Discussions, Performances, and Film
Dance Performance:
Melody Li Student Dance Group, University of Houston
This performance is a fusion of Chinese traditional dance and gufeng wu,
a contemporary dance style that blends traditional Chinese music
elements with modern pop rhythms. It brings together the grace and
elegance of classical Chinese dance forms with
the dynamic expressiveness of gufeng choreography, creating a unique experience.
Led by: Dr. Melody Yunzi Li, Assistant Professor of Chinese, University of
Houston and Grace Chu, Biology major, University of Houston.
With a discussion led by Dr. Melody Yunzi Li.
Film Screening and Discussion:
Camellia Flowers
A film screening and conversation with the filmmaker, Prof. Changhee Chun, Morgan Woodward Distinguished and Endowed Professor in Film at the University of Texas at Arlington.
“The story of the Jeju 4.3 Uprising and its survivors.”
Using historical texts and real-life accounts of victims of the tragedy,
“Camellia Flowers” is a short documentary about the Jeju Uprising or
the Jeju 4.3 Incident that took place from March 1st, 1947 to September
21st, 1954. Over the course of those 7 years, thousands of lives were lost
and even more were impacted. With resilience and perseverance, the
people of Jeju heal their community together while asking for apologies
from those who were in power at the time of the incident.
Discussion led by Dr. Juyoun Jang, Trinity University
Book Conversation:
Curtis Chin, author and filmmaker
"Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant."
A co-founder of the Asian American Writers’ Workshop in New York City, Curtis Chin served as the
non-profit's first Executive Director. Chin has screened his films at over 600 venues in twenty
countries. He has written for CNN, Bon Appetit, the Detroit Free Press and the Emancipator/Boston Globe. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Chin has received awards from ABC/Disney Television, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and more. His
essay in Bon Appetit was just selected for Best Food Writing in America 2023 and his short doc, "Dear Corky" premiered on American Masters (PBS). He is currently working on a new docuseries on the history of Chinese restaurants in America.
Discussion led by Dr. Karen Kingsbury, Chatham University, and Dr. Jie Zhang, Trinity University.