PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE: The Corky Lee Story: Salem Film Fest

Showing at the Peabody Essex Museum for Salem Film Fest

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then Corky Lee’s photographs are epic poems about the experiences of Asians in America. PHOTOGRAPHIC JUSTICE: The Corky Lee Story honors this photographer’s commitment to social justice and reveals the personal sacrifices he made to continue his activism for almost fifty years.

Using his camera as a “weapon against injustice,” Chinese American Lee brought art and politics together through decades of documentation of the Asian American experience. Filmmaker Jennifer Takaki’s unprecedented access reveals the triumphs and tragedies of this unassuming man behind the camera. Her film is a timely and intimate portrayal of his quest to ensure that the rich tapestry of Asian American life – its struggles and celebrations – is preserved and documented in mainstream media. From Lunar New Year to street protests, Pakistan Independence Day to Diwali, Lee’s photographs empowered generations of AAPI pride.

A Q&A with Director Jennifer Takaki, Executive Producer George Hirose and Producee Linda Lew Woo follows screening at the Peabody Essex Museum.