Bridge Culture Club, Bridge Michigan’s bimonthly discussion series focused on Michigan-related books and films, resumed Tuesday with a discussion of the 2022 documentary film “Bad Axe” with director David Siev.
Bridge and 75 participants were joined by Siev for a discussion of the film, which tells the story of a closely-knit Asian American family living in rural Michigan during the pandemic as they fight to keep their local restaurant and their American dream alive. With rising racial tensions, the family unites as they reckon with backlash from a divided community, white supremacists and intergenerational trauma from Cambodia’s “killing fields.”
Siev discussed his experience in directing this film and how it differed from his previous directorial work, how his father’s experience with the pandemic was influenced by his early life in Cambodia, the reaction to the film in Bad Axe and across the country, the state of business for Rachel’s (his family’s restaurant), his views on the city of Bad Axe today, the universal nature of the film’s themes and messages, what he’s working on now and much more.
Watch the video here:
Bridge Michigan hosts bimonthly discussions on books with ties to Michigan. Previous sessions have featured “The World According to Fannie Davis,” by Bridgett M. Davis, “Arc of Justice,” by Kevin Boyle, “The Women of the Copper Country,” by Mary Doria Russell, “Black Bottom Saints,” by Alice Randall, “Annie’s Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret,” by Steve Luxenberg, “The Death and Life of the Great Lakes” by Dan Egan, “Firekeeper’s Daughter” by Angeline Boulley, “Wounds” by Razel Jones and Daniel Abbott, “The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls” by Anissa Gray, “The Other Me” by Sarah Zachrich Jeng, “The Dockporter” by Dave McVeigh and Jim Bolone, “You Cannot Resist Me When My Hair is in Braids” by Frances Kai-Hwa Wang “The King of Confidence” by Miles Harvey, “What the Eyes Don’t See” by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, American Salvage” by Bonnie Jo Campbell and “We Kept Our Towns Going” by Phyllis Michael Wong.
Related:
- Watch Bridge Culture Club discussion of ‘We Kept Our Towns Going’
- Watch Bridge Culture Club discussion of ‘American Salvage’
- Watch Bridge Book Club discussion of ‘What the Eyes Don’t See’
Stay tuned to Bridge Michigan for an announcement of our next Michigan-related culture club selection and the date of the next discussion in August.
More than 300 Bridge members received a free credit to stream “Bad Axe” so they could take part in our June culture club. If you would like free electronic copies of future culture club selections, join Bridge Club today.
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