Lights, Camera, Inclusion: The Battle to Fund Diverse Stories

Bob Nakamura: 00:00:02

I always wanted to be let off at the corner 'cause I didn't

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want my friends to see where I lived.

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I didn't want them to know

my dad was a gardener.

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All I could do was think of

why couldn't I be someone else?

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And that that's the ultimate self-hatred

is wanting to be someone else.

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Tad Nakamura: I never knew my dad

felt this way about himself or my Han.

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I always thought of him as this

proud Asian American filmmaker.

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So I guess it's just hard to learn that

he was so ashamed of who he was and it

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hurts even more to know that he had no one

to talk to, no one to help him understand

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what was going on or how to cope.

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Tony Tidbit: We will discuss race

and how it plays a factor and

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how we didn't even talk about

this topic 'cause we were afraid

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BEP Narrator: A Black

Executive Perspective.

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Tony Tidbit: We are coming to you live

from the new BEP studio for another

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thought provoking episode of A Black

Executive Perspective podcast, A safe

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space where we discuss all matters related

to race, culture, and those uncomfortable

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topics that people tend to avoid.

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I'm your host Tony Tidbit.

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So before we get started on this

fantastic episode, I want to give

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a friendly reminder to all of you

out there in the stratosphere.

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Make sure you check out our

partners at CODE M Magazine, whose

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mission is to save the black family

by first saving the black man.

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So you definitely wanna check

them out @codemmagazine.com.

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That is codemmagazine.com.

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So today.

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We dive into the crossroads of filmmaking,

DEI and Asian American history with

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an award-winning documentary producer

and director, director Eurie Chung.

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From an unexpected path into the industry

to making of Third Act, we'll uncover

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the creative and financial hurdles of

bringing diverse stories to the screen.

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At a time when DEI faces growing

resistance, we will discuss the

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persistent barriers to amplifying

marginalized voices, and we'll also

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bridge the press and present examining

how a pivotal Asian American legal

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battle shaped US citizenship rights

and why those historical struggles

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still resonate in today's policies.

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So let me tell you a little bit

about my good friend Eurie Chung.

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She's a documentary producer dedicated

to amplifying Asian American narratives

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through film as a head of flash cuts.

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Along alongside her partner, Walt Louis.

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She has spent nearly two decades

supporting filmmakers across all facets

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of production and post-production.

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Her diverse body and work includes

the documentary we're gonna talk about

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today, Third Act, which was at Sundance

Forever We Are Young, That was at South

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by Southwest, as well as the acclaimed

PBS docuseries, Asian Americans,

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which earned a 2020 Peabody Award.

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Most recently, she directed a

documentary short, I can't keep quiet.

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She's a 2024 Sundance Producer Lab

fellow, and Eurie continues to champion

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under underrepresented voices in the.

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Eurie Chung, welcome to A Black

Executive Perspective podcast, my sister.

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Eurie Chung: Hi Tony.

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Thank you so much for having me.

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Tony Tidbit: Well, thank you for coming.

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Look, you got you, you, you making

films all over the place, right?

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And they're being recognized all over.

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I mean, I love it.

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Oh my God.

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Peabody Award winner and you

know, the Sundance and oh my God.

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Just a lot of great things.

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So we're excited that you're able to come

on today and share your story and talk

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about, you know, Asian American culture

and just educate everyone on something

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that, to be honest, in my opinion.

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It has not been elevated in the way

it should be elevated, you know,

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across all platforms and spectrums.

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But before we get into the heavy stuff,

let's learn a little bit more about you.

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So tell us where you're currently residing

and a little bit about your family.

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Eurie Chung: Sure.

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Uh, I'm based in LA uh, weather's colder

than it should be, uh, but I'm soft now.

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Uh, and uh, yeah, I live here with

my partner and our cat and dog.

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Tony Tidbit: So, who runs the house?

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The cat and the dog.

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Eurie Chung: The cat

absolutely runs the house.

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Tony Tidbit: Yeah.

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You know why I asked that?

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'cause it's no different in my house.

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Right.

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My dog, our dog is like 80 pounds.

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The cat may be eight pounds or 10 pounds.

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Yeah.

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And the cat runs the house.

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Eurie Chung: The

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Tony Tidbit: dog is afraid of the cat.

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Eurie Chung: Exactly.

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The cat always goes to the

highest position in the room

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and looks down on all of this.

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Tony Tidbit: Yeah.

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You know, it's funny, my, our dog, the cat

and the cat knows Fluffy, that's her name.

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She knows that Tucker is afraid of her.

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So when he tries to come down

the stairs, she'll stand at the

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bottom of the stairs on purpose.

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Or if he's trying to come upstairs,

she'll stand up there and just, and he'll

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get stuck on the stairs and he'll start

crying and then we're like, what's wrong?

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And we'll look and fluffy standing

at the top of the stairs, like,

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yeah, what are you going to do?

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All right.

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And, and, and, and we gotta make fluffy

moves so he can go up and down the stairs.

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So it's, it's interesting.

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So at least we know that we're

not the only ones that the cat

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runs the house with the dog.

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Eurie Chung: No, absolutely not.

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Oh yeah.

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Tony Tidbit: Okay, cool.

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So listen, you, you, you have a

very busy schedule, my friend.

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You're doing a lot.

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So the question I have, why

did you wanna come on A Black

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Executive Perspective podcast?

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Talk about this topic.

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Eurie Chung: Sure.

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Uh, a, a person, a director I work

with before, um, uh, Ilana Trachtman,

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uh, who directed Ain't No Back to a

Merry-Go-Round, said that she had a great

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experience, uh, coming on your podcast and

that you know, that I should talk to you.

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And I feel like what you're doing here

with a podcast is really about diversity

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in a real way, which think gets lost

sometimes in the conversations, right?

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We always, like you said, uh, tiptoe

around it, it's hard conversations.

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And I think I appreciated the fact

that you, you wanna address things

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head on and, um, it's a lot of my work,

so it seemed like it was a good fit.

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I.

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Tony Tidbit: Well, thank you for that.

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And more importantly, we're

glad that you are here to talk

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about this important topic.

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And guess what, we're not gonna

tiptoe around this one as well.

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So you ready to talk about it, my friend?

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Eurie Chung: Yes, let's ready to talk.

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Tony Tidbit: All right,

so let's talk about it.

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So look, you know, one of the things

when I was, you know, doing some

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research on you and just seeing all

the incredible things that you were

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doing and you know, especially your

movie Third Act, which we'll dive into

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shortly, but you know, I always, I am

intrigued by how somebody has a plan.

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To do one thing, and then they end

up doing something totally different.

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So, you know, you, you had planned

to pursue a master's degree in

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social work out at UCLA, right?

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But then you, you took a totally

different direction and then

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you got in the filmmaking.

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So talk a little bit about that, how

that pivot that, that, uh, you were on

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the yellow brick road of being, getting

a social, uh, uh, a master's degree

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in social work and you got off in the

woods and started doing something else.

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Talk to us a little,

talk to us about that.

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Sure,

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Eurie Chung: sure, sure.

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Um, I often ask myself the same question,

um, but, uh, it was important to me

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to go to UCLA and pursue a master's

degree in Asian American studies.

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That was first and foremost.

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Um, social work.

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You know, you can kind of

get a degree at a number of

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institutions, but I found that.

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You know, UCLA was offering both, so

that's kind of like pushed me kind

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of to the coast if, if you will.

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Mm-hmm.

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From, um, Connecticut and Boston, where

I had spent most of my life and the

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way the program's structured the first

year is all Asian American studies and

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then you start your social work degree.

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And I think just being immersed in

the history and the issues and like

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taking that documentary class with

Bob Nakamura, who's the subject

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of Third Act, um, it just really

opened my eyes to the possibilities

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of media in a way that I hadn't

understood until I, until I got there.

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So if ultimately what I wanted to

do with social work is kind of.

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Understand Asian American

experiences increase empathy

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for Asian American communities.

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And like basically I wanted to work in

institutions that kind of support Asian

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American, uh, people and communities and

mental health and all of those things.

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Um, and I felt like I didn't wanna

do that outside of having this

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grounding in Asian American studies.

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So, you know, I think when I think back

on it now, what I was able to find in

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filmmaking was like a creative way to do

that, what I wanted to do in social work.

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And instead of being more individualized

in kind of what I was doing, I could

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make a film that would like, you know,

it could be seen by a lot of people

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and have a different kind of impact.

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Right.

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Um, and, and that ended up sort of

like, in some ways I think I'm still

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social working, social working, but

like through film, because the kind

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of content that I'm doing is focused

on those communities and giving,

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giving people a voice so that like.

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Other people who see them feel

empowered to kind of reclaim their

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stories and maybe delve into topics

that they wouldn't have, right?

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Uh, otherwise, like things that

they're afraid to talk about or things

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that hadn't been discussed, really.

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Um, so I think that's, that's sort of how

it, it happened and it makes sense now

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looking back, but at the time it seemed a

little insane, uh, to just completely drop

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social work as like a practical career.

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Tony Tidbit: You know, it always

makes sense later, uh, after

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you've gone through the journey.

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But, you know, I, I'm always

interested to hear how people,

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you know, ended up where they are.

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Right.

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You know, a lot of kids go

to school to get a degree.

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They end up getting a degree.

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And the majority of them end up working

in something totally different than

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the, uh, degree that they got right now.

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You, you talked about growing up in

Connecticut and Boston, you know, out

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here on the East coast, which, you know,

it's not, you know, la la land or movie or

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movie making land or anything like that.

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You know, I will say now there's a lot

more, uh, television shows and movies

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being produced out here on the east

coast in Connecticut and Boston, but not

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to the la So growing up out here, did

you, even though you, were you pursuing

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social work, did you see yourself being

a storyteller, uh, in those early days?

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Eurie Chung: I feel like, you know,

if I was like a little kid growing

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up, like I wanted to be a writer,

it just didn't seem practical.

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Right?

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Like a novelist or you

know, something like that.

