of more than 7,000 Koreans from their homeland to new lives on the sugar plantations of Hawaii, and continuing with the dramatic renewal of migration to America as a result of the Korean War, and subsequent changes in U.S. immigration law. The film captures a segment of society that has risen from humble beginnings to national prominence, through their devotion to hard work and their community. INDEPENDENT LENS: Refugee, airing Tuesday, May 11 at 10 p.m., profiles three young Cambodian American men, raised on the streets of San Francisco ’s tough Tenderloin district, who travel to Cambodia wielding video cameras to capture their experiences of meeting fathers, sisters and brothers for the first time. These family reunions reveal the quagmire of Cambodian political upheaval and military invasion, as well as the heavy toll of years spent apart in different worlds. JAPAN: MEMOIRS OF A SECRET EMPIRE ,airing Wednesday, May 26 at 8 p.m., focuses on the emergence of Japan from its rule by the shogun and its rise to its current position as one of the most prominent countries in the world. This program brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West and the forging of a nation. And, SALAAM BOMBAY!, airing Saturday, May 29 at 10:25 p.m., marks Mira Nair’s film debut. Nair chronicles a young country boy ’s experiences among the street hustlers, drug peddlers and prostitutes of Bombay. A complete schedule with program descriptions is [attached] below. DUE EAST Schedule and Program Descriptions Please Note: The broadcast day runs for 24 hours, from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 4 INDEPENDENT LENS: One Night at the Grand Star/Double Exposure (10 p.m.)– In Los Angeles, there ’s only one place where you can celebrate the synchronicity of an old-school Chinatown establishment, classic jazz, DJ culture and the underground dance scene: the Grand Star. Find out how this restaurant became one of the city ’s liveliest and most intergenerational and culturally integrated neighborhood nightclubs. In DOUBLE EXPOSURE, an artist and self-proclaimed "old Chinese lady" sets out to explore her own identity and prove that it’s never too late to take a risk by making her first film in her 60s. The result? An experimental program that expresses her roots in two countries through self-effacing humor, double-exposed images and an immigrant ’s long look back at her native China. Wednesday, May 5 SEARCHING FOR ASIAN AMERICA (12 a.m.)–Through intimate profiles of individuals and communities from across the country, this 90-minute program serves up a genuine taste of what it’s like to be Asian American in today ’s ever-changing United States. From inauspicious beginnings as the son of Chinese immigrants to becoming the leader of his home state of Washington, Governor Gary Locke is living the American Dream, but his is a complicated tale that attests to both benefits and burdens of being "the first." Martin Bautista and Jeffrey Lim are Filipino immigrant doctors living in the predominantly Caucasian, hog-farming heartland of Guymon, Oklahoma. As their story unfolds, it’s apparent that being Asian American in a rural town is both more challenging and more rewarding than either could have expected. Lela Lee is a successful actress and creator of the underground comic strip and Web site Angry Little Asian Girl. Just as the irreverent cartoon portrays Kim, an Asian American girl with attitude, this episode introduces Lee, an Asian American woman with attitude as well as big plans and hopeful dreams. Ann Curry, popular Today Show correspondent, hosts the program. Monday, May 10 ARIRANG: THE KOREAN AMERICAN JOURNEY/THE KOREAN AMERICAN DREAM (9 p.m.)–This two part documentary begins with the story of how and why, in less than three years in the early 1900s, more than 7,000 Koreans left their strife-torn homeland for new lives on the sugar plantations of Hawaii. Yet just as they arrived in America, Korea was conquered by Japan, which attempted to stamp out the Korean language and culture. As American settlers, the Korean sojourners organized around the cause of independence for Korea while simultaneously sinking roots deep into their new home. As they achieved astonishing success in American terms, they kept the idea of an independent Korea alive throughout Japan ’s half-century occupation of the Korean peninsula. (Repeats Saturday, May 15 at 1 a.m.) THE KOREAN AMERICAN DREAM continues the story of the early Korean American experience, taking viewers up to the dramatic renewal of migration as a result of the Korean War, and subsequent changes in U.S. immigration law. After 1970,the Korean American population expanded rapidly, at times perilously, to over one million today. This is a story about distances: from Seoul to New Jersey, from storekeeper to Harvard graduate, from the devastating Los Angeles riots of 1992 to a heightened involvement in the American scene. THE KOREAN AMERICAN DREAM captures a community in transition from anonymity to national prominence. Tuesday, May 11 INDEPENDENT LENS: Refugee (10 p.m.)–Three young Cambodian American men, raised on the streets of San Francisco’s tough Tenderloin district, travel to Cambodia wielding video cameras to capture their experiences of meeting fathers, sisters and brothers for the first time. These family reunions reveal the quagmire of Cambodian political upheaval and military invasion, as well as the heavy toll of years spent apart in different worlds. Saturday,May 15 GLOBE TREKKER: Nepal (5 p.m.)– Ian Wright ’s first stop is the bustling modern-day capital city Katmandu. He visits Pashupatinath Temple, the most sacred Hindu temple in Nepal, and meets the young princess goddess. Wright next travels to Royal Badia National Park, where he searches for Bengal tigers. His next stop is the Lukla in the eastern Himalayas, where he treks along a section of the Everest Highway and visits the Buddhist monasteries of Pangboche and Tengpoche. The trip concludes in Pumla, an extremely remote region of Nepal. There, Wright attends a most unusual and festive wedding involving five grooms and one bride. Wednesday, May 26 JAPAN: MEMOIRS OF A SECRET EMPIRE (8 p.m.)– Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans all were part of the Japanese "renaissance " – a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan evolved from chaos and violence to ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land ruled by the shogun under his absolute power and control, and closed to the Western world. This series brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world. Saturday, May 29 SALAAM BOMBAY! (10:25 p.m.)– Director Mira Nair makes her feature debut with this gut--wrenching chronicle of young country boy and his experiences among the street hustlers, drug peddlers and prostitutes of Bombay. This story unravels as a novel, with a gallery of vividly drawn supporting characters. THE EMPEROR’S SHADOW (12:20 a.m..)–This powerful true story from the writer of Farewell, My Concubine explores the lives of two step-brothers in the Qin Dynasty (about 200 B.C.), one of whom grew up to be a great composer and one of whom became a warlord bent on unifying the various enclaves of his nation. Monday, May 31 INDEPENDENT LENS: Death of a Shaman (10:30 p.m.)–Through a journey that takes her back to her roots in Thailand, a young Mien woman from Sacramento strives to come to terms with her father ’s death and drug addiction, and her sister’s murder. Reunited with her relatives, she begins to grasp the complexity of her father ’s past and experience the nuances of lost identity. ..........… Thirteen/WNET New York is one of the key program providers for public television, bringing such acclaimed series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Charlie Rose, Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Wide Angle, Stage on Screen, Secrets of the Dead ,and Cyberchase – as well as the work of Bill Moyers – to audiences nationwide. As the flagship public broadcaster in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut metro area, Thirteen reaches millions of viewers each week, airing the best of American public television along with its own local productions such as The Ethnic Heritage Specials, The Thirteen Walking Tours, New York Voices, and Reel New York . With educational and community outreach projects that extend the impact of its television productions, Thirteen takes television "out of the box." And as broadcast and digital media converge, Thirteen is blazing trails in the creation of Web sites, enhanced television, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, educational software, and other cutting-edge media products. More information about Thirteen can be found at: http://www.thirteen.org. ..........… Press Contact: |
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