Denver Asian Collective packs the theater at Alamo Drafthouse for Everything Everywhere All at Once
Photos by Justin Oshita Denver Asian Collective (DAC) hosted a screening of the acclaimed film Everything Everywhere All At Once on April 25 at Alamo Drafthouse in Denver. With 77 seats filled, this was the organization’s largest event since it was founded in 2019. The sci-fi film, starring Michelle Yeoh, took audience members on a mind-bending journey with hilarious moments, and left them feeling represented on the screen and connected in the room, as they enjoyed the film in a packed theater of Asian Americans and friends. Yeong Cheng, founder of DAC said, “Four years ago I watched Crazy Rich Asians in a ‘standard’ Denver theater setting and felt simultaneously seen and invisible.” “It felt amazing to create a different, Asian-empowered experience personally, and it felt wonderful to hear from other Asians regarding how being in an Asian dominant space addressed unmet needs, needs that for some were brought to the surface simply by being in the room. That feedback validates the need for these spaces, spaces where Asians can lift up our masks and show each other our full selves free from the interrogation of Denver’s everpresent white gaze.” DAC is building a community for Asians in Denver to socialize, create representation, and influence the broader community by hosting events such as this screening and their upcoming book club. “There’s so much value in Asian spaces that we often take for granted when we have them. Denver spaces and events are often nonAsian, and it feels bad to constantly be the odd one out. It’s an experience I want to mitigate or alleviate for others,” said Josh Lew, DAC organizer. “It motivates me to organize more spaces like this one, where being ‘the token’ Asian is not the norm. It was so awesome to host such a great movie for such a great group of people!” Visit denverasiancollective.com to learn about DAC’s upcoming events and the Asian community event calendar.
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May 2022 | On Scene
