Asian German Updates | Zach

🇵🇭 HERITAGE IN GERMANY As you might know from my introduction, I am Filipino American. Because October is “Filipino American History Month,” I was inspired to share some of what I have learned about Filipino history and heritage in Germany. As always, this is by no means a complete list. 👇In the comments, please share more people, places, organizations, and information related to the 🇵🇭 diaspora in Germany! . . . #filipinoamericanhistorymonth #filipinodiaspora #filipino #filipinx #fahm #filam #pinoy #balikbayan #philippinehistory #filipinoheritage #joserizal #asianrepresentation #filipinogerman #asiangerman #asiancommunity #🇵🇭 #germanasian

Time for another re-introduction! Contrary to popular belief, AsianGermanUpdates is just one person: me, aka Zach! I’m a mixed Filipino American who lived in Germany for a few years as a child, because my mother was a nurse in Rheinland-Pfalz. Although this account is focused primarily on Germany, I actually live in the US (in Wisconsin, about two hours from Chicago) and I work as part of the growing academic sub-field of “Asian German studies,” doing research predominantly on film/media representation and diaspora. As an Asian American who speaks German, I started this account in 2019 as a way to combat the “invisibility” Asian Germans have often expressed they feel. While the pandemic lockdowns prevented travel for a few years, I have been able to come back to Germany each summer since 2022. It is always fun to finally meet people in person, after years of only being able to communicate online. Maybe we met in-person at one of the following: -Dreh’s Um @drehs_um_filmworkshop premiere in Berlin, 2022 -White Shoes and the Couples Company concert in Berlin, 2022 -@dr_nghiha ’s Anti-Asian Racism conference in Tübingen, 2023 -the @berlinasianfilm Community Screening vol. 2, 2023 -behind the scenes of @ducngongoc ’s “Made in Germany” episode in Berlin, 2023 -the “DivDAF” seminar in Leipzig, 2023 -the German Studies Association conference in Montreal, 2023 -the Association for Asian American Studies conference in Seattle, 2024 -@korientation ’s Vernetzungstreffen in Leipzig, 2024 Looking forward to meeting more of you at future events the next time I make it across the Atlantic 😉 LG Zach

New book: Charting Asian German Film History BACKSTORY: During the pandemic, I found other colleagues in the sub-field of “Asian German studies” who were interested in researching film: Qinna Shen and Qingyang Freya Zhou In 2021, we three decided to collaborate on an edited volume, collecting articles on various aspects of Asian German film history. After 3.5 years of drafts, revisions, peer review, proofreading, and more, our edited volume is finally out! STRUCTURE: Rather than a strict chronological approach, our volume focuses on three distinct trends and modes of film production PART 1: IMAGINATION Silent and early sound films generally shot in European studios, with little regard for a realistic or “authentic” depiction of their respective Asian cultures; yet, the films analyzed in this section surprisingly avoid some typical clichés For example: Chapter 2 on Buryat and Japanese Leads in Austrian-released films of the 1930s Chapter 4 on Madame Menaka's Indian dance troupe during the Third Reich PART 2, COLLABORATION From the 1920s onward, films shot on location throughout Asia, including co-productions between Asia countries and Germany and works by Asian (co-)directors; yet, the films may lack aesthetic coherence or be commercial failures For example: Chapter 6 on East German depictions of and collaborations with Asia, including Vietnam, Mongolia, and India Chapter 8 on a B-movie co-production between Hong Kong and West Germany, combining sexploitation and martial arts PART 3, DIASPORIC REPRESENTATION From the 1960s onward, these films often highlight experiences of racism, hardship, and (non-)belonging. The post-migrant Asians in these films may have a stronger identification with Germany, even if the hegemonic society does not always accept them For example: Chapter 10 on Cho Sung-hyung's documentaries about South Korea/West Germany and North Korea/East Germany The book is out now! /book/charting-asian-german-film-history/ ❗If you order directly from the publisher, you can get 40% off your order by subscribing to their newsletter Considering asking your local or university library to order the book Enjoy! 📖

