Can you imagine the thought of some age-old classic disappearing out of existence? Oh wait, remember Doctor Who? Anyway, a 1941 documentary named Kukan, which had been awarded the Honorary Academy Award, is now a lost treasure for us all. Kukan was a short docu-film which introduced Americans to the cultural significance of the China. Not only did it win an Oscar but, it was the first time that a documentary had won the award. Yet, something so precious is now a merely a lost legacy.
(Courtesy: Nested Egg Productions)
Kukan was a war documentary which provided the world with the only available footage of the Japanese Air Force’s bombing of Chongqing in the Second World War. The film was written and directed by journalist Rey Scott but, was heavily influenced by one woman in specific, Li Ling-Ai.
Ironically, the Chinese-American woman who helped make the iconic film a reality was credited the “Technical Advisor” in the original documentary when he role was pretty substantial. It is ironic that the woman who tried to educate the world about the correct representation of the Chinese got overshadowed herself.
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(Courtesy: Nested Egg Productions)
Li Ling-Ai was a passionate woman who was determined throughout the makings of the film and was in fact, the first Chinese woman to be involved in the production of an international documentary. Now, filmmaker Robin Lung is putting together all available bits and pieces of the documentary for a new film titled Finding Kukan. In a way, Lung’s journey to teach the world about the first Oscar-winning documentary is similar to Kukan’s attempt to teach the world of the Chinese heritage which is the greatest tribute there could be to Li Ling-Ai.
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(Courtesy: Nested Egg Productions)
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Lung’s film was screened at New York’s documentary film festival DOC NYC and at the Hawaii International Film Festival recently. Owing to the lack of footage (and the abundance of hand-written letters) from the original Kukan, the film is mainly composed of shadow art with voiceovers from Kelly Hu and Daniel Dae Kim.
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