June 11, 2026 | Uncategorized,

Revisiting Profiles of Boston

In May, we welcomed the community to the Bright Family Screening Room for Profiles of Boston: Portraits from the Heart of Chinatown. Our last film event of the season, this screening featured four different shorts: Home Plate; Love, Chinatown; Building a Community; and Hong Far Low.

The event, part of ArtsEmerson’s Projecting Connections series, explored Boston’s Chinatown through stories of family, memory and resilience to portray this vibrant community space. Also at the event were representatives from McDonald’s to celebrate the Chin family, McDonald’s store owners in Boston. A gallery from the event can be found here.

Home Plate, which explores the lives of McDonald’s franchisee owners, is now released and can be watched here. Watch the interview with McDonalds franchise owner Carol Chin and Home Plate director Lukas Dong here.

Love, Chinatown, which premiered at the Boston Asian American Film Festival, can be watched here. Check out the Q&A at BAFF here.

Learn more about these films below:

Home Plate

When his chosen career path as a Major League pitcher doesn’t pan out, former youth baseball standout Andrew Chin sits down for a direct-address conversation with his immigrant mother and McDonald’s franchisee Carol, to learn what it means to start over. As she reflects on the hardships of arriving in a new country and pursuing a new profession, Andrew begins to see how they mirror his own struggles. Inspired by his parents’ path, Andrew strives to channel his own ambition and work ethic away from the mound and into the family business, reframing what success looks like along the way.

Love, Chinatown

Chinatown resident Cynthia Yee embarks on an open-hearted walking tour of Boston’s Historic Chinatown in all its vibrancy—extending a discerning welcome to neighborhood newcomers while boldly confronting the community’s past trauma with the help of an unexpected local compatriot: bright-eyed undergrad, Gwen.

Building a Community

Building a Community is a sweeping portrait of Boston Chinatown, told through personal family stories that illuminate 150 years of perseverance, transformation, and belonging.

Hong Far Low

This short documentary is a reflection of the director’s family restaurant started by his great-grandfather as it connects to the history of both Chinatown’s history and his family.