For half a century, Corky Lee, a Chinese American photographer, meticulously captured the celebrations, challenges, and everyday experiences of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community with unwavering dedication. His mission was to compel mainstream media to integrate AAPI culture into the visual narrative of American history, resulting in a staggering archive of nearly a million poignant photographs. Particularly poignant is the relevance of his work amid the concerning surge in anti-Asian incidents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Jennifer Takaki’s sensitive portrayal offers an intimate glimpse into the triumphs and tribulations of the individual behind the camera.
Born in 1947 in New York to Chinese immigrants who owned two laundries in Queens, Corky Lee pursued a degree in history at Queens College before immersing himself in community organizing in Manhattan’s Chinatown during the 1970s. Over the ensuing five decades, he tirelessly documented numerous protests and cultural happenings within the AAPI community, effectively chronicling the emergence and evolution of the Asian American social justice movement. His photographic prowess earned him the title of “The Undisputed, Unofficial, Asian American Photographer Laureate.” Lee’s passing in 2021 at the age of 73, attributed to Covid-19, reverberated globally, eliciting mourning across various media outlets.
Filmmaker Jennifer Takaki, a fourth-generation Japanese American hailing from Colorado, embarked on her professional journey in journalism at a Denver-based television station. Later, she relocated to Hong Kong, where she collaborated with Encore International, contributing to the production of English-language news broadcasts aired in China, India, and the Middle East via Rupert Murdoch’s STAR-TV. In New York, Takaki directed and produced “Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story,” which premiered at DOC NYC. The project received backing from esteemed institutions such as the Ford Foundation and The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM). In recognition of her achievements, Takaki was honored with the prestigious Better Angels Lavine Fellowship in 2023.
Photographic Justice The Corky Lee Story, will open theatrically in New York on April 19 (DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema) and in Los Angeles (Laemmle Glendale) on April 26, with a regional expansion to follow.
The film will also have a nationwide US television release, premiering Monday, May 13 at 10/9C on PBS (check local listings) and on PBS apps to follow, timed to Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (May, 2024).
