Our 2024 iteration of our Storytelling Initiative film series emphasizes hyperlocal governance, grassroots activism and participation, community movements, creative approaches to civic engagement, and elder and emerging voices in AANHPI communities across the United States. Six filmmakers from the A-Doc community answered our call to create powerful 2-minute shorts featuring inspiring film participants that can engage and revitalize voters, reminding us that our participation counts, and that disengagement is not an option. Watch and learn more about these projects below!
By: Neha Aziz
DESI MOM
Directed by Chithra Jeyaram
Apolitical mom, Lakshmi, finds her voice urging South Asians in her community to shape their children’s future.
Be sure to check out this piece in Pop Sugar where Lakshmi wrote about the 2024 election.
VOTES FOR VERONA
Directed by: Joseph Duque
Verona Sagato-Mauga, a first-generation American business owner in Salt Lake County, Utah, campaigns to become the first Samoan to win a state legislative seat in the continental United States.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES
Directed by: Eden Sabolboro
After losing the 2022 state representative election in Michigan’s 57th district by a narrow margin, Aisha Farooqi, a first-generation Pakistani-American lawyer, embarks on a renewed campaign for the same seat in the 2024 elections.
OHIO IS IN THE HEART
Directed by: Sonia Desai Rayka
A mother and daughter in Ohio reflect on their Filipino roots that propel their advocacy for a more inclusive K-12 social studies curriculum.
APATHY IS NOT AN OPTION
Directed by: Mia Barnett
During the annual pilgrimage to a site where thousands of Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II, two seasoned community activists talk to voters about the 2024 election. Drawing on the history of Japanese American incarceration, they motivate and inspire the next generation to vote.
UNCOMmITTED
Directed by: Aisha Sultan
A young, first-time voter struggles with her election choices and seeks guidance from a community elder.
Want to learn more about these filmmakers and their documentaries? Then be sure to check out this session from CAAM’s Filmmaker Summit.
Discover more content on our YouTube Channel.