All May, Thirteen is running special Asian programming for Asian Pacific Heritage month, telling stories from the entire Pacific Rim, from east to west, the islands of Fiji to expatriates in the U.S., stories from as far as India to as near as New York. See listings:
May 13
late night
12:30-3:30am Three episodes of JAPAN: MEMOIRS OF A SECRET EMPIRE series
12:30-1:30am The Way of the Samurai
Commanding shoguns and samurai warriors, exotic geisha and exquisite artisans all were part of the Japanese “renaissance” — a period between the 16th and 19th centuries when Japan evolved from chaos and violence to ritual refinement and peace. But stability came at a price: for nearly 250 years, Japan was a land ruled by the shogun under his absolute power and control, and closed to the Western world. This three-part series brings to life the unknown story of a mysterious empire, its relationship with the West and the forging of a nation that would emerge as one of the most important countries in the world. Part one focuses on early 16th-century Japan, when a warlike society was ruled by samurai and their daimyo warlords.
1:30-2:30am The Will of the Shogun
With Ieyasu in control, peace descends on Japan, and a new society based on the samurai ethics of obedience and loyalty is established. In 1600, William Adams becomes the first Englishman to set foot in Japan. Impressed by European trading vessels, Ieyasu asks Adams to help him build his own fleet. Aware that the English have no interest in converting the Japanese to Christianity, Ieyasu decides to expel the Portuguese and Spanish, who too often combine missionary work with trade. When he dies at 72, Ieyasu’s vision of a strictly controlled class system based on the rule of the samurai is a reality. But his grandson, Iemitsu, will rule more harshly.
2:30-3:30am The Return of the Barbarians
This episode focuses on the end of the 17th century through the middle of the 19th century, when Japan opens its doors once again heralding a new modern era.
May 15
late night
12:30-1:30pm Shall We Sing?
Highlights the lives of fifty Japanese businessmen who comprise The New York Men’s Choir.
May 16
10-11pm INDEPENDENT LENS: Seoul Train
This film explores the plight of North Korean refugees trying to escape their homeland and China, and tells the story of activists who put themselves in harm’s way to save them via a clandestine underground railroad.
late night
1-2am Mighty Warriors of Comedy
About the 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, an audacious Asian American sketch comedy troupe that have been writing and performing together for over a decade. Half concert film, half documentary, the film traces the struggles that ‘fringe’ artists face in Hollywood.
May 18
late night
1:30-3am BECOMING AMERICAN, THE CHINESE EXPERIENCE: No Turning Back (a Bill Moyers special)
America’s political establishment suddenly embraced Chinese Americans during World War II.
May 20
late night
12:30-1:30am Women of Tibet: A Quiet Revolution
Elder women and the Dalai Lama discuss the 1959 Tibet Women’s Uprising against China’s occupation.
May 21
late night
12:30-2am INDEPENDENT LENS: How Is Your Fish Today?
While working on his latest screenplay in Beijing, Hui Rao experiences writer’s block and begins to live the life of the character he is trying to create.
May 23
10-11pm INDEPENDENT LENS: A Dream In Doubt
This film is an immigrant story of survival in the aftermath of 9/11 as a wave of frightening hate crimes terrorizes the Sikh-American community in Phoenix, Arizona. Rana Singh Sodhi, the brother of America’s first post-9/11 hate crime murder victim, suddenly finds himself in a world in which patriotism is quickly morphing into jingoism, racial profiling and hate. The film explores post-9/11 America from his perspective, telling a personal story of national tragedy, murder, community and the American Dream.
May 28
late night
3:30-5am The Land Has Eyes
Viki, a Pacific Islander girl, is shamed by her village for being poor and the daughter of a convicted thief. She must redeem her family’s name by exposing the secrets of the island’s powerful people. Filmed entirely on the remote island of Rotuma near Fiji.
May 31
11:15pm-1am Reel 13 Indie Movie: Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity
(2002) Twelve-year-old Mindy Ho (pictured above) inexpertly tries Taoist magic to fix her single mother’s (Sandra Oh) financial situation and seemingly hopeless romantic prospects.