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And I just, I just didn't, I just

didn't think it was something that I was

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allowed to do really, despite being an

English major or whatever at college.

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So I think I.

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I knew that I was drawn to storytelling.

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I just didn't understand what

role I would have in it, or if

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there even really was one for me.

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But I also like, grew up like

addicted to tv, you know?

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And I think it didn't occur to

me that, that that's a job, like

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someone actually has to write

that and make, make those stories.

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So.

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Tony Tidbit: So when you say you

didn't think you, and, and, and I'm

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paraphrasing, um, didn't have the right

to do it, what do you mean by that?

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Eurie Chung: Uh, I just, in addition to

just having immigrant Korean parents, you

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know, who probably wouldn't accept that,

you know, like you wanna be successful,

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you know, like I was, I was working from

the age of 15 or whatever, you know,

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you don't wanna, you don't wanna have

your parents worried about you, right?

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Like that.

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And that's why they always push you

towards like the more traditional jobs

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of it's, I mean, it's very stereotypical

lawyer, doctor, you know, like those

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are the things that make sense to them.

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Um, I knew I didn't want

to do those things, but.

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I also didn't like, I didn't

understand like, what do you

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do if you wanna be a writer?

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You just like wake up one day and

like, go to your word processor

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and just start typing things.

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You know, like, and then like, right.

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And then what happens?

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Like, right.

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I didn't understand.

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Like, you get an agent and you,

you know, it's like, but it's,

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it's, it's a difficult process.

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Like it's, you know, in some

ways it's like a one in a

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million lottery ticket, right?

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So like,

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Tony Tidbit: right.

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Eurie Chung: I think I understood

instinctively that it would be hard to,

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to navigate that, or even, you know,

even if I wanted to become a writer.

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So it's.

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Maybe I didn't give myself the permission

in terms of like being allowed to.

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Right.

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It's not like any, no one, I never

said out loud, I want to be a

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writer, and someone said, no way.

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You know, like it wasn't that, I

think I was like, it's what you

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Tony Tidbit: thought in your own mind.

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Correct.

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Right, correct.

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Right, right.

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Like,

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Eurie Chung: I was limiting myself in

terms of like, well, what is realistic?

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What is possible?

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Like, uh, maybe I was overly pragmatic,

you know, as a kid I wasn't like dreaming

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about unicorns and, you know, like the

big, the, you know, Hollywood or anything.

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So.

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Tony Tidbit: Well, I, I think

also to your point though, right?

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You know, our parents, um, drop seeds

in our minds in terms of what they

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think we could be or what's a, what

they perceive as a great career.

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You know, they want the best for us.

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Um, and then there's not a lot

of dreaming outside of that.

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Okay, so very rarely somebody says,

oh, I think you could be a writer,

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or I think you could be a director.

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Or, I think you could, you know,

so, or you could be president of the

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United States, say, why don't you,

you know, so those things, you know,

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your parents don't, nine times to

10 don't say those things, right?

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Yep.

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They say to your point, the

practical things in terms of,

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because they want you to, you know,

obviously be, be better than them.

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And those careers that they plant are, you

know, safe, conservative careers that, you

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know, people do become successful at them.

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Um, you know, let me ask you this.

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You know, when I was coming up

in Detroit, Michigan, you know,

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and I had my first like racial

awakening when I was 10 years old.

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I don't wanna say from that time,

maybe it was earlier to be honest,

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but I started really diving

into African American history.

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You know, I really wanted to

know more about, uh, my people's

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history, where I come from.

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I.

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What, where did black people come?

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I mean, you know, you go to school

and you get a limited, uh, version or

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just a little taste of those things.

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Right.

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And so, you know, I, I just wanted,

and we didn't have iPhones and stuff of

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that nature, you know, you had to go to

the library and I would read all these

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type books and, and, and, you know,

really dive into understanding, um,

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where I came from, what's the struggle

of, of African American people here.

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And, and it really helped

shape my perspective.

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Right.

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Talk a little bit about, you know,

you growing up and, and you know, what

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background shaped your perspective where

you started saying, you know what, I wanna

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start pushing and start promoting and,

and diving into Asian American stories.

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I.

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Eurie Chung: Yeah, so I, I, Korean

Americans, there's a big evangelical

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church culture, I don't know if

you're aware of, but like a, a lot

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of community, Korean community in

the United States is built around a

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church, um, Methodist, I don't know,

Presbyterian, whatever, but like mm-hmm.

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Mostly those, those denominations.

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And that is the context in

which I understood being Korean.

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: 00:16:40

Like I didn't, you know, like

outside of my family, I, I

303

: 00:16:44

experienced being Korean through

going to church every Sunday, right?

304

: 00:16:46

Mm-hmm.

305

: 00:16:47

And so just real quick, when

306

: 00:16:49

Tony Tidbit: you said yes, when you

said you experienced being Korean,

307

: 00:16:52

going to church, so dive deeper

into that, how, how's experience in

308

: 00:16:58

Korean going to church every Sunday?

309

: 00:16:59

Tell me a little bit more about that.

310

: 00:17:01

Eurie Chung: That's where you saw most of

the Korean people you would interact with.

311

: 00:17:06

You know, it's not like you would

see them at, you wouldn't see

312

: 00:17:07

them at like school, for example.

313

: 00:17:09

Right?

314

: 00:17:09

Like maybe my cousin

or something, you know?

315

: 00:17:11

But like, right.

316

: 00:17:12

It wasn't like, there were a bunch of

Korean kids at school and so, you know,

317

: 00:17:17

where you hear the most Korean spoken,

like where all your social interactions

318

: 00:17:21

with the Koreans as like a group as

opposed to your parents or your siblings.

319

: 00:17:26

That all happened at church.

320

: 00:17:27

So it was like, it was very social in

addition to like, you know, Bible study

321

: 00:17:32

and sermons and, you know, all that.

322

: 00:17:34

Um, and like, I honestly

felt like a little bit of an

323

: 00:17:38

outsider most of the time.

324

: 00:17:39

'cause I was, I felt like I was

like a weirdo, like I wasn't.

325

: 00:17:43

I, I don't know what it, I just never

quite fit in for whatever reasons.

326

: 00:17:47

Um, and if I'm being totally honest,

like once I got to high school and

327

: 00:17:52

started learning about like the civil

rights movement and all that stuff, I

328

: 00:17:55

was like very jealous of black churches.

329

: 00:17:58

Like mm-hmm.

330

: 00:17:59

That experience felt like, whoa.

331

: 00:18:02

Like they're political, but they, you

know, but it comes, you know, it's

332

: 00:18:06

like they're actually talking about

these issues in church, whereas like,

333

: 00:18:10

Tony Tidbit: because it was grounded,

it was grounded in the church.

334

: 00:18:12

Right,

335

: 00:18:13

Eurie Chung: right.

336

: 00:18:13

So it's like, it wasn't just

religion or Christianity.

337

: 00:18:16

Correct.

338

: 00:18:16

It was like actually like, how are we

practicing this, these concepts, right.

339

: 00:18:21

Of um, but like, I felt like

we were just like learning

340

: 00:18:24

about things in a very, like.

341

: 00:18:29

Maybe it's just 'cause Koreans

felt they, they weren't part of

342

: 00:18:31

Americanist society, you know?

343

: 00:18:32

Mm-hmm.

344

: 00:18:33

Like, like existed in parallel things,

but like, we never talked about politics

345

: 00:18:36

or like, actually things that were

happening outside our front door.

346

: 00:18:41

We would just be like very insular.

347

: 00:18:43

And that's, that was something that

always bothered me about church.

348

: 00:18:47

Mm-hmm.

349

: 00:18:47

And so when I would like, like, I

just remember just being like enamored

350

: 00:18:52

with like Martin Luther King and his

speeches and like literally going

351

: 00:18:56

to Barnes and Noble or whatever, you

know, in high school and buying a book

352

: 00:18:59

of his speeches because like mm-hmm.

353

: 00:19:02

That was the way that like, oh, like what

he's talking about feels very real to me.

354

: 00:19:06

I'm not black, but you know,

like he's speaking about things

355

: 00:19:09

that I think are important.

356

: 00:19:10

Like social justice, right?

357

: 00:19:11

Poverty, all of these things

that I felt like we were

358

: 00:19:14

ignoring in the Korean church.

359

: 00:19:15

So I think that I.

360

: 00:19:19

In terms of like a racial awakening,

I was very in tune with like

361

: 00:19:23

the black civil rights movement.

362

: 00:19:24

And I like devoured as much

as I can could about that.

363

: 00:19:27

And I remember watching Eyes on the

Prize, like either in high school

364

: 00:19:30

or college, you know, and just being

like, whoa, look, like, look at this.

365

: 00:19:34

And it took me a while to figure out

like, oh, Asian Americans have that too.

366

: 00:19:39

We just don't learn about it.

367

: 00:19:41

Um, right, right.

368

: 00:19:42

You know, like there's, there was

a similar like awakening of like,

369

: 00:19:47

oh, we need to be taught this stuff.

370

: 00:19:48

Like we can, we, we should

be taught this stuff.

371

: 00:19:51

And like, who's gonna teach us and how

are we gonna figure those things out?

372

: 00:19:55

So that's.

373

: 00:19:57

I got a little taste of it.

374

: 00:19:59

I got basically none in high school.

375

: 00:20:00

I got a little taste of it in college

through like two or three courses.

376

: 00:20:03

And then I was like, I, this

is why I need to go to UCLA.

377

: 00:20:07

Like I need to go up to a place

where like, this is actually like an

378

: 00:20:10

established discipline and curriculum

and they have history and they're

379

: 00:20:14

teaching us, like talking to people my

parents age who were actually born here.

380

: 00:20:19

And I'm not like diminishing the

immigrant experience, but like I could

381

: 00:20:23

relate to them because they understood

my experience as like the child of

382

: 00:20:28

immigrants even though they were older.

383

: 00:20:30

Right.

