Christine Choy

Directing

Christine Choy

Born September 17, 1949

Died December 7, 2025 · aged 76

Christine Choy (born 1952) is a Chinese-born American documentary filmmaker. Choy was one of the first major Chinese American woman film makers. One of Choy's most acclaimed films, Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1988) is a multicultural film that was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary.

Known For

Long Story ShortLong Story Short · 2008
Long Story Short
2008
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Tells the story of Larry and Trudie Long, a popular Asian American nightclub act of the '40s and '50s, told through the eyes of their daughter, actress Jodi Long.
Homes Apart: KoreaHomes Apart: Korea · 1991
Homes Apart: Korea
1991
MovieDocumentary
They speak the same language, share a similar culture and once belonged to a single nation. When the Korean War ended in 1953, ten million families were torn apart. By the early 90s, as the rest of the world celebrated the end of the Cold War, Koreans remain separated between North and South, fearing the threat of mutual destruction. Beginning with one man's journey to reunite with his sister in North Korea, filmmakers Takagi and Choy reveal the personal, social and political dimensions of one of the last divided nations on earth. The film was also the first US project to get permission to film in both South & North Korea.
Bittersweet Survival: Southeast Asian Refugees in AmericaBittersweet Survival: Southeast Asian Refugees in America · 1982
Bittersweet Survival: Southeast Asian Refugees in America
★ 6.01982
MovieDocumentary
This documentary examines the re-settlement of South-East Asian refugees in the United States in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The film begins with a montage of riveting footage depicting the devastating effects of the war. It then unveils the mixed reception given Vietnamese refugees in the United States, from battles with local fishermen in Monterey, California, to conflicts in Philadelphia where their arrival in the city's poorest neighborhoods kindled resentment in the Black community. The film also explores their struggle to cope with life in the U.S. and maintain their identity.
The ExilesThe Exiles · 2022
The Exiles
★ 8.02022
MovieDocumentaryHistory
Brash and opinionated, Christine Choy is a documentarian, cinematographer, professor, and quintessential New Yorker whose films and teaching have influenced a generation of artists. In 1989 she started to film the leaders of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests who escaped to political exile following the June 4 massacre. Though Choy never finished that project, she now travels with the old footage to Taiwan, Maryland, and Paris in order to share it with the dissidents who have never been able to return home.
Cinema KoreaCinema Korea · 2009
Cinema Korea
2009
MovieDocumentary
Academy Award-nominated director Christine Choy brings together interviews with actors and directors, archival footage of classic Korean films and accounts of defining historical events to give a fully rounded view of Korean film culture. Interviewees include Im Kwon-taek, Kim Ki-duk, Jang Dong-gun, Jeon Ji-hyun, Lee Byung-hun, Kwak Kyung-taek, Bang Eun-jin.
Sa-I-GuSa-I-Gu · 1993
Sa-I-Gu
1993
MovieDocumentary
Sa-I-Gu, literally translated in Korean as April 29, is the day of the 1992 Los Angeles riots or uprising. Three months after the events, the documentary explores the experience of several Korean American women who were caught in the events.
Choy: The Making OfChoy: The Making Of
Choy: The Making Of
MovieComedyDrama
When a young filmmaker turns the camera on documentarian, Christine Choy, her eccentric behavior and unconventional wisdom challenge him to question the ethics of documentary filmmaking.
A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre LordeA Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde · 1995
A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde
★ 10.01995
MovieDocumentary
The career of iconic and influential poet and writer Audre Lorde is seen up until death.

Filmography

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