The Chinese Exclusion Act (film)

The Chinese Exclusion Act is a 2017 documentary film about the United States Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Produced by PBS as a "special presentation" for the American Experience documentary program, it explores how the act's 61-year prohibition of Chinese immigrants to the United States had an effect on Chinese communities already living in the country. Directed by Ric Burns and Li-Shin Yu, who also served as writer and editor respectively, the film premiered in the 2017 CAAMFest and aired on PBS in the United States on May 29, 2018.[3]

The Chinese Exclusion Act
Directed by	Ric Burns[1] Li-Shin Yu[1]
Produced by	Li-Shin Yu[1] Robin Espinola[1] Ric Burns[1]
Written by	Ric Burns[1]
Narrated by	Hoon Lee[1]
Music by	Brian Keane[1]
Cinematography	Michael Chin Buddy Squires Brian Heller Anthony Savini Jon Else Lincoln Else Allen Moore[1]
Edited by	Li-Shin Yu[1]
Production company	Steeplechase Films[1] Center for Asian American Media
Distributed by	Public Broadcasting Service
Release date	March 19, 2017 (CAAMFest) May 29, 2018
Running time	162 minutes[2]
Country	United States
Language	English

Interviewees

• Martin B. Gold, attorney
• Erika Lee, historian
• David Lei, community advocate
• Mary Ting Yi Lui, historian
• Mae Ngai, historian
• Jean Pfaelzer, historian
• Kevin Starr, historian
• John Kuo Wei Tchen, historian
• Ling-chi Wang, scholar
• K. Scott Wong, historian
• Renqiu Yu, historian

Production

The documentary began production in 2012.[4]

Critical response

Mike Hale of The New York Times commended The Chinese Exclusion Act for its timeliness and stated that it serves as "a cautionary tale" for immigration in the United States, though he noted that the complex history recounted in the film "takes some focus on the viewer’s part to keep the thread."[5] Hanh Nguyen of IndieWire gave the film a "B+", praising it as "sobering and eye-opening" and singling out its interviewees' enlightening commentary as the film's "real value".[6]

Home media

The Chinese Exclusion Act was released on DVD by PBS on June 19, 2018.[2]

References

1. "The Chinese Exclusion Act - Credits". PBS. WGBH Educational Foundation. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
2. "The Chinese Exclusion Act DVD". Amazon.com. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
3. https://caamfest.com/2017/films/chinese-exclusion-act/
4. Carey, Matthew (May 28, 2018). "Emmys: PBS Doc 'The Chinese Exclusion Act' Bears On Bitter Immigration Debate". Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
5. Hale, Mike (May 28, 2018). "Review: A New Film Investigates the Time America Banned an Entire Race". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
6. Nguyen, Hanh (May 29, 2018). "'Chinese Exclusion Act' Review: PBS Doc Is a Damning Look at How the American Government Fostered Racism". IndieWire. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved December 8, 2020.

External links

• PBS official site