The Donut King

"The Donut King" (2020 release; 90 min.) is a documentary about the life and times of Ted Ngoy. As the movie opens, we are in today's southern California, as we are intro to various donut shops and its owners, talking about (in)famous Uncle Ted, who started it all back in the 1970s. We then go back in time as Ted Ngoy talks about his upbringing in Cambodia, and how he and his wife and kids fled the Khmer Rouge in 1075, ending up in a tent city in California, along with tens of thousands other Cambodian refugees. It's not long after that in Tustin, CA where Ngoy is introduced to donuts to his immediate delight, and he enrolls for donut-making training at Winchell's Donuts... At this point we are less than 15 min. into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the debut feature-length film for writer-director Alice Gu. Here she retells the improbable story of Ted Goy, who feels the civil war in Cambodia, only to find his feet in southern California, where eventually builds an empire of donut shops. And that is just the beginning of it! I must admit that I had never heard of this guy, and it was a delight to get to know more about his accomplishments (both successes and failures, I might add). Imagine the audacity of President Ford, imploring Congress in 1975 to open the borders to tens of thousands of Cambodian refugees as the Khmer Rouge is overtaking the last parts of Cambodia. Can you imagine it today? I say this as an immigrant myself (I arrived in the US for graduate studies in the early 80s and eventually settled here). Besides the immigrant story, the documentary of course also focuses on the donut industry. Along the way we learn that there are 5,000 (!) independent/family-owned donut shops in California, of which more than 90% are owned by Cambodian-Americans. Absolutely amazing. The last part of the film focuses on how these shops survive and even thrive in today's age against big corporations like Dunkin Donuts.

"The Donut King" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, fully adhering to all COVID-19 protocols. Not that it mattered, as the early Saturday evening screening where I saw this at was attended dismally (1 other person besides myself). If you have any interest in watching a good ol' fashioned immigration story or are simply a lover of donuts, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater (if you can), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

"The Donut King" is a film which explains how and why nearly all the donut stores on much of the US West Coast are owned by very hardworking Cambodian-Americans. It follows 'Uncle Ted' Ngoy from his fleeing Cambodia with his family to destitution to riches to, ultimately, poverty once again. Much of it is quite inspiring...though the second half of the film is a bit less enjoyable because this rags to riches story, at least for Ngoy, was shortlived.

As I mentioned above, this fascinating and inspiring documentary is like two films in one. The first is the inspiring part...how a man with nothing, through hard work and an entreprenurial spirit was able to sponsor other Cambodians and help them own their own donut shops. But the second, which seems to come out of the blue, is that Ngoy developed a gambling addiction and threw it all away. Fortunately, at this point the film discusses the other Cambodian success stories. I really wish the film had either focused only on the donut shops OR the gambling addiction, because the gambling portion seemed to come and go too quickly. Plus, while most of the film focused on Ngoy, it told VERY little about Ngoy post bankruptcy...leaving MANY questions. Still despite this, it IS worth seeing and is a good film.

Beautifully crafted, emotionally engaging, and filled in some of the blanks with my Cambodia in the 70s history. An Excellent Insight into an overlooked community. Powerful film that is certainly worth the 1.5 hour investment.

Who doesn't love donuts? I had great things about this and most docs are hit and miss. If you like donuts and immigrant stories, this is a must watch. Do yourself a favor and grab some donuts for when you watch this.

This documentary was a strong study of U S. immigration story via a biography of Ted Ngoy, inventor of the "pink" bakery boxes and his wife Christy. This documentary has very strong visual material on refugees stories from Cambodia to California.

Especially news clips of the first Ladies (Ford/Carter adminstrations) and the economic plight of one Cambodian family exceedingly achieving an American dream. Similar to so many stories of non-White US families.

Where one family serves as a host for another entering refugee families. Who later usually repay their hosts with endless hours of labor, but in the end learn new job skills, that they go off to do their own enterprises... the American dream.

In this case, it's the American pastry invention of the donuts if the pot of gold. Within a micro economic perspective, the film turns into a study of Southern Californian donut industry. It clearly shows on how the Ngoy family was a very influential force.

Then the film's how what usually happen with some immigrant families's mismanagement of funds. In this case, addictions play a role. But it also how much Ngoy supported Cambodian refugees and also it cultural community with his own funds.

Then there always a continuation of contradictions, where as Ngoy's presence as a financial backer to conservative Californian politics, like Pete Wilson.

Wilson was notorious advocate of anti immigration, with the 187 proposition. What would the "donut King" be supportive of then types of politicians, go figure.