Here are my published articles related to Asian German representation in books and a journal: “The World(s) of Anna Suh: Race, Migration, and Ornamentalism in Bis zum Ende aller Tage (1961)” Book: East Asian-German Cinema: The Transnational Screen, 1919 to the Present “Orientalized Bodies at Work: Cultural Zaniness in Berlin’s Sayonara Tokyo Revue” Book: How to Make the Body: Difference, Identity, and Embodiment “Feeling at Home in Munich and Mongolia: (Dis)orientation and Queer Diaspora in Uisenma Borchu’s Schau mich nicht so an (2015)” Journal: Feminist German Studies, vol. 38.2 “Asian Diasporic Voices and Berlin: Connecting the Past and Present of German Film History” Book: Destination: Tashkent. Experiences of Cinematic Internationalism @hkw_berlin “Asiatische Repräsentationen (wieder)entdecken: Empowerment durch ältere deutsche Filme?” Book: raumnehmen: Menschen aus asiatisch-diasporischen Communitys in Deutschland erzählen @korientation “Asian Leads in Taifun (1933) and Letzte Liebe (1935): Japanese Love Interests on Austrian Screens in the Shadow of the Nazis” Book: Charting Asian German Film History: Imagination, Collaboration, and Diasporic Representation —— The next few articles are currently in the works, so stay tuned for more in the coming years! #asianrepresentation #asiangerman #germanasian #hausderkulturenderwelt #korientation

2025 Travel Recap: Berlin, Vienna, Graz This is my attempt to summarize a wonderfully jam-packed three-week trip across three cities. Beyond returning to Austria for the first time since the pandemic (!), I got the chance to meet SO many people in person like @hamamelismollis and @sailor.kimchi . Overall though, I really lucked out with the timing, just happening to be in town for so many events (film screenings, museum exhibitions, discussions, etc). Thanks to everyone who made this such a special trip! RAUMNEHMEN anthology in bookstores in Berlin: @shesaidbooks @neurotitangallery Dussmann (and more?) Asian Queers Reunited open-air screening at Sinema Transtopia: Baby Queen Kotti Express Mädchen Mädchen starring Nhung Hong in theaters Readings and discussions by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai & Khuê Phạm at Haus der Kulturen der Welt @hkw_berlin and Sinema Transtopia BAFNET (Berlin Asian Film Network) “Parents Know Best?” Shorts Program at Sinema Transtopia From L to R: @thienphuoc__nguyen @goldtogreen @julia.uenostrowski @livingquynh @ariana_gansuh @_agnes_thi_mai_ @hyun.wanner @dieuhaodo @monictedja @_alisonkuhn_ @trang.le.hong 📸: @vandefined Grand opening of amatō ice cream shop with Asian-inspired flavors Exhibits on Southeast Asian diaspora at Schwules Museum (“Young Birds from Strange Mountains”) & Wien Museum (“Kumain kana? Hast du schon gegessen? Die philippinische Community in Wien”; tour by @dasryno ) Austroschwarz documentary by Mwita Mataro in theaters Filipino community in Austria: supermarkets, restaurants, Barrio Fest, and more! 3 days of Asian German presentations at IVG Kongress in Graz My book haul @pham_fatale @tasom.yun @schwarzefruechte @zuhausebuch @westlicherwasserspinat @xinan.pandan @elnaz.farahbakhsh_ and more!

@sinematranstopia and BAFNET @berlinasianfilm welcome you for a special evening of back-to-back events: literature, food and film. The evening begins with Vietnam Beyond the War – a reading by authors Khuê Pham @pham_fatale & @nguyenphanquemai_ , followed by Meyhane + BBQ – and concludes with an OPEN AIR screening of the shorts program, Parents know best? 🌟 🗓 Thursday, 10.07. | 🕕 18:00 VIETNAM BEYOND THE WAR BAFNET reading with Khuê Pham & Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, moderated by Thị Minh Huyền Nguyễn @goldtogreen (in English)
19:30 - 21:30
🍽BAFNET Meyhane + BBQ 🎟Tickets via sinematranstopia.de Khuê Phạm was born in Berlin to Vietnamese parents. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai grew up in Vietnam in the period after the war. How have their experience shaped their writing? How do they view Vietnam today? A personal conversation and reading moderated by Thị Minh Huyền Nguyễn. & 🗓 Thursday, 10.07. | 🕤 21:30 PARENTS KNOW BEST? SHORTS PROGRAM (OPEN AIR) 
Three shorts that reflect on Asian diasporic connections and familial relations across time and space. Aus der Ferne (From a Distance)
Hoang Quynh Nguyen @livingquynh , Benjamin Hujawa, 2024, 17 Min. German, Vietnamese with English subtitles