384

: 00:20:30

So like it was, it was sort of

coming into contact with this older

385

: 00:20:34

generation who had fought to get

this knowledge and teach this.

386

: 00:20:39

Tony Tidbit: You talking

about the people at UCLA?

387

: 00:20:41

Eurie Chung: Yeah.

388

: 00:20:42

Tony Tidbit: Got it, got

it, got it, got it, got it.

389

: 00:20:44

Eurie Chung: With professors

at UCLA who were, you know,

390

: 00:20:47

actually like doing the work and.

391

: 00:20:49

People like Bob who are actually part of,

you know, almost birthing this idea of

392

: 00:20:53

ethnic studies and Asian American studies.

393

: 00:20:56

Tony Tidbit: Right, right.

394

: 00:20:57

You know what's interesting as you

tell this, um, and you know, we never

395

: 00:21:02

met, we are sitting here on a podcast

sharing stories and what's interesting

396

: 00:21:08

is that, you know, part of what I

did is part of what you did right?

397

: 00:21:14

Is that you got a taste of what

was going on and then you started

398

: 00:21:20

wanting more and you started going and

researching it and, and reading books

399

: 00:21:25

and watching movies and, you know,

that, um, for me was a sense of pride.

400

: 00:21:31

Right, because I wanted to know more

about what was going on, and I wanted,

401

: 00:21:37

you know, to make sure that our

people was always advancing all right.

402

: 00:21:41

And moving forward.

403

: 00:21:43

And so I'm, you know, it was interesting

you're telling me that and saying,

404

: 00:21:45

Hey, I, civil rights movement was

something that, you know, was speaking

405

: 00:21:49

to me as well and, you know, made me go

and, and so that is, that is awesome.

406

: 00:21:53

And then you went out

to LA and you met Bob.

407

: 00:21:58

Who is the, the, the, the star of the,

the documentary, you know, Third Act.

408

: 00:22:06

Which is about his life.

409

: 00:22:08

So speak a little bit about, talk a

little bit about Third Act, um, and tell

410

: 00:22:12

everybody, you know, how did it start?

411

: 00:22:15

Why is it important?

412

: 00:22:16

And a lot about Bob because that guy,

the, the majority of people, the Asian

413

: 00:22:22

godfather of movie making, I believe

that's what the, what his title is.

414

: 00:22:25

So tell us more about Bob.

415

: 00:22:28

Eurie Chung: Sure.

416

: 00:22:29

Um, Bob Nakamura, he was

actually incarcerated in Manzanar

417

: 00:22:34

when he was six years old.

418

: 00:22:36

And so

419

: 00:22:39

that experience shaped his life

420

: 00:22:42

Tony Tidbit: tremendously.

421

: 00:22:43

And just to, and just to be

clear, because most people don't

422

: 00:22:45

know what Manza car is, so Sir,

423

: 00:22:48

Eurie Chung: uh, Manzanar is a Japanese

American, uh, sorry, Japanese American

424

: 00:22:52

concentration camp that happened, uh,

in the wake of the bombing of Pearl

425

: 00:22:57

Harbor in World War ii, where, uh, FDR

signed an executive order stating that.

426

: 00:23:04

Any one of Japanese descent was a

potential enemy, uh, and needed to be

427

: 00:23:10

removed from their homes and incarcerated.

428

: 00:23:14

And so they built, I'm sorry that, I

don't know the exact number, but they

429

: 00:23:18

built various camps in remote areas,

you know, throughout like 10 or 11

430

: 00:23:23

Tony Tidbit: of them.

431

: 00:23:23

I think it was 10, 11 camps.

432

: 00:23:25

Yeah.

433

: 00:23:25

Eurie Chung: So Manzanar is, uh, close

to mount, sorry, I forget the mount.

434

: 00:23:30

It's, it's about three or three

hours away from LA on your

435

: 00:23:34

way up to Mammoth Mountain.

436

: 00:23:35

That, that stretch of road.

437

: 00:23:37

It's very, it's high desert.

438

: 00:23:38

It's super.

439

: 00:23:40

Cold, dusty, windy, isolated,

away from everything.

440

: 00:23:44

And so what had happened with, you know,

obviously there's a huge number of,

441

: 00:23:48

uh, Japanese Americans in Los Angeles.

442

: 00:23:50

They were given very little notice

to sell their things, pack up what

443

: 00:23:55

they could carry and board a bus, um,

that would take them oftentimes first

444

: 00:24:00

to Santa Anita Racetrack, where they

actually had to sleep in horse stalls.

445

: 00:24:04

Um, and then from there, while they were

building the actual barracks in which

446

: 00:24:09

they would come to live later, um, then

they would be moved to those camps.

447

: 00:24:15

Tony Tidbit: And they were,

these were US citizens, correct?

448

: 00:24:19

Eurie Chung: Uh, majority US citizens.

449

: 00:24:22

A lot of them were, may have been

immigrants, but they had children who were

450

: 00:24:26

here, um, children who were born here.

451

: 00:24:30

Um, and it's a, the number, the

total number is about 120,000.

452

: 00:24:34

Um, who were taken.

453

: 00:24:37

To live in these camps and they were

not released until the end of the war.

454

: 00:24:42

Tony Tidbit: Hmm.

455

: 00:24:42

And, and Bob Li and he was, he

experienced that as a 6-year-old.

456

: 00:24:46

Eurie Chung: Yes.

457

: 00:24:47

So you see his photo of him and

attending elementary school, you know,

458

: 00:24:52

uh, with all the other kids his age.

459

: 00:24:54

So he is sort of the, the younger

end, I guess, of like kind of

460

: 00:24:59

the last generation of survivors.

461

: 00:25:01

Correct.

462

: 00:25:01

People of that age right now.

463

: 00:25:03

'cause he's 89 now.

464

: 00:25:05

Um, anyway, that once the civil rights

movement actually happened in the,

465

: 00:25:11

in the sixties, he started to be

like, wait, what, what is this camp?

466

: 00:25:16

You know, I went to this camp,

like we never talk about it.

467

: 00:25:19

And like, he ended up partnering

with people a little bit younger

468

: 00:25:22

than him who were not in the camps,

but were children of people who

469

: 00:25:27

had, who had been in the camps.

470

: 00:25:29

And I.

471

: 00:25:30

They were like, we

wanna know what this is.

472

: 00:25:31

Let's march to Manzanar.

473

: 00:25:33

And like they were like, oh wait,

it's like 300 miles away or something.

474

: 00:25:36

So, um, it became this discovery.

475

: 00:25:40

It's like that that first pilgrimage

in: 1969

476

: 00:25:44

and racial awakening and, you know,

personal identity and, and things in

477

: 00:25:49

that had, it ended up becoming an annual

pilgrimage eventually, where we, they

478

: 00:25:54

would take buses of people up to see

the site and then it became a national

479

: 00:25:58

park and, you know, all of these things.

480

: 00:26:01

So Bob, I think understanding the power of

that moment, of discovering his, you know,

481

: 00:26:08

that his history is actually connected to

US history, American history, um, he moved

482

: 00:26:15

from being a photographer to basically

being like a documentary filmmaker

483

: 00:26:19

where he's one of the earliest people

to document the experience of Japanese

484

: 00:26:24

concentration camps in the United States.

485

: 00:26:26

Tony Tidbit: I have a clip I want

to play from Third Act that kind

486

: 00:26:31

of speaks to exactly what you said,

so let's play the clip right now.

487

: 00:26:35

Then I want to hear your thoughts.

488

: 00:26:36

After

489

: 00:26:38

Bob Nakamura: my life

changed around totally.

490

: 00:26:41

In the seventies when anti-war movement

and Asian American movement started,

491

: 00:26:50

it was like we were building something,

a whole new concept, like ethnic

492

: 00:26:56

studies, and you could see progress.

493

: 00:27:00

We were questioning

white society in general.

494

: 00:27:05

Everything I did before I began

to look at as kind of bullshit.

495

: 00:27:12

I had all the skills, and now the

movement gave me the content for my work.

496

: 00:27:20

The movement, more or less

solved all my problems.

497

: 00:27:24

My artistic problems, my

identity problems, my sense of

498

: 00:27:29

self-worth, sense of belonging,

499

: 00:27:35

it gave meaning to my life.

500

: 00:27:43

Tony Tidbit: So, wow.

501

: 00:27:44

I mean, here's a guy who's known as

the godfather of Asian American films

502

: 00:27:49

is saying the movement, uh, gave him,

there was an awakening for him, and

503

: 00:27:55

it, and, and I love the party said, it

gave me my, helped me find my identity.

504

: 00:28:00

Okay.

505

: 00:28:00

So speak a little bit about that.

506

: 00:28:03

Eurie Chung: Yeah, I, I think that

what he, his gift as a teacher

507

: 00:28:08

was to give that to all of us.

508

: 00:28:10

You know, who, who took his class, which

is that, you know, this isn't just a

509

: 00:28:14

course, you know, Asian American Studies

1 0 1 or something, you know, like he.

510

: 00:28:19

Sharing his experience and awakening

with learning about that history.

511

: 00:28:24

I think he gave us all that

gift, which is to be like,

512

: 00:28:30

take, take this knowledge.

513

: 00:28:31

But like, you know, you don't have to

necessarily, you know, be, go out and make

514

: 00:28:35

films, but like, it should transform you.

515

: 00:28:37

Right?

516

: 00:28:38

Like this knowledge should have

an impact on you personally.

517

: 00:28:41

'cause like, I'm not Japanese American

specifically, but that this concept

518

: 00:28:46

of Asian American is actually kind of

a radical concept that people whose

519

: 00:28:51

ancestors come from Asia, which is

like, you know, dozens of languages

520

: 00:28:56

that we cannot communicate with

each other, you know, back home.

521

: 00:28:59

But that like our faces, you know, kind

of, you know, put us together in a group.

522

: 00:29:04

But that there, there

can be power in that.

523

: 00:29:07

And there's power in understanding.

