ABSTRACT
The first Asian American feature to secure theatrical distribution and widespread acclaim, Chan is Missing highlights the importance of minority voices in independent film. Building on his work with San Francisco Bay Area film and community members, Wayne Wang produced, directed, edited, and co-wrote the film. Its success launched his long career as an independent and mainstream director. The amusing story follows two Chinese American cab drivers who visit Chinatown residences, institutions, and businesses in search of their missing friend. The film uses a cinema vérité approach to thoughtfully depict ordinary people going about their lives in Chinatown, and it playfully employs film noir conventions to generate interest in the amateur detectives’ adventure. The intimate look at San Francisco’s diverse Chinatown community creates a vivid contrast with stereotypes circulated in mainstream American film and media. The film’s aesthetic and thematic distinctiveness thus help define the independent cinema era (the late 1970s to late 1980s). The $22,500 film grossed more than $1.5 million in its theatrical release and was one of the first micro-budget films to receive mainstream critical acclaim. In 1995, Chan Is Missing was added to the National Film Registry.
