Documentaries “Zero Waste” and “The Empathizer” offer insights on resilience, sustainability, and experiences of Asian communities.
By Jesus Cortez, Staff Reporter
Two documentaries screened at CSUDH this month explored the ties between environment, heritage, and survival—offering reflections on Asian identity and the lived experiences of diaspora communities. The screenings on Apr. 21 and Apr. 23 were part of the university’s early celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The university commemorated API Heritage in April to maximize student participation. Each screening was followed by a Q&A session with the film’s director, giving Toros an opportunity to further reflect on community-driven change and cross-generational connections.
Both documentaries captured different dimensions of resilience: one through grassroots environmental action in South Korea, and the other through the personal journeys of Vietnamese youth, particularly those living in the United States. Together, they reflected broader themes of cultural preservation, adaptation, and the pursuit of identity across generations and communities.
Community action drives fight against plastic pollution
Dong Hyun Danny Kim’s documentary “Zero Waste” calls on audiences to view environmental stewardship as a shared responsibility, urging people to move beyond following waste management laws. Although regulations often fall short of inspiring major change, Kim highlights how grassroots organizations and community efforts in South Korea continue the fight for a cleaner planet.
Kim, a 39-year-old filmmaker who studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, focuses on South Korean citizens who have adopted creative strategies to combat plastic pollution, despite facing resistance from major corporations and government systems.
“We were inspired [to film the documentary] in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when I noticed a growing issue in my office,” Kim explained. “Within a week, plastic waste and garbage began piling up due to the increased use of delivery apps, driven by social distancing measures.”
Kim has built a strong résumé in the entertainment industry, with credits including small-scale projects to large production sets. He is also the founder and director of Docu+, a studio that focuses on social issue-driven storytelling. “Zero Waste” marks his first feature-length documentary and earned him emerging filmmaker honors at the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.
In a scene that appeared to capture the audiences’ attention at the screening, a waste management worker explained how a major South Korean beauty company contributed to some of the most harmful waste through its product packaging.
“Through research, I discovered young volunteers and innovative startups working to combat plastic pollution in South Korea,” Kim said. “While the country is diligent about recycling, corporate inaction perpetuates the cycle of waste.”
Anthropology professor Ken Seligson told The Bulletin the documentary left a strong impression on him.
“It definitely got me thinking about how much plastic waste I contribute as an individual every week,” Seligson said. “It was super inspiring to see the various ways that people are reducing pollution in Korea.”
The film also reminded him of efforts at CSUDH to make the campus more environmentally responsible. Seligson praised the work of Ellie Perry and the Office of Sustainability, which helped the university earn a STARS Gold rating in 2023 from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
“They are doing an incredible job helping our campus become more sustainable,” Seligson said. “There are so many things that we can do as individuals in our own lives to reduce pollution.”
‘The Empathizer” reflects on home, identity, and loss across generations
In “The Empathizer,” the filmmaker and standup comedian Fred Le set out to better understand how young Vietnamese living in the diaspora regard “the motherland.” The term “Viet Kieu” refers to individuals of Vietnamese origin who were born overseas due to the Vietnam War, many of whom had only heard about Vietnam through the experiences of their families.
“Our goal was to try our best to show what this country means to Viet Kieu young adults who had only heard about the country through the lens of their clearly-traumatized parents versus what they experienced when they finally set foot and stepped around in that land,” Le explained.
Le initially planned for the project to be a short YouTube video, but after seeing the heartfelt and comedic footage he and his team captured, he decided it deserved to become a full documentary.
Throughout the film, the Viet Kieu Le interviews describe how visiting Vietnam defied the expectations shaped by their parents’ memories after seeing how peaceful day-to-day life was for many individuals. Le also returns to his hometown in the Bay Area to interview his mother, whose own experience helps to illuminate the essence of the film.
“The film wouldn’t feel complete without a return to Sunnyvale, California, to interview my mom and hear her side of the story and why she still refuses to head back to her homeland, which she clearly misses dearly,” he said.
Le’s work resonated with several of the attendees at the screening, including senior cybersecurity student Isaiah Romero. He told The Bulletin that some of his relatives recently moved from the U.S. back to Vietnam.
“I thought the documentary was very good,” Romero said. “It depicted the tension between two generations very well and showed how some might prefer to go back and find a home in the country that their parents left.”
Third-year history student Emily Diaz has several friends who, like those in Le’s community, left their homelands in search of better lives or safety elsewhere. She said the premise of the film and the history it explained paid a great tribute to the hardships of immigrants.
Diaz said: “I think it was a great opportunity for this film to be shown as it gave me a personal memoir of someone who had gone through the Vietnam War rather than through videos or textbooks. It gave two different personalities from two different generations.”