Bad Axe

My wife and I saw this yesterday at the Traverse City Film Festival (TCFF). We live in rural Michigan on the other side of the state from Bad Axe but our little town could be theirs (except we don't have a Walmart, thank God.) But the sentiment of many in Bad Axe is pretty much the same as our town.

As a member of the Cambodian-Mexican family that director & cinematographer David Siev is documenting, he lovingly shot this intimate story of the travails of his family during the COVID years in an area that suspected Asian families, especially those that were public about their sympathies. Family members were shown including their flaws and moments of anger and despair. I think this was a very honest film.

And how wonderful it was to see the entire family at the TCFF showing. It is impressive that their restaurant /bar (which so struggled during the quarantine) is doing better than ever and is embraced by most in their community. David has returned the love. (And you gotta love how feisty David's sister, Jaclyn, is throughout the difficult times for all of them.)

I laughed, I cried, and I was inspired! What more can you ask from a movie? Despite the fact that it was a documentary, I really enjoyed the drama and story arc, all very deftly carved out in the intense setting of COVID lockdown and the rise of anti-Asian racism. This film was featured on opening night of the San Diego Asian Film Festival and we were so fortunate to have Jaclyn, Chun, Rachel and Kat answer some of our questions. Hearing them speak live made me appreciate even more how skillfully David Siev edited their natural voices to provide such depth of meaning and continuity with such a delicate and loving eye.

First off, you must see this movie as I won't give any spoilers!

As a father who brought his 17-year old daughter to this movie, I was able to place myself in the shoes of the Patriarch who had escaped Cambodia as a child. This movie takes you in, builds the tension, and explodes with emotion both bad and good. The ending ties the movie together, and then you realize that this is not an ending, but rather, just the beginning!

I don't see how any parent could go to this movie and not be moved by the individual struggles of the family members and their extremely supportive friends and employees (they own a restaurant) regardless of your ethnicity.

I had a chance to meet the family and give the father a big hug as it left me thinking one very important word: Genuine.

I loved seeing the family's story unfold in front of the camera. It was an important story to tell in an important time in history. I wish everyone could watch this movie!! Bad Axe was a poignant reflection on how the pandemic affected this family in a unique way, but at the same time there were families across the country experiencing the trials and tribulations in their own way. It shows the humanity of the whole situation and hopefully will open the eyes of people that might not have the same views, but will be willing to be open to a conversation. Once again, I feel as if this movie is a must see for all!

For anyone who appreciates the struggle and achievement of the American dream, this excellent documentary resonates. In the backdrop of the pandemic, Black Lives Matter movement, anti-Asian racism, neo-Nazis, and anti-masking, there is a heartfelt and revealing story of a Cambodian-Mexican-American family who emerged from extremely humble beginnings in America to become a vital part of the small town of Bad Axe. The film reminds me of the consistent question it presents which is, "How do we become better people?" When the next crisis happens, we will again witness as the director has in this film that there are people who will rise to do better and be better as well as people who are unwilling to value anybody who is not white. Called a "love letter", the film is really to me a love lesson in teaching the values of communication and self-reflection when we look at what we're doing to each other. Highly recommend.