Father
Ariana Gansuh @ariana_gansuh , Deutschland, 2023, 12 min. Mongolian with English subtitles

My Therapist Said, I Am Full of Sadness
Monica Vanesa Tedja @monictedja , Indonesia, 2024, 22 min., Indonesian, English with English subtitles 🎟Tickets via sinematranstopia.de

Updates: April/May 2025 Viet German: 20 Faces, 20 Stories @goetheinstitut_hanoi @birgitkleber_photography Reels about Language @genesia.synclaire @daily.dayena @whatthehazel Assorted Posts: April @migra_toechter @_agnes_thi_mai_ @koreaverband @minhthutran AVE Membership + Newsletter @asianvoiceseurope Book: Für immer seh ich dich wieder @yannichanbiaofederer TV Releases Parallel Me ECHT friends (season 2) Doppelhaushälfte (season 4) ⚠️ Days of Remembrance Phan Văn Toàn and “Chinese Action” @korientation @cppd_dialogueperspectives_ Documentary Releases Puzzle: “Sichtbarkeit – mehr als Gesehenwerden” @otone.sato Vietnam: Geburt einer Nation Assorted Posts/Reels: May @migra_toechter @vavunettha @itskantom @rambakaustria / @marilynthesecond @zeit_campus Asian Heritage Month posts neue deutsche organisationen e. V. @ndorgs Design Film: “the gift” Written, directed, produced, and costume designs by Thị Minh Huyền Nguyễn @goldtogreen Starring @trang.le.hong @mai.phuong.kollath HACKE in Köln @korientation project office Filipino Austrian Johannes “JJ” Pietsch wins Eurovision Song Contest @johannesjjpietsch CIVIS Media Prize: Podcast @halbekatoffl (Frank Joung) episode with Burak Yilmaz Assorted Publications @zuhausebuch @dr.umes @alpas_pilipinas @andreaguo_ Coming Soon bad (berlin asiatisch diasporisch) connection @sojxl Wien Museum: Die philippinische Community in Wien Asian Open Mic Night @korientation @koheromagazin Mädchen Mädchen: Hot Girl Summer @nyoonkie As always, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Feel free to share any other April/May updates down in the comments!

Asian German Stunt Performers in Hollywood What’s it like to work with Michelle Yeoh, Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Ke Huy Quan, or Denis Villeneuve? Some of these stunt performers might be able to tell you. Whether working as stunt doubles, coordinators, choreographers, or action designers, Asian Germans have been kicking ass behind the scenes to help bring some of Hollywood’s most action-packed recent blockbusters to life! Vi-Dan Tran Utility stunts, Dune (2021) and co-fight coordinator, Dune 2 (2024) Pictured with Dune director Denis Villeneuve Action designer for Shang-Chi (2021) Reel Deal Action: Can Aydin, Phong Giang, & Cha-Lee Yoon Pictured with: Ke Huy Quan and director Jonathan Eusebio (Love Hurts) Hiroyuki Sanada / Donnie Yen (John Wick 4) Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi series) Bob Odenkirk (Wish Me Luck short film) David Harbour (Violent Night) Hong Indira Rieck Naomi Scott’s stunt double in Charlie’s Angels (2019) Michelle Yeoh’s stunt double in Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) Lorenz Hideyoshi Timothée Chalamet’s stunt double in both Dune films Silke Sollfrank Rachel Zegler’s stunt double in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) Dee Yoon Daniel Dae Kim’s stunt double in Stowaway (2021) Also worked with Keanu Reeves (John Wick 4) Kai Fung Rieck Chris Pang’s stunt double in Charlie’s Angels (2019) Pictured with fight coordinator Vi-Dan Tran for Halo (TV, 2022) Claudia Ploy Heinz Doona Bae’s stunt double in Cloud Atlas (2012) Anya Chalotra’s stunt double in The Witcher (S3, 2023) Lee Huang Alfonso Herrera’s stunt double in Netflix’s Sense8 (2018) Jonathan Groff’s second stunt double in The Matrix Resurrections (2021) As always, this is not meant to be a complete list. Please tag additional Asian German stunt performers in the comments! . . . #rachelzegler #keanureeves #dune #naomiscott #timotheechalamet #johnwick #hungergames #michelleyeoh #shangchi #stunt #donnieyen

