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Arthur Dong

アーサー・ドン

Arthur Dong

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1953-10-30 （San Francisco, California, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
San Francisco, California → Los Angeles, California

Career

Occupations
Filmmaker, Author, Curator, Professor
Active Years
1970-
Affiliations
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (member; Board of Governors 2002–2006, Documentary Branch), Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (member), Film Independent (formerly IFP/West), National Film Preservation Board (Library of Congress), Outfest
Memberships
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Outfest

Education

San Francisco State University
Film
Degree: BA (Film)
Country: United States
Named Alumnus of the Year by SFSU (2007)
American Film Institute Conservatory
Directing Fellowship
Degree: Directing Fellow Certificate
Country: United States
Holds a Directing Fellow Certificate

Awards

Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject (nomination)
1984
Work: Sewing Woman
Organization: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Result: Nominee
Peabody Award
1995
Work: Coming Out Under Fire
Organization: Peabody Awards / The University of Georgia
Result: Winner
Sundance Film Festival Awards
1997
Work: Licensed to Kill
Organization: Sundance Film Festival
Result: Winner
Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Award
1997
Work: Licensed to Kill
Organization: Berlin International Film Festival
Result: Winner
Golden Horse Award
Work: Licensed to Kill
Organization: Golden Horse Awards (Taiwan)
Result: Winner
Emmy Award (winner)
2009
Work: Hollywood Chinese (broadcast on American Masters)
Category: Outstanding Non-Fiction Series
Organization: Emmy Awards / Television Academy
Result: Winner
American Book Award
2015
Work: Forbidden City, USA: Chinatown Nightclubs, 1936-1970
Organization: Before Columbus Foundation
Result: Winner
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
2021
Work: Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films
Organization: Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
Result: Winner
Guggenheim Fellowship (Film)
Organization: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result: Fellow
Rockefeller Fellow in Media Arts
Organization: Rockefeller Foundation (or related program)
Result: Fellow
Community honors (e.g., Historymakers Award, OUT 100, LGBT Pioneer)
Result: Honoree

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sewing Woman

1982 Documentary

A short documentary about the director's mother's immigration from China to America; nominated for an Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject.

ImmigrationFamilyIdentity

Forbidden City, U.S.A.

1989 Documentary

Documentary on the history of Chinatown nightclubs; later accompanied by a book of the same name.

Immigrant historyNightlifeCultural preservation

Coming Out Under Fire

1994 Documentary

Documentary documenting the U.S. military's WWII policy toward gay service members; recipient of a Peabody Award.

LGBT historyMilitaryHuman rights

Licensed to Kill

1997 Documentary

Profile of convicted murderers who targeted gay men; received recognition at Sundance and Berlin film festivals.

CrimePrejudiceSocial issues

Hollywood Chinese

2007 Documentary / Book

Explores the depiction and history of Chinese Americans in Hollywood feature films; made into a documentary and accompanying book. Broadcast on American Masters; the series won an Emmy that year.

Film historyRepresentationAsian American experience

The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor

2015 Documentary

Documentary about the Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge and the life of Dr. Haing S. Ngor.

GenocideHistoryTestimony

Forbidden City, USA: Chinatown Nightclubs, 1936-1970

2014 Non-fiction / History

A detailed historical account of Chinatown nightclubs in San Francisco; book version of related research. Recipient of the American Book Award.

Cultural historyAsian American communitiesPreservation

Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films

2020 Non-fiction / Film history

A historical analysis of portrayals of Chinese and Chinese Americans in Hollywood films; recipient of the APALA award.

Film historyRepresentationCritique

Bibliography

  • Forbidden City, USA: Chinatown Nightclubs, 1936-1970 (2014)
  • Hollywood Chinese: The Chinese in American Feature Films (2020)
  • Sewing Woman (short film, 1982)
  • Forbidden City, U.S.A. (documentary, 1989)
  • Coming Out Under Fire (documentary, 1994)
  • Licensed to Kill (documentary, 1997)
  • Hollywood Chinese (documentary, 2007)
  • The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor (documentary, 2015)

Adaptations

  • Hollywood Chinese (documentary) — broadcast on PBS / American Masters

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Social-issue oriented documentary approachNarration grounded in historical researchExtensive use of interviews and archival material
Recurring Motifs
Representation of Asian AmericansLGBT history and rightsDocumenting and preserving minority narratives

Legacy

Arthur Dong has explored Asian American and LGBT histories through film and publishing, documenting marginalized experiences and representation. His work has been featured in retrospectives, honored by both academic and community institutions, and contributed to film preservation efforts.

Museums

  • Chinese Historical Society Museum (exhibit: Chop Suey on Wax: The Flower Drum Song Album) San Francisco, California, United States
  • Chinese American Museum (exhibit: Hollywood Chinese: The Arthur Dong Collection) Los Angeles, California, United States
  • San Francisco Public Library (exhibit: Forbidden City, USA: Chinese American Nightclubs) San Francisco, California, United States

Academic Societies

  • Film preservation and study organizations
  • Asian American studies organizations

Archives

  • Arthur Dong Collection (Chinese American Museum)

In Popular Culture

  • His films have reached broad audiences via broadcasts such as PBS's American Masters, influencing public understanding of Asian American and LGBT histories.

Trivia

  • Nominated for an Academy Award (Documentary Short Subject) in 1984 for 'Sewing Woman'.
  • Received a Peabody Award for 'Coming Out Under Fire'.
  • Conducted research that helped re-discover the early Asian American film 'The Curse of Quon Gwon' (1916) during work on 'Hollywood Chinese'.
  • Named Alumnus of the Year by San Francisco State University (2007).
  • Founded DeepFocus Productions in 1982 and continues to produce, direct, write, and distribute work.