Stories in Action

For more than 10 years, artist, photographer and writer Candacy Taylor has been documenting coffee shop culture around the country. Now Cornell University Press is publishing a book of Taylor’s work — “COUNTER CULTURE: The American Coffee Shop Waitress.” Look for the book in September and in the meantime read the early reviews, and check out Taylor’s Counter Culture waitress blog.

We just learned that “Chicano Rock: The Sounds of East L.A.” has been named Best Documentary at the 6th Annual Reel Rasquache Festival of films by and about U.S. Latinos held last week at California State University, Los Angeles. The 90-minute film, by Emmy Award-winning producer Jon Wilkman, chronicles the little-known story of how young Mexican Americans in East Los Angeles and nearby barrios — caught between two cultures and not fully accepted in either — found their identity by creating a new musical form — a blend of white rock, black soul and Latin rhythms. Watch a trailer of the film and then rent it on Netflix.

“Forget Me Not,” a California Documentary Project film, now in production, tells the story of the Aids Memorial in San Francisco, which began as a landscaped grove maintained by volunteers and is now is a national memorial.

Emmy-nominated director and producer Andy Abrahams Wilson is very excited about the film, but needs funds to complete it. You can help by attending a benefit on Thursday, June 11, 6 to 8 pm, at the Marine’s Memorial Club & Hotel Ballroom, 609 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Armistead Maupin, of “Tales of the City” fame, is the guest speaker. Honorary co-chairs of the event are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and State Senator Mark Leno. Find our more and sign up.

We just learned from Producer Jon Wilkman that the screening of “Chicano Rock: The Sounds of East L.A.” at the Grammy Theater in Los Angeles has been postponed from its June 19th date. A new date and time will be announced soon.

The Chinese American experience in California is subject of a Chautauqua performance called “Uncle Toisan” by noted storyteller Charlie Chin. Chin will perform the role this weekend and on three dates in June at the following Bay Area locations.

Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street
Saturday, May 16, at 12:15 pm
Part of the Asian Heritage Street Celebration in San Francisco

Oakland Museum of California
1000 Oak Street
Sunday, June 7, at 3 pm

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, San Jose
150 E. San Fernando Street
Sunday, June 14, at 2 pm and
Tuesday, June 23, at 6:15 pm

“Don’t Erase My History,” a 30-inute documentary by East Bay LGBT youths about their journey to discover LGBTQ history — a history not available to them in schools, will be screened a the Santa Cruz Film Festival on Sunday, May 10 at 4 pm. The film was made as part of the Council’s Youth Digital Filmmakers program that involved youths in eight communities in California in making films about issues in their lives and communities.

Arthur Dong’s “Hollywood Chinese” a high-spirited look at the ways the Chinese have been imagined in the movies, from silent classics to contemporary blockbusters, premieres nationally on American Masters on PBS on Wednesday, May 27. Check local listings for times in your area.

“¡Thinking Grande!” a documentary film about one man’s efforts to build a Mexican Disneyland in the heart of California, will have its television premier on San Diego’s public television station KPBS on Tuesday, May 26th, at 9:30 pm. More.

Already a hit on PBS, Jon Wilkman’s documentary “Chicano Rock! The Sounds of East L.A.” will be screened at the Grammy Museum on May 19 at 7:30 pm and at Cal State L.A. as part of the 2009 Reel Rasquache Festival of U.S. Latino/a Experience in Film and Art. The film chronicles the story of how young Mexican Americans in East Los Angeles created a new musical form - a blend of white rock, black soul and Latin rhythms.

“When Medicine Got it Wrong,” a California Documentary Project film about how loving parents stood up to the medical establishment and changed how we understand schizophrenia. The film airs on KQED’s Truly CA series on Sunday, May 10, at 6 pm.