Perhaps nothing symbolizes the gentrification of Washington DC”s Chinatown than this fact. Just 400 Chinese residents remain in the neighborhood and half live in a public housing project, Wah Luck House.
Filmmaker Yi Chen is making a vérité style documentary on DC’s Chinatown. Her film simply called “Chinatown” focuses on the experience of three residents of the Wah Luck House. Chen talked with Examiner.com.
“About half way through my research, I read a story on the Washington Post about the Wah Luck House in DC Chinatown, she said. “The journalist put me in touch with the residents there. We had an immediate connection and they agreed to let me film them. That’s how the project got started.”
Chen’s hope is that her film will have a positive impact on DC’s Chinatown and for the residents of the Wah Luck House. She’s working with public housing advocates on how the film can help make that happen.
“I would like the film to reach more people and hopefully have a positive impact on the future of Chinatown, but for documentary filmmakers, it’s also a challenge. I am working with nonprofit partners to figure out what impact we want to make and how to get there.”
You can read more about what’s being done to help the Wah Luck House residents and the film in the Examiner.com.
