Who Killed Vincent Chin?

Who Killed Vincent Chin? is a 1987 American documentary film produced and directed by Christine Choy and Renee Tajima-Peña that recounts the murder of Vincent Chin. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.[2] It was later broadcast as part of the PBS series POV.[3]

Who Killed Vincent Chin?
Directed byChristine Choy and Renee Tajima-Peña
Produced byChristine Choy and Renee Tajima-Peña[1]
CinematographyKyle Kibbe
Edited byHolly Fisher
Production
companies
Distributed byFilmakers Library
Release date
  • 1987 (1987)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Cantonese

In 2021, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[4]

Overview

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On a summer night in Detroit in 1982 (during a time of anti-Asian sentiment due to Japan being blamed for America's decline in the auto industry),[5] two white autoworkers fatally beat Vincent Chin, a 27-year-old Chinese engineer, with a baseball bat.[6] The film tracks the incident from the initial eye-witness accounts through the trial and its repercussions for the families involved, and the American justice system at large.[7] After an outcry from the Asian American community, led by Vincent's mother Lily Chin, the case becomes a civil rights Supreme Court case. The case ends with tried killer Ronald Ebens' being let go with a suspended sentence and a small fine.[8]

Awards

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Documentary Winners: 1989 Oscars
  2. ^ a b "THE 61ST ACADEMY AWARDS (1989)". Oscars.org. The Academy Awards. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "POV | Who Killed Vincent Chin: Filmmaker Interview | Season 2". Pbs.org. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  4. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (December 14, 2021). "National Film Registry Adds Return Of The Jedi, Fellowship Of The Ring, Strangers On A Train, Sounder, WALL-E & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  5. ^ Academy Museum
  6. ^ Xing, Jun (1998). Asian America Through the Lens. CA: AltaMira Press. p. 109. ISBN 9780761991762.
  7. ^ Who Killed Vincent Chin?. PBS. 1987. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  8. ^ Who Killed Vincent Chin?. Filmmakers Library at filmmakers.com. 1987. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
  9. ^ "All duPont-Columbia Award Winners". Columbia Journalism School. Archived from the original on August 14, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  10. ^ "8th Annual Hawaii International Film Festival". Hawaii International Film Festival. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
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