524

: 00:29:11

The origins of, you know, ethnic studies

and Asian American studies, that when we

525

: 00:29:16

did come together and demand those things,

you know, in the sixties and SF State and

526

: 00:29:20

Berkeley, um, that that happened also in,

in Unity with the Third World Liberation

527

: 00:29:28

Front and Black power activists and, you

know, Latino activists, Chicano activists,

528

: 00:29:33

you know, American Indian activists.

529

: 00:29:35

So like, I think, I think that's

really what I took from Asian

530

: 00:29:42

American Studies is like mm-hmm.

531

: 00:29:44

It's, it's, it's very empowering to

be able to own your own story and to

532

: 00:29:48

know it and to see the value in it.

533

: 00:29:51

And I think it does open you up, it

opens your mind in a different way to

534

: 00:29:57

like, what, what, what is possible?

535

: 00:29:59

Like we, we don't have to be, I.

536

: 00:30:03

Just always functioning from like a place

of invisibility or visibility or, you

537

: 00:30:07

know, deficits or, you know, whatever.

538

: 00:30:09

Like, oh, well no one did this for us.

539

: 00:30:11

It's like, no, they're

never gonna do it for you.

540

: 00:30:13

Right.

541

: 00:30:14

Like, but you, once you have this

knowledge, you can go forward

542

: 00:30:17

and make, make the path that

you want to build for others.

543

: 00:30:22

So that's Bob as the Godfather, right?

544

: 00:30:24

He made a path for us as media makers,

as creative people, as, you know, Asian

545

: 00:30:30

Americans, um, to know this history and

then like, you know, move forward with it

546

: 00:30:34

and take it into a different direction.

547

: 00:30:36

And that's sort of how Third

Act became what it became.

548

: 00:30:41

Uh, but

549

: 00:30:43

Tony Tidbit: he also, he also

did that with his son, right?

550

: 00:30:47

Exactly.

551

: 00:30:47

Yeah.

552

: 00:30:47

'cause his son Yeah.

553

: 00:30:49

You know, is the one that wanted to make

the movie Third Act about his father.

554

: 00:30:54

So speak a little bit about that as well.

555

: 00:30:56

Eurie Chung: Yeah.

556

: 00:30:57

So Tad Nakamura is Bob's son.

557

: 00:30:59

Um.

558

: 00:31:00

Tad actually went to UCLA as an

undergrad, took his father's class.

559

: 00:31:04

He learned, learned about to feed

foot of Masters, if you will.

560

: 00:31:08

But he,

561

: 00:31:11

I think he was surprised

that he was good at it.

562

: 00:31:13

I think Bob was surprised that he wanted

to, you know, follow in his footsteps

563

: 00:31:17

and not do something totally different.

564

: 00:31:19

But the film kind of just started

out as like, maybe we should do a

565

: 00:31:23

short film that tells people about

Bob ER's career because people, he's

566

: 00:31:29

well known in certain communities, but

definitely not on like a national scale.

567

: 00:31:33

Right, right.

568

: 00:31:33

You know, definitely not in terms

of like, really, like if you're

569

: 00:31:37

outside of the documentary community

or the American community, Japanese

570

: 00:31:41

American community just may not

know every, everything that he did.

571

: 00:31:45

So it kind of started off as

like, oh, maybe this is just

572

: 00:31:48

like a biopic about this person's

life who you should know about.

573

: 00:31:53

Um.

574

: 00:31:55

So the process really started

in: 2018

575

: 00:31:58

like, I'm gonna raise money.

576

: 00:31:59

I'm gonna start, you know, get some grants

and you know, just start documenting this.

577

: 00:32:03

'cause my father's getting older,

you know, he's in his eighties, so,

578

: 00:32:06

you know, who knows, you know, how

much time we have to, to do this.

579

: 00:32:10

In the course of making the film, Bob

was diagnosed with Parkinson's and

580

: 00:32:17

it just became clear that like, you

know, his speech was slowing down.

581

: 00:32:20

You know, his physical, his

physicality, you know, was, was not

582

: 00:32:25

as robust as it was when they started.

583

: 00:32:28

And so, you know, we, the process of

making the film was difficult because

584

: 00:32:33

Tad actually in his past films, has

edited and directed them himself.

585

: 00:32:39

And I think that this ended up

being a little bit too personal

586

: 00:32:43

in some ways for him to tackle.

587

: 00:32:46

Like he didn't have the emotional

distance in some ways to, to do it.

588

: 00:32:50

And so.

589

: 00:32:53

He had asked me to produce, and

I was like, that means a lot of

590

: 00:32:56

different things to different people.

591

: 00:32:57

Like what does producing mean for you?

592

: 00:33:00

And I, I took the class

Ethnocommunications at UCLA as a grad

593

: 00:33:06

student with Bob as my instructor.

594

: 00:33:08

He eventually became my thesis

advisor, but Tad was part of the

595

: 00:33:12

teaching staff at that point, even

though he was, uh, still in school.

596

: 00:33:16

So, you know, I've known them since

like: 2003

597

: 00:33:22

As, as a unit essentially, right?

598

: 00:33:24

That they, they're kind of, um,

both responsible for teaching

599

: 00:33:28

me how to be a filmmaker.

600

: 00:33:30

Um, tad and I have been friends since

then, you know, not, not best friends,

601

: 00:33:35

but like, we hang out socially.

602

: 00:33:36

Like I've helped him on other films, but

this is the first film where it was really

603

: 00:33:40

like, okay, like I am much more day to day

in terms of like helping this get done.

604

: 00:33:48

Um, I think the, the Parkinson's diagnosis

kind of forced us to face Bob's mortality.

605

: 00:33:56

ADDRA Labs Promo: If you like what you

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606

: 00:33:58

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607

: 00:34:02

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608

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609

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610

: 00:34:11

That challenge inspire

and lead the change.

611

: 00:34:15

Eurie Chung: And I think it forced

Tad to realize that like a regular

612

: 00:34:20

biopic is probably not gonna do it.

613

: 00:34:23

I remember one thing that I told him

was like, frankly, I can make that

614

: 00:34:28

version of the film about your dad.

615

: 00:34:30

I know your dad well enough.

616

: 00:34:31

I think he's comfortable enough

with me, you know, that he

617

: 00:34:32

would say what he needed to say.

618

: 00:34:35

No one can make this film a ver

the version of the film that is

619

: 00:34:40

your relationship as a filmmaker

to your filmmaker father, and.

620

: 00:34:46

How he has taught you how

to make this film, right?

621

: 00:34:49

Like that's a very different, it's a

little bit meta, but it's a, it's a

622

: 00:34:54

different film that no one else can make.

623

: 00:34:56

So if you, if you aren't a character

in this and we're, you know,

624

: 00:34:59

we're just watching Bob's life

from here, from a distance, from

625

: 00:35:03

any person observing his career.

626

: 00:35:06

Um, two very different films.

627

: 00:35:11

Yes.

628

: 00:35:11

So it was a struggle

629

: 00:35:13

Tony Tidbit: and it, it seemed that,

you know, I watched it and number

630

: 00:35:17

one, very sad, um, and very emotional.

631

: 00:35:23

And, and when I say emotional, you

know, I'm looking at it, obviously

632

: 00:35:27

I'm looking at it from an audience

point of view, but I put myself in

633

: 00:35:32

Tad's position where if that was my

father, and you know, as he opened up,

634

: 00:35:39

I always saw my father as a superhero.

635

: 00:35:42

And then you hear your father

talk about his depression, um.

636

: 00:35:47

And the things that he was going

through that he didn't tell anybody

637

: 00:35:50

about, and then you find out he has

Parkinson's and it, it was just it.

638

: 00:35:56

It was it.

639

: 00:35:57

I can imagine how tough that was

to, you know, create a movie that

640

: 00:36:03

you wanna honor your father and

all the things that he has done.

641

: 00:36:07

So people outside of the network

or California or whatever, that can

642

: 00:36:12

really dive in and see how great of

a man he is and what, you know, what

643

: 00:36:17

type of work he has done and how many

voices that he was able to amplify.

644

: 00:36:22

But then at the same time, you see your

father's mortality and your father is

645

: 00:36:25

opening up to you and sharing things.

646

: 00:36:28

Um, that you would never,

not, that's not a superhero.

647

: 00:36:34

That's, he's not infallible.

648

: 00:36:36

He's not the man of steel.

649

: 00:36:38

Okay.

650

: 00:36:39

That, it just blew me away.

651

: 00:36:40

It was so emotional.

652

: 00:36:41

It was a great, great documentary.

653

: 00:36:45

And, but you had something

to do with it as well, right?

654

: 00:36:48

Because you've, like you said,

you've known them for over 20 years

655

: 00:36:51

and I believe you were, you are

trying to get him to finish this.

656

: 00:36:56

Um, and, and then obviously

there was pushback.

657

: 00:36:59

So talk a little bit about that as well.

658

: 00:37:02

Eurie Chung: Yeah, I think the, well,

number one, it was getting an, an editor

659

: 00:37:06

who wasn't Tad himself to look at the

footage fresh and to be able to say like

660

: 00:37:12

this, you know, uh, you can't, you can't,

not everything can be super rosy, right?

661

: 00:37:19

Like you need, you need to be able to.

662

: 00:37:22

Show what's real, you know?

663

: 00:37:24

But it's like, how far does that go?

664

: 00:37:25

'cause like, you could keep

filming forever, right?

665

: 00:37:27

You're, you're my son.

666

: 00:37:28

Right?

667

: 00:37:28

Right.

668

: 00:37:28

Like, he's never, he's not gonna stop you.

669

: 00:37:30

Right.

670

: 00:37:30

So, you know, like, I think step one

was like, okay, we, we actually need

671

: 00:37:34

an editor with a, you know, just

a little bit of emotional distance

672

: 00:37:38

to, to help us wade through years

of footage and figure out what is,

673

: 00:37:42

what is the actual through line here.

674

: 00:37:45

Um, I'll say that for a long

time it felt like a biopic mashed

675

: 00:37:50

with a personal story, right?

676

: 00:37:51

That they weren't, they weren't

fully integrated in that way.

