R.J. Lozada
2021The Paradise We Are Looking For
Norbert Shieh, Joseph Mangat
San Diego has been called many things – including a paradise. It’s also a refugee city, a cluster of neighborhoods, a militarized zone, a border town. And Asian American. This collection of four short documentaries, commissioned on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, maps many such San Diego’s – across ethnicity, geography and history. At the same time, they hold on to some notion of paradise, however illusory: a haven from war, the dreams of an immigrant, precious teenage reminiscences, solace in the afterlife, and spaces for creative expression.
The Paradise We Are Looking For
Laps
R.J. Lozada
The San Quentin 1000 Mile Running Club is comprised of a mixed age, race, and ethnicity set of inmates at California's historical San Quentin State Prison. The men, who are serving time for anything from drug possession to first degree murder, find temporary solace in long distance running. They are coached by runner Franklin Ruona, who comes in from the outside and with a small set of other supportive running coaches, volunteer time to help these men train for their annual marathon. Laps is a film that captures a regular training day in the recreation yard.
Laps