BLURRING THE COLOR LINE Interview with Crystal Kwok - disrupting the dominant narratives of race and gender
Crystal Kwok is the director of BLURRING THE COLOR LINE
Whose perspectives does your film feature?
My film centers the perspectives of the Chinese and Black communities of Augusta, Georgia. But it is told through my lens and my journey of discovery since I did not grow up in the South. It was intentional to share my process of learning and unlearning about our racial history so the audience can follow the stories through my digging.
Why was it important to tell this story through the perspectives of your film participants?
In order to disrupt the dominant narratives that reinforce binary black and white ways of thinking, I highlight voices from the marginal communities of Chinese and Black residents to reframe history and bring out untold stories of the past.
What topics do you address in discussions with educators, students and community members?
I like to entangle racial and gender issues and to consider the relationship between history and memory. Inter-generational and cross-racial conversations are also vital to breaking down barriers in examining race-relations issues. Women's voice and place in history is also an important area of concern for me. As a Feminist scholar and Performance Studies specialist, I like to look at the politics of framing, of silent spaces and what they reveal.
Tell us about your background and why this issue matters to you.
Growing up half in Hong Kong and half in the U.S., I bring a transnational sensibility to the examination of racism with a global context. As an Asian American woman, I want to amplify voices of historically marginalized communities, particularly women. The notions of racism should be discussed in context to colorism and classism. The concept of "Blurring" speaks deeply to cross-pollinating cultures and relationships that can be analyzed through my film.
My film centers the perspectives of the Chinese and Black communities of Augusta, Georgia. But it is told through my lens and my journey of discovery since I did not grow up in the South. It was intentional to share my process of learning and unlearning about our racial history so the audience can follow the stories through my digging.
Why was it important to tell this story through the perspectives of your film participants?
In order to disrupt the dominant narratives that reinforce binary black and white ways of thinking, I highlight voices from the marginal communities of Chinese and Black residents to reframe history and bring out untold stories of the past.
What topics do you address in discussions with educators, students and community members?
I like to entangle racial and gender issues and to consider the relationship between history and memory. Inter-generational and cross-racial conversations are also vital to breaking down barriers in examining race-relations issues. Women's voice and place in history is also an important area of concern for me. As a Feminist scholar and Performance Studies specialist, I like to look at the politics of framing, of silent spaces and what they reveal.
Tell us about your background and why this issue matters to you.
Growing up half in Hong Kong and half in the U.S., I bring a transnational sensibility to the examination of racism with a global context. As an Asian American woman, I want to amplify voices of historically marginalized communities, particularly women. The notions of racism should be discussed in context to colorism and classism. The concept of "Blurring" speaks deeply to cross-pollinating cultures and relationships that can be analyzed through my film.
Bring the documentary BLURRING THE COLOR LINE and Crystal Kwok to your campus + community