677

: 00:37:54

Right.

678

: 00:37:54

Where Tad Todd felt like a

character from the beginning.

679

: 00:37:57

Right.

680

: 00:37:57

They kind of felt like we spent the first

hour, so just learning about Bob's career.

681

: 00:38:03

Correct.

682

: 00:38:03

And then, and then it was like,

oh, and then things changed and I

683

: 00:38:06

realized like, oh, this isn't the

movie that I was gonna make it.

684

: 00:38:10

Those things are all still in there.

685

: 00:38:11

I think it was just how we, how are

we integrating it sooner so that

686

: 00:38:16

I think Tad was kind of avoiding

being in front of the camera.

687

: 00:38:19

Right.

688

: 00:38:19

He's usually, he's used to

being behind the camera.

689

: 00:38:21

So.

690

: 00:38:22

Refining the, the, the narration

that, you know, that has to come

691

: 00:38:26

from him and all of that stuff.

692

: 00:38:28

It's like, you know, we would, we

would go for a while being like, have

693

: 00:38:32

you written a new path of narration?

694

: 00:38:34

Like, no.

695

: 00:38:35

Okay.

696

: 00:38:35

Like, when, when, when

can we get that done?

697

: 00:38:37

You know?

698

: 00:38:38

Um, but to I, I totally understand that

it was very hard for him to face the film.

699

: 00:38:47

You know, I think he has said in some

interviews that like, it was almost like

700

: 00:38:51

if I finish the film, then my, my working

relationship with my father's over, right?

701

: 00:38:56

Because this is the last film

that we're gonna make together.

702

: 00:38:58

So like, in some ways it's

drawing out that process.

703

: 00:39:02

Like no one has a relationship, no

one has that kind of relationship

704

: 00:39:06

with each other like they do, right?

705

: 00:39:07

And so if Tad is no longer

making this film about Bob.

706

: 00:39:13

They are father and son, right?

707

: 00:39:15

Not filmmaker father and filmmaker son.

708

: 00:39:17

And they're not talking shop

like they are then like it,

709

: 00:39:20

it changes their relationship.

710

: 00:39:22

Tony Tidbit: Right?

711

: 00:39:23

Eurie Chung: And as, and as Bob, you

know, his health declines physically,

712

: 00:39:27

you know, it changes their relationship.

713

: 00:39:29

Tad is much more of a caretaker

to his father than he was, you

714

: 00:39:32

know, even a couple years ago.

715

: 00:39:34

So that, you know, trying to be his

friend, you know, and support him in

716

: 00:39:41

all that, it must be like to have to

go through that with a parent, um, on

717

: 00:39:48

top of the pressure of making a film.

718

: 00:39:50

Right.

719

: 00:39:51

Um, it's so personal, right?

720

: 00:39:55

I mean, it's, it's so, it's just so

personal and like, I was like, yeah,

721

: 00:39:59

it's tough to see Bob this way, right?

722

: 00:40:01

Like, I, I'm watching the footage.

723

: 00:40:02

It's tough, but like.

724

: 00:40:05

Kind of what Bob says in the film, when

there's a moment in the car where Tad's

725

: 00:40:09

like, you know, I could shoot everything.

726

: 00:40:10

It's like, shouldn't I just be spending

time with you and enjoying these

727

: 00:40:13

holidays and moments we have together?

728

: 00:40:15

And Bob's like, I think you just have to

film and finish, you know, get what you

729

: 00:40:18

need and finish the film and move on.

730

: 00:40:20

You know, it's so practical.

731

: 00:40:21

But like, sometimes I felt that

way too, but like, I wasn't

732

: 00:40:27

always, you know, allowed.

733

: 00:40:28

Not allowed.

734

: 00:40:29

But like, it was hard to say that,

like, it had to come from Bob in a way.

735

: 00:40:32

'cause he is like, I'm, I'm giving

you permission Ted to, you know?

736

: 00:40:36

Right.

737

: 00:40:36

Finish the movie.

738

: 00:40:37

Tony Tidbit: Right, right.

739

: 00:40:40

You know, you, it came out at

the, uh, Sundance Film Festival.

740

: 00:40:44

Talk a little bit about the reaction.

741

: 00:40:47

And then was there any moments there when,

you know, the whole family was there?

742

: 00:40:51

That's like breathtaking.

743

: 00:40:54

Eurie Chung: Yeah, I, so Bob actually

had a film at Sundance, uh, years ago and

744

: 00:40:59

called Toya mta, infinite Shades of Gray.

745

: 00:41:02

And then Ted had a short film in 2006.

746

: 00:41:05

So for them to be at Sundance

together, like, I think Bob

747

: 00:41:10

Bob's in a wheelchair now.

748

: 00:41:11

He's, he's, you know, it's, Sundance

is very hard to navigate when

749

: 00:41:15

you're completely able bodied, let

alone, you know what I mean, like

750

: 00:41:17

freezing cold in a wheelchair.

751

: 00:41:19

So it took a lot for Bob to get there.

752

: 00:41:22

But you know, Bob, his wife Karen, uh,

Tad's sister, Ty Tad's sister's kids,

753

: 00:41:30

uh, Guss and Bina, tad Tad's wife, Cindy

and Tad's two kids, uh, prince who was

754

: 00:41:36

in the film and Malia, that whole crew,

they were able to come and it was pretty.

755

: 00:41:43

Spectacular.

756

: 00:41:44

You know, so it's like the film

plays right to like a 500 seat

757

: 00:41:48

theater and everyone's crying

already because it's so emotional.

758

: 00:41:53

It is emotional.

759

: 00:41:54

And then, then we kind of like

get ourselves together and we go

760

: 00:41:57

up for the q and a and you know,

Bob gets wheeled up to the front.

761

: 00:42:03

And I think if you don't know the family

and you don't, it's, you may not know

762

: 00:42:06

that Bob was gonna be there, right?

763

: 00:42:08

So like, there's this like added moment

of like, oh my gosh, he's actually there.

764

: 00:42:13

And then his wife, Karen TA's mom

reads a statement that Bob, that

765

: 00:42:19

Bob wrote, which we were barely

holding it together as it was.

766

: 00:42:24

And then when she read that, his

statement, I think we all lost it again.

767

: 00:42:30

Um, because in the end he was

like, you know, he started by.

768

: 00:42:34

She was reading Bob's statement.

769

: 00:42:35

He started by saying, you know, I've

seen many versions of the film over

770

: 00:42:38

the years, but I wanted to wait and

see this ver the final version with

771

: 00:42:41

you in the theater so we could all,

you know, experience it together.

772

: 00:42:45

Which is very sweet.

773

: 00:42:47

And at the end he says, you know,

tad, I know this isn't a very Ja

774

: 00:42:53

or Japanese American thing to do,

but I wanna tell you that like,

775

: 00:42:56

I'm so proud of you and I love you.

776

: 00:42:58

And I think like everyone just, we just

couldn't hold it together at that point.

777

: 00:43:02

I can imagine.

778

: 00:43:04

Um, but yeah, it, it felt like we had

the audience with us, you know, from

779

: 00:43:10

the get go and we never lost 'em.

780

: 00:43:13

So when we got to the front, you know,

and just seeing everybody, you know,

781

: 00:43:17

people came from the Bay Area, they

came from la you know, like people who

782

: 00:43:23

worked on the film and didn't, who were

just friends, you know, of the family.

783

: 00:43:27

I think Tad said his, one of his best

friends from middle school booked.

784

: 00:43:32

Uh, condo at Park City in October, which

was before we even got into Sundance.

785

: 00:43:38

He was like, I'm so confident

that this film is great.

786

: 00:43:43

Like, having not seen a frame of it, he

was like, you're gonna get into Sundance.

787

: 00:43:47

And he booked this, this

lodging for him and his family.

788

: 00:43:51

And I think that, that, that was

like the energy, right, of the whole

789

: 00:43:55

experience of Sundance is that we're

surrounded by so much love and support,

790

: 00:44:00

um, not just for the film, but for

us, you know, as, as filmmakers.

791

: 00:44:07

Tony Tidbit: It was a, that is

awesome and it is beautiful and I

792

: 00:44:09

recommend everyone to check this

out is really, really well done.

793

: 00:44:14

Um, very sad, but also celebratory

because you're, you're celebrating

794

: 00:44:21

a person that really came on this

earth and found this calling.

795

: 00:44:27

And really inspired and brought

up people like yourself and was

796

: 00:44:32

able to amplify stories that we

wouldn't really know about today.

797

: 00:44:37

Um, and you talked a little bit

about when Tad, you know, wanted

798

: 00:44:41

to raise money for the film.

799

: 00:44:44

Right.

800

: 00:44:45

Um, and I don't know exactly what he

went through, but talk a little bit

801

: 00:44:50

about the battle to raise money for,

you know, Asian American stories.

802

: 00:44:56

Right.

803

: 00:44:57

What challenges does Asian American

filmmakers face when they're trying to get

804

: 00:45:02

financing and distribution for their work?

805

: 00:45:07

Eurie Chung: Um, I mean, the, the

landscape is obviously super challenging.

806

: 00:45:13

You know, regardless of the content

that you're making, if you don't

807

: 00:45:16

have like, really a-list star power

or some kind of marvel, you know, IP

808

: 00:45:22

behind what you're doing, everyone

says independent filmmaking is.

809

: 00:45:27

Very, getting increasingly difficult,

and then you add the dimension

810

: 00:45:30

of Asian American stories to it.

811

: 00:45:32

I feel like it's always been a

challenge to prove that there is

812

: 00:45:37

a market, um, for that material.

813

: 00:45:42

'cause it, it's, I remember years ago

talking to somebody and they told me

814

: 00:45:49

that like when Nielsen ratings, you

know, uh, clocks, viewership and ratings,

815

: 00:45:56

they, for a long time, I don't even,

I don't know if this is true today,

816

: 00:45:59

so I don't wanna say for sure, but for

a long time they, they cat classified

817

: 00:46:05

Asian Americans as whites saying that

the buying, buying patterns and the

818

: 00:46:10

watching patterns were essentially, uh,

so similar to whites that they wouldn't

819

: 00:46:15

disaggregate that data separately.

