Bad Axe

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!

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.

A brilliant piece of family portrait! So close to heart and intimate. Yet it makes you reflect on the larger society we live in.

The director points the camera to his own family which is one of the most loving family you will ever see and at the same time they go through small crises themselves as well. In a small town in the Midwest, running a restaurant, they are both the traditional family and unique in their own way.

I can not recommend this beautiful movie enough to everyone. I just can not believe this movie did not get an Oscar nomination because it absolutely deserves it! I can't wait to see what the brilliant team behind this film is going to do next.

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.

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.