09 Nov Sparks and Connections: Reflections on the Opening Night of PAAFF 2023

BY SOPHIA ABRAHAM-RAVESON

Representing the cinéSPEAK Journal, I had the opportunity to attend the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF) opening night screening of Above and Below the Ground and Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Resettlement in Philadelphia. As Managing Editor, it feels important for me to actually see the films and attend the film festivals that we write about in the Journal. 

I had been wanting to see Taking Root since we covered it in our article Our Roots Are Already Too Deep: Fighting Systemic Erasure in Chinatown and Hòa Bình Plaza with Storytelling and People Power to learn more about these Philadelphia stories, and had my eye on Above and Below the Ground since we highlighted it as a locally-made film screening at the 2023 BlackStar Film Festival. Reading and writing about films gives me an idea of what they might be like, but seeing them for myself is a whole other story.

When I walked into the gallery at Asian Arts Initiative (AAI), the energy was palpable. Even with masks on, people were recognizing friends or meeting each other for the first time in person after interacting online. The step and repeat was situated in the midst of the current AAI art exhibit–a sculptural pile of garments sat right in front of it. People in bright colored knitwear and beanies lined up to take photos while volunteers excitedly ushered people into the screening room.

The room felt intimate–there were several rows of folding chairs, with only six chairs per row. When festival co-directors Arzhang Zafar and Joseph Carranza stepped to the front of the room, the lights went dark except for a spotlight on the two of them. They introduced each other, the festival, and the films that were about to screen before the PAAFF 2023 trailer played. The audience cheered multiple times, seemingly happy to just be there together.

Since 2020, PAAFF has existed in virtual and hybrid formats. While the festival (along with the rest of the world) is still transitioning to this stage of COVID-19, it felt significant just to be in a theater space watching films with the people who made the films, who selected the films, and who felt inspired to watch the films.

The opening night film screening included Above and Below the Ground directed by Emily Hong preceded by Episode 1 of Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Resettlement in Philadelphia directed by Oanh-Nhi Nguyen. Taking Root is a beautifully shot documentary featuring the stories of Philadelphians who had migrated from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos following the wars in those regions. The dysfunctional resettlement process that followed is recent Philadelphia history that many of us in the city know very little about, yet continues to greatly impact many residents.

Watching the film–which mixed difficult accounts of dangerous boat rides to the U.S. and abysmal housing conditions for refugees with lighter childhood memories of growing up in an apartment complex with all Cambodian people and hanging out in the hallways–was especially impactful with a room full of Philadelphians, including several of the people interviewed in the film.

Above and Below Ground, which did not take place in Philadelphia, was directed by a local filmmaker and professor at Haverford College. The documentary followed several indigenous women activists and a rock band in Myanmar working to stop dams from being built in the river that is essential to their livelihoods. Both films were thoughtfully made and intentional about where they were screened. Both projects naturally lend themselves to building community and working toward justice while also being beautiful and artistic films in their own right.

At the Q&A, the filmmakers spoke about how their films arose out of a noticeable lack of documentation of these stories and groups of people. While discussing the impact they hope their films will have, the filmmakers realized they wanted to connect further to learn each other’s engagement strategies. Afterward, people mingled in the gallery while eating pastries from a local bakery. It was powerful to see how a small group of people coming together to watch films could lead to strong human connection and real change.

I left feeling more connected to others and excited about further opportunities to watch the other episodes of Taking Root and to get to know filmmakers and creatives in the city. While virtual aspects of film festivals are important and valuable, returning to an in-person screening of films about and by people from Philadelphia allows for unique sparks and connections. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to attend PAAFF this year representing the cinéSPEAK Journal.

*Featured Image: Image of Sophia Abraham-Raveson and her friend at PAAFF. Courtesy of Sophia Abraham-Raveson.

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