820

: 00:46:17

That

821

: 00:46:18

Tony Tidbit: probably,

but it was probably true.

822

: 00:46:19

Eurie Chung: Yeah.

823

: 00:46:19

So it's, it was basically

impossible to track, right?

824

: 00:46:23

Like, what, what is.

825

: 00:46:25

The buying power, the viewer, the

viewership power of this demographic.

826

: 00:46:29

And you know, at the end of the day,

it's very hard to get something green

827

: 00:46:38

lit if you can't prove that people are

going to watch it or buy tickets to it.

828

: 00:46:44

You know, it's like people don't

really go to documentaries in the

829

: 00:46:47

movie theater anyway, so, you know,

like you have that element of it.

830

: 00:46:51

Um, I think right now, documentaries, most

people would say it's sort of saturated

831

: 00:46:56

by star, star biopics, and true crime.

832

: 00:47:00

Those are the two that

essentially quote unquote sell.

833

: 00:47:03

Um, so it's cha like I, most of my work

has been on PBS, so, you know, thank,

834

: 00:47:13

thank God for PBS, the Corporation

for Public Podcasting, uh, ITBS,

835

: 00:47:18

independent lens, like, um, those.

836

: 00:47:22

Those programs or those strands, um, are

vital to people telling diverse stories

837

: 00:47:29

because it's, it is an investment, but

it's not, it's not judged by the same

838

: 00:47:35

metrics in terms of like profitability,

um, if you were trying to go to

839

: 00:47:40

a Netflix or something like that.

840

: 00:47:41

Right, right, right.

841

: 00:47:43

So like they, I am super grateful to

them for, you know, ITVS particularly

842

: 00:47:50

invested in this movie at a

development stage, and then also,

843

: 00:47:54

uh, provided production funding.

844

: 00:47:56

And so it's like we have the, the

privilege of knowing that it would

845

: 00:48:01

have a home, you know, on pub, on PBS.

846

: 00:48:04

Uh, but I think the overall

challenges are that sometimes

847

: 00:48:10

you're just considered too niche.

848

: 00:48:13

Um, but then if, if as an Asian American

filmmaker, you don't do Asian American

849

: 00:48:18

content, you're doing like, you know.

850

: 00:48:20

General, you know, not specific.

851

: 00:48:22

They'll be like, well,

how can you speak to that?

852

: 00:48:23

Like, why aren't you speaking

about your own story?

853

: 00:48:25

So it's like, it's a

little bit of a catch 22.

854

: 00:48:28

And I think that all I can do is just

say that like, look at how resonant a

855

: 00:48:37

film like Third Act can be across, right.

856

: 00:48:41

Uh, race and age, all.

857

: 00:48:43

Yeah,

858

: 00:48:44

Tony Tidbit: exactly.

859

: 00:48:44

Across all races.

860

: 00:48:46

Right.

861

: 00:48:48

Third Act, you know, to me is something

that, that's why after I saw it, I was

862

: 00:48:54

blown away and I kept thinking about it.

863

: 00:48:56

But it's, and, and the thing about

it is, is so, um, relatable to.

864

: 00:49:03

Every community, your father, a son,

I mean, there's a lot of similarities.

865

: 00:49:09

Similarities in terms of what we deal

with with our children, with our parents,

866

: 00:49:15

you know, and then seeing that they're

not, that they're not infallible.

867

: 00:49:19

So there's a million

things with that, right?

868

: 00:49:22

That could go across.

869

: 00:49:23

However, you have to be willing

to, you know, see that and

870

: 00:49:27

be willing to invest in it.

871

: 00:49:29

Okay?

872

: 00:49:30

Because a lot of times, you know,

people, groups are put in boxes

873

: 00:49:34

and only black people are gonna

watch black stories and all.

874

: 00:49:38

And that's not true.

875

: 00:49:40

It's just not true.

876

: 00:49:42

How good is the story?

877

: 00:49:44

Is the story relatable?

878

: 00:49:46

So, you know, those are the things

that I'm glad that you're out there,

879

: 00:49:50

that we have to continue to fight

and not just from an Asian American.

880

: 00:49:54

It goes into, like I said, from

African American, the whole nine yards.

881

: 00:49:57

The more you start slicing the onion up.

882

: 00:50:00

And you put an onion in different boxes.

883

: 00:50:03

All right?

884

: 00:50:03

And it says only these people

are gonna watch this box.

885

: 00:50:07

The, the, the, the struggle

will continue to happen.

886

: 00:50:11

However, you know, one of the things is,

is that we know history repeats itself.

887

: 00:50:16

Okay?

888

: 00:50:18

And, you know, right now where we

are in America, you know, there's an

889

: 00:50:23

attack on DEI, there's a attack on,

you know, um, you know, muffling,

890

: 00:50:31

uh, underrepresented groups.

891

: 00:50:34

I.

892

: 00:50:34

There's a attack on, you know,

these groups are getting more

893

: 00:50:39

than you, so we gotta stop them.

894

: 00:50:41

Okay.

895

: 00:50:41

Which we know is not true, but those are

the narratives that are being pushed out.

896

: 00:50:46

Right.

897

: 00:50:46

And then, you know, the administration

came out with a narrative that they

898

: 00:50:50

wanted to end birthright citizen.

899

: 00:50:54

Okay.

900

: 00:50:54

Which the majority of

people don't even know where

901

: 00:50:57

birthright relationship started.

902

: 00:51:00

They know nothing about

the 14th Amendment.

903

: 00:51:02

But this, they, I can tell

you this, they don't even know

904

: 00:51:04

this story about Juan Kim Ark.

905

: 00:51:07

Okay.

906

: 00:51:09

Which, to be honest, in 1898 was

the first person to be able to

907

: 00:51:14

test the birthright citizenship.

908

: 00:51:17

So talk a little bit about that.

909

: 00:51:20

Eurie Chung: Yeah.

910

: 00:51:20

I mean, I'll say that in Asian

American history specifically, they

911

: 00:51:25

tried to use the legal system as

much as possible, like flood the

912

: 00:51:28

courts with these kinds of cases.

913

: 00:51:30

Like there's, there's earlier cases of.

914

: 00:51:34

American born Chinese girl being excluded

from the white school and their mom, their

915

: 00:51:40

father, mother, and father taking that

case to the Supreme Court, um, saying,

916

: 00:51:45

no, we have a right to an education

and it should not be segregated, but

917

: 00:51:48

it ended up being segregated anyway.

918

: 00:51:50

So it is part of like Asian American

history to use these legal cases to

919

: 00:51:58

fight for their rights as citizens.

920

: 00:52:00

Che Arc specifically is a kind of

a crazy test case because it became

921

: 00:52:05

so much bigger than this one.

922

: 00:52:07

Yes, yes.

923

: 00:52:08

This one man who was born here who

is going back and forth between

924

: 00:52:12

China and the US and you know, I

think the third time he did it.

925

: 00:52:17

He was basically imprisoned on the boat

for two months while they decided whether

926

: 00:52:21

or not he should have citizen, he should,

he should be granted, he should be

927

: 00:52:25

Tony Tidbit: right

928

: 00:52:26

Eurie Chung: citizenship to the United

States on the basis of where he was

929

: 00:52:30

born, not his parents', um, citizenship.

930

: 00:52:34

And like the arguments were crazy.

931

: 00:52:36

It was like, that's not

how they did it in Rome.

932

: 00:52:39

Like they, you know, the lawyers would go

back and say in Rome, it's just, you know,

933

: 00:52:43

whatever your parents are, that's what you

are, not where you physically were born.

934

: 00:52:47

And it does go back to the 14th

amendment of like, if you un.

935

: 00:52:52

If you basically undid, birthright

citizenship, the the children

936

: 00:52:55

of slaves would not be citizens.

937

: 00:52:56

And that's really what the,

938

: 00:52:58

Tony Tidbit: that was the key.

939

: 00:52:58

Right.

940

: 00:52:59

And

941

: 00:52:59

Eurie Chung: that's right.

942

: 00:53:00

And so now they're trying to carve out

Chinese people specifically is saying,

943

: 00:53:04

well, we can let this, this group be

citizens, but we can't let this group.

944

: 00:53:08

And then the ultimate conclusion was that

if you try to undo this, there's too many

945

: 00:53:13

people, you're stripping, you're stripping

citizenship from too many people.

946

: 00:53:18

Like every Italian, every

German, every, correct.

947

: 00:53:20

The British, the British

people who have children here.

948

: 00:53:24

Correct.

949

: 00:53:24

Uh, post, you know, the

civil, uh, revolutionary War.

950

: 00:53:28

So it's like, it just, they recognized

that it was just gonna undo way too much.

951

: 00:53:34

And it seems crazy to even think that

they're even mildly considering this.

952

: 00:53:39

I mean, Trump himself, isn't he?

953

: 00:53:42

The son of the German

immigrant, I believe.

954

: 00:53:44

Well, it's, it's, it's

not logical anymore.

955

: 00:53:47

It's not logical.

956

: 00:53:47

Makes no sense.

957

: 00:53:48

Right.

958

: 00:53:48

Tony Tidbit: And I, he probably,

they can't do nothing with it anyway.

959

: 00:53:51

This is just a way to to, to r people up.

960

: 00:53:55

Right.

961

: 00:53:55

But at the end of the day, um, you know,

again, there's so much Asian American

962

: 00:54:00

history that people are not aware of

that discrimination, that's American

963

: 00:54:06

history, that's American history.

964

: 00:54:07

And that discrimination has been part

of it from day, you know, you know,

965

: 00:54:12

one thing that we're not even talking

about was the Chinese excursion Act.

966

: 00:54:15

That's why they didn't

want him to come back.

967

: 00:54:17

'cause they didn't want the

Chinese here in the United States.

968

: 00:54:22

Okay.