Updates: February/March 2025 English translation Ugliness by Moshtari Hilal @mooshtariii New Vessel Press Golden Lola for best unfilmed screenplay at the Berlinale »Ha-Neu / Berlin« by @ducngongoc and @ducthibui Song by @vavunettha “Brandmauer” Meldestelle AAR @gepgemi (Antiasiatischer Rassismus) @damn_berlin Organizers’ statement about counter-protest at Dong Xuan Center @berlinasianfilm @asian_new_wave German-Asian Actors & Crew 2025 edited by @hugo.yi featuring around 70 Asian German talents, in front of and behind the camera! Face to Face with German Films featuring @mala.rei & @mariko_minoguchi Afzal Muhammad intervened to stop deadly car attack in Mannheim Supporting characters in series @illyoung_kim (Schloss Einstein, Season 28), @minhkhai_phanthi (Nachtschicht. The return of Mimi Hu!), @mai.phuong.kollath (KRANK Berlin), & @lynndortschack (Feelings, Season 2) Novel Oh Sunny By: @tasom.yun @pham_fatale USA Today article, stage performance KIM in Bonn, and a grant for her second novel Director @czmva Marzahn mon Amour premiere (ARD), Grimme Award for Die Zweiflers, & Mozart/Mozart starts filming Podcast: @wirredendiewelt_pod with guests: @ms_blackrock , @tronghieuofficial , & @hyun.wanner ⚠️ Racist murder @korientation post in memory of Duy-Doan Pham ⚠️ Racist/sexist murder Two-part documentary “Hass. Hetze. Hoffnung.” directed by @qufki and @q_le_nguyen Post/reels about racism @vielfaeltiges.klassenzimmer @itskantom @mlleopossum @sandyjulia @hamidala_ @murali_perumal_official Coming soon @yannichanbiaofederer : Für immer she ich dich wieder @sunhee.de @dr_nghiha Anti-Asiatische Rassimus (Fachtag) Parallel Me (Paramount+) @malayatakeda Doppelhaushälfte, Staffel 4 — As always, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Feel free to share any other February/March updates down in the comments!

📕New book📕 RAUMNEHMEN. Menschen aus asiatisch-diasporischen Communitys in Deutschland erzählen What does it mean to be “Asian” in Germany? Obviously, no individual can answer that question. In this edited volume, 55 (!) Asian German / Asian diasporic authors share a panorama of stories, experiences, and impressions in their own terms, through short essays, creative writing, poems, comics, and photos. The topics include identity, anti-Asian racism, generation, joy, love, resistance, community, and so much more! I also had the honor of contributing to this wonderful collection! Check out my short text about the possibilities of empowerment through overlooked gems in Asian German film history from the 1910s to the 1980s 🎥 🏷️ By the way, I could only tag 20 accounts, so if you see an author you know, please tag them in the comments! Thank you so much to the voluntary editing team (Bùi Việt Hoa Jin, Jee-Un Kim [Begleitung], Linda Hu Hafeneger, Linda Zeng, Meilan Zuo, Quang Nguyễn-Xuân, Ren, Selina, Sophia, Thea, Thủy-Tiên Nguyễn, Victoria Wong 黃, Yvonne Tang 曾靜雯) who initiated this project back in late 2020/early 2021, as well as to korientation’s Lilian Nguyen, Sina Schindler and, Jee-Un Kim, who, starting in 2023, saw the project through to publication. I can’t wait to read through the whole volume! Order the book for 23€ from the publisher @wortenundmeer