This Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’re celebrating API production designers and how they’ve shaped the film industry. API heritage month was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Jeanie Jew, a former staffer for Rep. Frank Horton (NY). Signed as joint resolution by President Jimmy Carter as a week long celebration and then extended to a month by President George H.W. Bush, May was designated as it memorializes the migration of Japan immigrants to the U.S. in May 1843 and the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Production designers play a crucial role in bringing a director's vision to life, creating the visual world that sets the tone and mood for a film. API representation in the film industry is still lacking, so we at OC want to highlight their contributions with our top 5 favorite films created by API designers!
Parasite (2019)
Production Designer: Lee Ha Jun
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Greed and class discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan.
Minari (2020)
Production Designer: Yong Ok Lee
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
A Korean family starts a farm in 1980s Arkansas.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Production Designer: Sue Chan
Where to Watch: Disney+
Shang-Chi, the master of weaponry-based Kung Fu, is forced to confront his past after being drawn into the Ten Rings organization.
Lingua Franca (2019)
Production Designer: Clint Ramos
Where to Watch: Netflix
An undocumented Filipina transwoman falls in love in Brooklyn.
Nachom-ia Kumpasar (2015)
Production Designer: Aparna Raina
Where to Watch: GoaFlix
A bittersweet romance forms between a talented singer and a trumpet player during the height of the Goan music scene of the 1960s and 70s.
OC Honorable Mentions:
Rona Liu - Turning Red (2022)
Yong Ok Lee - The Farewell (2020)
Suttirat Anne Larlarb - 127 Hours (2010)
Helen Mingjue Chen - Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Tim Yip - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2010)
Doug Chiang - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
James J. Murakami - Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
Shinobu Muraki & Yoshiro Muraki - Ran (1985)
Continuing to support and amplify API production designers allows for a diversity in films that creates a world in which we all can see ourselves represented and celebrated. We at OC hope you’ll join us in this commitment to supporting and promoting API production designers and members of the film industry!