969

: 00:54:22

So you can go.

970

: 00:54:24

So these things, what, what, what

drives me crazy, Eurie, is that

971

: 00:54:30

we, and I'm saying people of color,

black, Asian, Hispanic, you name it,

972

: 00:54:36

we always put ourselves in silos.

973

: 00:54:39

And we end up, you know, fighting

our battle, our own battle thinking.

974

: 00:54:44

It is just us when that's not true.

975

: 00:54:48

Okay.

976

: 00:54:49

And just like you said earlier, how when

you started watching the Civil Rights

977

: 00:54:54

Movement and Martin Luther King and this

and that, you felt a kinship to that.

978

: 00:54:59

Okay.

979

: 00:55:00

That, Hey, I'm not

black, but you know what?

980

: 00:55:03

I can, I'm, I'm, I can empathize, um, with

what's going on, because that's happened.

981

: 00:55:09

Not di not the same a hundred

percent, but discrimination has

982

: 00:55:13

happened to my group as well.

983

: 00:55:16

Okay.

984

: 00:55:17

And where we are today, we're so separated

when we should be coming together

985

: 00:55:23

and fighting these things together.

986

: 00:55:25

Okay.

987

: 00:55:26

And to me, we would have way more power.

988

: 00:55:29

All right.

989

: 00:55:30

See, the, the, the, the, the goal,

the strategy is divide and conquer.

990

: 00:55:35

Okay.

991

: 00:55:36

So if we can divide them,

get them to fight amongst

992

: 00:55:39

themselves, we can conquer them.

993

: 00:55:42

Okay.

994

: 00:55:43

And, and that goes for white people

too, because a lot of white people

995

: 00:55:46

end up voting against their own

interests because they fall into

996

: 00:55:51

the divide and conquer things.

997

: 00:55:53

All right?

998

: 00:55:54

And so, you know, it's very important

that we share these stories, okay.

999

: 00:56:00

Not just from this group, from all groups.

: 1000

00:56:02,640 --> 00:56:06,360

So then we can have a bigger

holistic view and say, you know what?

: 1001

00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:07,710

It ain't just us.

: 1002

00:56:07,770 --> 00:56:08,730

It's them too.

: 1003

00:56:08,730 --> 00:56:10,485

And it's also them and this and that.

: 1004

00:56:10,740 --> 00:56:11,430

And you know what?

: 1005

00:56:11,520 --> 00:56:15,810

I now understand what my Korean

brothers and sisters go through.

: 1006

00:56:15,810 --> 00:56:19,020

My Hispanic brothers and sisters

go through, blah, blah, blah.

: 1007

00:56:19,110 --> 00:56:23,310

And you know what, maybe we should start

working and, and building and, and,

: 1008

00:56:23,310 --> 00:56:28,650

and, and, and coming together so we can

all fight these things collectively.

: 1009

00:56:28,650 --> 00:56:29,580

What's your thoughts on that?

: 1010

00:56:30,630 --> 00:56:31,650

Eurie Chung: Oh, a hundred percent.

: 1011

00:56:31,710 --> 00:56:34,920

I mean, that's, I think.

: 1012

00:56:35,910 --> 00:56:43,800

Where we are today is the result of us,

not us, you and me, but the collective us,

: 1013

00:56:44,610 --> 00:56:54,090

uh, believing the lies that we, we have

less in common with each other than with

: 1014

00:56:54,270 --> 00:56:55,830

Trump and Musk, or, you know what I mean?

: 1015

00:56:55,830 --> 00:56:56,910

Like Correct.

: 1016

00:56:57,090 --> 00:56:59,100

There's nothing further

from the truth, right?

: 1017

00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:05,310

Is that all, most of us who are

not billionaires, um, have a lot

: 1018

00:57:05,310 --> 00:57:06,720

more in common with each other.

: 1019

00:57:07,740 --> 00:57:16,680

And they've also, I think, been

very successful at, um, like

: 1020

00:57:16,680 --> 00:57:19,950

spreading the lie that there's,

there's not enough to go around.

: 1021

00:57:20,880 --> 00:57:23,010

Um, 'cause the money's all there.

: 1022

00:57:23,010 --> 00:57:25,800

I mean, it's like literally the

bank accounts of like, what, 20

: 1023

00:57:25,800 --> 00:57:27,480

people in, in the United States.

: 1024

00:57:27,720 --> 00:57:28,470

The money is there.

: 1025

00:57:28,470 --> 00:57:31,110

It's just they'll, they'll use

whatever excuse they can to not.

: 1026

00:57:32,279 --> 00:57:35,009

Not give it to you, not pay

their taxes, not, you know, not

: 1027

00:57:35,009 --> 00:57:40,860

do the things that, that make it

seem like there's an abundance.

: 1028

00:57:40,860 --> 00:57:43,560

I think the US is the

richest country in the world.

: 1029

00:57:43,680 --> 00:57:48,555

You know, like it's, it's crazy to

think that anywhere in the United

: 1030

00:57:48,555 --> 00:57:55,230

States, anyone is going hungry, that

anyone is going without housing, that,

: 1031

00:57:55,350 --> 00:57:58,920

you know, like all of these social

quote unquote social problems, they're

: 1032

00:57:58,920 --> 00:58:01,140

not, they're not individual problems.

: 1033

00:58:01,140 --> 00:58:02,730

They're actually social problems.

: 1034

00:58:02,730 --> 00:58:06,120

They're society, societal problems

in how we've dealt with them.

: 1035

00:58:06,750 --> 00:58:13,650

Um, but yeah, I mean, we're, it's,

we're just as a collective believing

: 1036

00:58:13,650 --> 00:58:17,430

the lie that we, that we don't have

things in common with each other.

: 1037

00:58:17,430 --> 00:58:22,200

That, that we can't, that we can't fight

this, you know, whatever this thing is,

: 1038

00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:26,310

or that, like the idea that diversity

is a thing that's causing our downfall.

: 1039

00:58:26,339 --> 00:58:29,370

Like the di diversity is

a thing that makes us.

: 1040

00:58:30,390 --> 00:58:33,000

Strong and unique and, you know, special.

: 1041

00:58:33,570 --> 00:58:40,290

Um, and to downplay that or to make

that the enemy is so misguided and

: 1042

00:58:40,590 --> 00:58:43,440

really preying on people's fears.

: 1043

00:58:44,490 --> 00:58:44,970

Um,

: 1044

00:58:46,085 --> 00:58:46,505

Tony Tidbit: that's

: 1045

00:58:46,505 --> 00:58:46,665

Eurie Chung: it.

: 1046

00:58:46,670 --> 00:58:47,520

And it's working.

: 1047

00:58:47,610 --> 00:58:50,250

It's working and it's, it's sad.

: 1048

00:58:50,880 --> 00:58:51,510

Tony Tidbit: That's it.

: 1049

00:58:51,540 --> 00:58:56,700

It's, you hit it, my sister, you hit it

right on the head, divide and conquer.

: 1050

00:58:57,360 --> 00:58:58,020

Okay.

: 1051

00:58:58,020 --> 00:59:00,300

If we can divide them,

we can conquer them.

: 1052

00:59:00,870 --> 00:59:04,050

And you push narratives

out there, that's not true.

: 1053

00:59:04,260 --> 00:59:08,850

But what you are really doing is

you are tapping into people's fears.

: 1054

00:59:09,330 --> 00:59:12,960

And when people are afraid,

they're not thinking rationally.

: 1055

00:59:13,380 --> 00:59:14,880

They'll believe anything.

: 1056

00:59:15,240 --> 00:59:15,720

Right?

: 1057

00:59:15,750 --> 00:59:15,810

Yeah.

: 1058

00:59:15,870 --> 00:59:18,150

But let me just ask you

this final thoughts.

: 1059

00:59:18,150 --> 00:59:20,280

What's the final thoughts

that you wanna leave the

: 1060

00:59:20,280 --> 00:59:21,480

audience today, YEEuriee?

: 1061

00:59:21,480 --> 00:59:22,680

Oh, big question.

: 1062

00:59:22,730 --> 00:59:23,330

Eurie Chung: Um.

: 1063

00:59:25,685 --> 00:59:26,240

I think I,

: 1064

00:59:31,245 --> 00:59:36,260

I, I do think that if we truly listen

to each other, and I think that if these

: 1065

00:59:36,260 --> 00:59:42,980

stories, these very human universal story,

like it's crazy how specific, no matter

: 1066

00:59:42,980 --> 00:59:46,790

how specific you are, like that actually

resonates more in some ways than this

: 1067

00:59:46,790 --> 00:59:48,920

kind of, these broad generalizations.

: 1068

00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:57,320

But, um, I think if we really did

listen, like we could move forward for

: 1069

00:59:57,320 --> 01:00:01,130

all people and not just for individuals.

: 1070

01:00:01,310 --> 01:00:05,810

Um, I think I just, I saw a video clip

the other day of a guy, an older gentleman

: 1071

01:00:05,810 --> 01:00:08,330

who went to testify against trans.

: 1072

01:00:08,840 --> 01:00:13,160

Some, you know, uh, some, he

was supposed to go and vote for

: 1073

01:00:13,670 --> 01:00:16,160

support on a trans anti-trans bill.

: 1074

01:00:16,490 --> 01:00:19,550

And he said, I've been sitting

here for an hour listening to these

: 1075

01:00:19,700 --> 01:00:21,530

people talk about their experiences.

: 1076

01:00:21,530 --> 01:00:24,020

And he is like, they've changed my mind.

: 1077

01:00:24,620 --> 01:00:28,490

You know, and he was, he was an older

white gentleman who, you know, who

: 1078

01:00:28,490 --> 01:00:33,680

came in one way and basically spoke

into the microphone and said, I

: 1079

01:00:33,890 --> 01:00:36,260

listening here has changed my mind.

: 1080

01:00:36,260 --> 01:00:36,380

Mm-hmm.

