D3 Media Group

60-Minute HD Documentary (2012)

Coming soon!

Searching for Roots in Canton (2012) follows a Chinese American, Nathan, and a Chinese-African American, Alana, with their mentor, Al Cheng from San Francisco, CA to Canton (Guangdong Province), China to search for their ancestral homes. Before going to their ancestral villages, they get to know the culture and environment of Guangzhou City (the province capital) by touring the local sites. They discover a history of Chinese American heritage that they never knew. They also get a taste of authentic Cantonese cuisine. After getting acclimated to China, they travel outside the big city of Guangzhou, to the land of the famous watchtower diaolous, where their ancestral villages are located in the towns of Kaiping and Enping. After meeting family members and paying worship to their ancestors, both travelers open themselves emotionally to the viewers as they find healing and catharsis upon realizations of why they are driven to search for their roots. Nathan finds peace and closure over the loss of his grandfather who passed away suddenly when he was a young boy. Alana releases feelings of guilt and shame about her racial identity which were repressed since childhood. They both gain a clearer perspective of what it means to be Chinese as well as American.

PHOTOS

Production for Searching for Roots in Canton began in 2011. The following photos offer a peek into the content presented in this documentary about Nathan and Alana's experiences.

► June 2011

At the Chinese Overseas Museum in Guangzhou (Canton), China, Al, Alana, and Nathan learn that there are overseas Chinese in over 160 countries across the world.

At the Angel Island exhibit at the Chinese Overseas Museum, they learn how Chinese American immigrants were detained and interrogated like prisoners for months and sometimes years on the island in the SF Bay Area.

Alana and Nathan at the Sculpture of the 5 Rams in Guangzhou.

The Canton Tower, the largest structure in China and the 7th largest structure in the world.

Walking on the "Spider Walk" on the Canton Tower which has glass floors so you can see down to the bottom of the tower.

Getting a guided tour of the Chen Clan Academy (formerly an academic temple and family worship hall for families with the surname "Chen" or "Chan"). It is now houses the Guangdong Folk Art Museum.

Intricate design of ceramic roof of the Chen Clan Academy, Guangzhou.

Walkway of Chen Clan Academy.

Nathan holding lobster at the Sand Fish Market in Guangzhou.

Alana and Nathan bring their live fish purchases from the Sand Fish Market to a nearby restaurant to have the seafood cooked.

Fresh from tank to the dish, Alana and Nathan get ready to eat cooked Razorfish.

Nathan arrives at his grandfather's village for the first time in Kaiping, China.

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Pecky, from the Guangzhou Overseas Chinese Affairs Office who helped in the search of Nathan's grandfather's house, walks with Nathan and Al to Nathan's grandfather's village.

Unaware that he has any living relatives in his grandfather's village, Nathan meets his grandfather's cousin whom he calls "Aa Suk" which means uncle in Cantonese.

View from Kaiping Dialou at ancestral home.

In an emotional moment, Nathan reveals to Al that he was never able to say good-bye to his grandfather when he died. This journey is helps him find closure.

Incense offering at ancestral grave.

Burning of symbolic paper money as an offering to the ancestors.

Rice field in Kaiping, China.

Speaking with village elders who witnessed to Nathan's grandparents' wedding.

Burning symbolic paper money with distant cousin in ancestral home.

Nathan and Al inside the home where his grandmother was born and lived.

Inside grandmother's home where she was born and lived before coming to America.

Nathan shares photos of his family in the U.S. with distant cousins in his ancestral village.

Al and Nathan getting water from the village well to take back to the States. Nathan repeats a famous Chinese saying, "When drinking water, remember the source."

Getting cooled off by village well water.

Zulicun Village Diaolou Watchtowers in Kaiping is on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites list.

Nathan, Alana, and Al get a tour of a Zulicun diaolou owned by a Chinese American businessman, Mr. Fong, who had 3 wives (one who lived in Hong Kong, one who lived in Kaiping, and one who lived in Chicago).

Nathan points out a turret hole used to shoot invading bandits from inside a Zulicun Diaolou.

Food vendor at Chikan Town in Kaiping.

Nathan and Alana grind black sesame paste at a food vendor in Chikan.

Ground black sesame paste in Chikan.

Al and Nathan eat a sweet black sesame paste mixture at street vendor in Chikan Town.

Alana and Nathan watch a vendor make peanut, sesame, ginger candy in Chikan Town.

Fresh sesame, ginger, peanut candy in Chikan Town.

Alana rides on motorbike with Al and an escort to her grandfather's village in Enping, China.

Alana meets relatives from her grandfather's village for the first time in Enping, China.

Alana declares her Chinese identity with an emotional cry, "I'm Chinese!!" and releases feelings of guilt and shame about hiding her Chinese identity in her past.

Alana walks hand-in-hand with her Aunt to her great grandfather's grave in Engping.

Alana offers incense at her great grandfather's grave in Enping.

Fireworks are set off to call on the ancestors at her great grandfather's grave in Enping.

Bowing one last time to great grandfather's grave with her distant cousin after letting off fireworks.

End of the day interview in Enping at Alana's grandfather's village.

Alana meets many distant cousins at her grandmother's village in Enping.

Alana discovers photographs of her and her family hanging up in her ancestral home in Enping. She never knew her distant relatives thought about her or knew she existed.

Alana climbs up ladder to altar to give a tea offering to the ancestors.

Alana with relatives and Al call her grandmother in the U.S. from her grandmother's village in Enping.

Alana performs "Hang San" which means, "Walk the mountain." It's a ritual where you walk up a mountain to where the ancestors are buried and make an offering out of respect and praise.

Alana contemplates her experiences at the Lychee Garden in Xiema Village in Enping.

Nathan reflects on the journey at the Lychee Garden in Xiema Village.