Season 10

Asian Bitches Speak

Janet Chen (Ma)

After generations of cultural silence, years of anxiety, and one anti-Asian hate crime, queer filmmaker Janet takes her retired single mom Diana on a mental health discovery road trip, spills the tea about their own family, and starts the journey to healing.

⚠ Content Warning

This film explores sensitive topics, including racism and suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health distress, talk to a licensed therapist. For a mental health emergency, call the NAMI Helpline or call or text 988 for immediate support.

Documentary

Difference Modernity

BIPOC Intergenerational

Bittersweet

Why we chose this film.

“Asian Bitches Speak” illustrates the power of the creative process to foster connection across generations. Through an approachable documentary-meets-vlog style, the film navigates challenging topics while highlighting the enduring bond between the filmmaker and her mother.

Filmmaker

Inspiration

“This mother-daughter journey explores mental health, resilience and healing from intergenerational trauma. The film was prompted by an anti-Asian hate incident that my mom, Diana, survived on 4th of July at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The road trip starts two years later at the July 4th parade in our conservative American hometown of Huntington Beach, California.

My unique relationship with my mom is at the core of the film and the entry point to these difficult themes and issues. I flip classic cinema tropes and showcase unexpected moments of humor to invite audiences 2into our multigenerational story.

Our road trip through California highlights places of community and healing. We examine the trauma that runs through generations of women in our family, and embrace and reclaim our identities. Most importantly, we learn to speak out loud, to each other and our communities.”