: 1081

01:00:36,620 --> 01:00:41,180

And I think that truly that's why

I'm drawn to storytelling is that if

: 1082

01:00:41,180 --> 01:00:48,470

you really do sit and listen to other

people and other points of view, I feel

: 1083

01:00:48,470 --> 01:00:49,940

like there's, there's potential there.

: 1084

01:00:49,940 --> 01:00:53,570

And we shouldn't downplay it

as, as, it's hard, it's easy

: 1085

01:00:53,570 --> 01:00:55,370

to be cynical in these times.

: 1086

01:00:55,430 --> 01:01:00,830

It's easy to be very, you know, resigned

to, we have, you know, this side and this

: 1087

01:01:00,860 --> 01:01:02,480

side, and we're never gonna come together.

: 1088

01:01:02,885 --> 01:01:06,380

I, I don't, I don't know what it's

gonna take, but I do think that

: 1089

01:01:06,620 --> 01:01:08,090

it will have to involve listening.

: 1090

01:01:09,320 --> 01:01:13,700

Um, I don't know any other way

that we're gonna move forward.

: 1091

01:01:14,750 --> 01:01:15,800

Tony Tidbit: I totally agree.

: 1092

01:01:15,800 --> 01:01:16,490

My friend.

: 1093

01:01:16,940 --> 01:01:17,690

Final question.

: 1094

01:01:17,690 --> 01:01:20,540

How can A Black Executive

Perspective podcast help you?

: 1095

01:01:20,540 --> 01:01:20,570

I.

: 1096

01:01:22,055 --> 01:01:22,295

Eurie Chung: Yeah.

: 1097

01:01:22,505 --> 01:01:24,725

Uh, I mean, thank you for having me again.

: 1098

01:01:24,785 --> 01:01:26,465

Uh, it's a great conversation.

: 1099

01:01:26,915 --> 01:01:27,545

Um,

: 1100

01:01:30,155 --> 01:01:34,685

yeah, I mean, watch, watch

films, watch films that aren't

: 1101

01:01:34,685 --> 01:01:36,245

about people who look like you.

: 1102

01:01:36,455 --> 01:01:38,345

Uh, Third Act film.com

: 1103

01:01:38,345 --> 01:01:39,305

is our website.

: 1104

01:01:39,485 --> 01:01:41,045

We have festivals going on.

: 1105

01:01:41,615 --> 01:01:43,505

Uh, you know, throughout this year.

: 1106

01:01:43,595 --> 01:01:48,875

We won't be on PBS until probably

next year,: 2026

: 1107

01:01:48,875 --> 01:01:51,965

us or sign up for our newsletter,

you can find out when the film will

: 1108

01:01:51,965 --> 01:01:54,545

be, uh, near you or on your tv.

: 1109

01:01:55,445 --> 01:01:57,815

Um, but yeah, I, I think.

: 1110

01:01:58,565 --> 01:02:01,355

Honestly, just having me on,

having the experience of sharing

: 1111

01:02:01,355 --> 01:02:05,285

with you, talking with you, um,

being able to talk about the film.

: 1112

01:02:05,285 --> 01:02:09,245

It's been a great gift and I

appreciate the time and being

: 1113

01:02:09,245 --> 01:02:10,745

able to be here with you.

: 1114

01:02:11,315 --> 01:02:15,155

Tony Tidbit: Well, we appreciate

you investing the time, idea, busy

: 1115

01:02:15,155 --> 01:02:17,285

schedule to come on and share.

: 1116

01:02:17,495 --> 01:02:19,535

And that is Third Act.com,

: 1117

01:02:19,535 --> 01:02:20,225

is that correct?

: 1118

01:02:21,065 --> 01:02:22,050

Eurie Chung: Uh, Third Act film.com.

: 1119

01:02:22,085 --> 01:02:24,275

Tony Tidbit: Third Act film.com.

: 1120

01:02:24,275 --> 01:02:27,425

Make sure you check out

Third Act act film.com.

: 1121

01:02:27,905 --> 01:02:33,155

See all these fantastic stories,

educate yourself and more importantly,

: 1122

01:02:33,455 --> 01:02:35,615

you know, share with others as

: 1123

01:02:35,615 --> 01:02:36,015

well.

: 1124

01:02:36,015 --> 01:02:37,615

So, YEEuriee Chung, thanks

: 1125

01:02:37,615 --> 01:02:40,645

Tony Tidbit: for coming on A Black

Executive Perspective podcast.

: 1126

01:02:40,645 --> 01:02:41,995

We really enjoyed this.

: 1127

01:02:42,235 --> 01:02:43,765

I want you to stay right there.

: 1128

01:02:43,945 --> 01:02:49,435

I think it's now time for Tony's

tidbit and so the tidbit today.

: 1129

01:02:50,215 --> 01:02:54,565

Marginalized voices don't

need permission to be heard.

: 1130

01:02:55,195 --> 01:03:00,565

They need platforms, resources,

and the will to make it happen.

: 1131

01:03:01,285 --> 01:03:07,885

If history has taught us anything, it is

that the fight for justice is never over.

: 1132

01:03:08,485 --> 01:03:11,365

It just takes on new forms.

: 1133

01:03:12,550 --> 01:03:16,630

You heard a lot of that today with

my conversation with Eurie Chung,

: 1134

01:03:16,990 --> 01:03:20,680

and please don't forget to check

out the next need to know by Dr.

: 1135

01:03:20,680 --> 01:03:21,760

Nsenga Burton.

: 1136

01:03:22,030 --> 01:03:22,435

Dr.

: 1137

01:03:22,435 --> 01:03:26,380

Burton dives into the timely and

crucial topics that shape our

: 1138

01:03:26,380 --> 01:03:28,630

community and world you want.

: 1139

01:03:28,630 --> 01:03:32,410

Don't wanna miss her insights and

deepen your understanding on the issues.

: 1140

01:03:32,650 --> 01:03:33,460

Check her out.

: 1141

01:03:33,845 --> 01:03:36,755

Next Thursday on Need To Know by Dr.

: 1142

01:03:36,755 --> 01:03:39,905

Nsenga And then also, don't forget

to check out the next pull up.

: 1143

01:03:39,905 --> 01:03:44,195

Speak up where you'll hear bold,

unfiltered voices tackle the

: 1144

01:03:44,195 --> 01:03:45,905

round, the provocative issues.

: 1145

01:03:46,115 --> 01:03:49,295

Our round table provides

sharp perspectives, real

: 1146

01:03:49,295 --> 01:03:51,545

talk, and a call to action.

: 1147

01:03:51,695 --> 01:03:54,845

This is not a conversation,

it's a revolution.

: 1148

01:03:54,845 --> 01:03:58,205

So make sure you do not miss

the next episode of Pull Up.

: 1149

01:03:58,205 --> 01:03:58,865

Speak up.

: 1150

01:03:59,015 --> 01:04:01,715

So now it's time for BP's call to action.

: 1151

01:04:01,955 --> 01:04:06,665

And for our, our AVID listeners, you

know what our goal is, but this is your

: 1152

01:04:06,665 --> 01:04:10,745

first time watching A Black Executive

Perspective podcast or listening.

: 1153

01:04:11,015 --> 01:04:14,015

Our goal is to decrease, eliminate.

: 1154

01:04:14,260 --> 01:04:17,290

All forms of discrimination

and how to do that.

: 1155

01:04:17,290 --> 01:04:19,660

We've come up with an acronym called less.

: 1156

01:04:20,140 --> 01:04:24,070

LESS and L stands for learn.

: 1157

01:04:24,400 --> 01:04:30,190

You wanna learn about different racial

and culture nuances to educate yourself.

: 1158

01:04:30,460 --> 01:04:34,865

Then after you learn, you have the

letter E, which stands for empathy.

: 1159

01:04:35,260 --> 01:04:39,550

Now, since you've learned about new

people and new cultures, now you can

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01:04:39,550 --> 01:04:44,830

understand their point of view, because

now you can put yourself in their shoes.

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And then after empathy, you have

the first S, which is share.

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01:04:49,570 --> 01:04:53,740

Now you want to share what you've

learned to your friends and colleagues

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01:04:53,740 --> 01:04:56,080

so they can become enlightened as well.

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01:04:56,380 --> 01:04:57,970

And then the final S.

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01:04:58,029 --> 01:04:59,230

It stop.

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01:04:59,290 --> 01:05:02,650

You want to stop discrimination

as it walks in your path.

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01:05:02,860 --> 01:05:07,930

So if Aunt Jenny or Uncle Joe says

something at the Sunday dinner table

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01:05:07,930 --> 01:05:13,480

that's inappropriate, you say, aunt

Jenny, uncle Joe, we don't believe that.

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01:05:13,480 --> 01:05:14,740

We don't say that.

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01:05:14,740 --> 01:05:16,360

And you stop it right there.

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01:05:16,690 --> 01:05:19,060

So if everyone can incorporate less.

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01:05:19,450 --> 01:05:26,980

LESS will build a more fair, more

understanding world, and we all will

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01:05:26,980 --> 01:05:32,890

be able to see the change that we wanna

see because less will become more.

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01:05:33,370 --> 01:05:38,140

Don't forget to follow A Black Executive

Perspective on YouTube, apple, Spotify,

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01:05:38,410 --> 01:05:40,570

or wherever you get your podcast.

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01:05:40,750 --> 01:05:44,770

And you can follow us on our

social channels of LinkedIn, X,

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01:05:44,770 --> 01:05:49,779

YouTube, Facebook, Instagram,

and TikTok at a black exec.

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01:05:50,170 --> 01:05:55,990

For our fabulous guest, the award-winning

producer, director, Eurie Chung.

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01:05:56,350 --> 01:05:57,640

I'm Tony Tidbit.

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01:05:58,240 --> 01:05:59,860

We talked about it today.

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01:06:00,220 --> 01:06:02,050

We learned about it today.

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01:06:02,470 --> 01:06:06,490

We love you, and now it's

time for us to get out

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01:06:10,300 --> 01:06:12,910

BEP Narrator: A Black

Executive Perspective.