Asia Society Recommends: Our Culture Picks

This week's Asia Society staff recommendations include a strong case for Alan Yang's new film Tigertail, an important documentary about New York City's forgotten essential workers, and a wonderful resource for colorers of all ages from the Internet Archive. Plus, a pan-Asian playlist for solidarity and letting loose.

Michelle FlorCruz, Social Media and Digital Content Mananger

Watch: Delivered. 2020. United States. Dir. by Lawrence Chen
Vimeo

A short documentary by Asian American director Lawrence Chen about the frontline workers that you don't hear about very often — delivery couriers. In the video, he interviews a handful of the thousands of bike couriers that are delivering food to New Yorkers. It's a touching perspective that many don't hear.

Clara Lambert, Senior Graphic Designer

Color: Vintage Japanese illustrations by Yuzan Mori

I love that you can download and print a collection of original Japanese illustrations from over 100 years ago and color in right now as a quarantine activity. There is also something soothing about looking at and coloring in Meiji Era wave art.

Download from the Internet Archive.

Maia Murphy, Manager, Publications and Editor

Listen: Sui Zhen: Losing, Linda (2019)
This shimmery art-pop album from Melbourne-based artist and musician Becky Freeman, aka Sui Zhen, features catchy rhythms and beachy vibes matched with electronic vocals and prescient imagery about the use of technology to represent and share scenes of life.

Watch: The Boredoms: 77BOADRUM (2007)
I have been missing seeing New Yorkers gather, especially to see performances together. As an anecdote, I’ve been revisiting via documentation some very favorite NYC performances. Among these is 77Boadrum, which took place at Empire-Fulton Ferry State Parkin July 2007. The Boredoms, a noise rock band from Osaka, Japan, gathered 77 drummers to play together for about 2 hours. The collective sound was epic, and the performance and rhythms changed so much as you sat there, so close to the drums, and listened. I can’t wait to get into a big, noisy crowd again. A clip is streaming on YouTube here.

Matt Schiavenza, Assistant Director, Content

Watch: Tigertail. 2020. United States. Dir. Alan Yang
Netflix

Alan Yang (Master of None, Little America) displays his dramatic chops in this story of a young man’s journey from poverty in rural Taiwan to life as an immigrant in New York City. Tigertail is in many ways a classic immigrant story — but its depiction of 1960s Taiwan felt fresh and unique, something new to American audiences.

Anubhav Gupta, Associate Director, Asia Society Policy Institute

Listen: SLAY(sian) Corona Playlist

Quarantine has been a time of anxiety and information overload, and one thing I have consistently turned to for some sanity and solace is music. I’ve been making weekly coronavirus playlists since the start of April and decided to make one for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. It’s 20 songs in two parts, featuring artists who either have ties to Asia or are from the region. The playlist is pretty genre-less, though many of these artists may fit in the amorphous “indie” category and are largely performing in English.

Listen to Anubhav's other playlists here.