Karen Cho facts for kids

Karen Cho is a talented Chinese-Canadian filmmaker from Montreal, Quebec. She makes documentaries, which are films that tell true stories. Many of her films explore important topics like fairness for women (feminism) and treating people equally (racism).

Some of her well-known films include In The Shadow Of Gold Mountain (2004), which looked at the effects of a past law called the Chinese Exclusion Act. She also made Seeking Refuge (2009) and Status Quo? The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada (2012). Status Quo? was even named the best documentary at the Whistler Film Festival.

Early Life and Learning

Karen Cho is a Chinese-Canadian whose family has lived in Canada for five generations. Her mother is British-Irish, and her father is Chinese-Canadian. More than 100 years ago, her father's family moved from China to Canada. They settled in the historic Chinatowns of Vancouver and Montreal.

Even though Karen didn't grow up living in these communities, she felt a strong connection to them. Her grandmother would often take her to visit the Chinatowns in Montreal and Vancouver.

Karen went to Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. She studied at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. There, she learned many skills needed for filmmaking, like how to shoot videos and record sound.

Her Personal Views

Karen Cho's films often show her strong beliefs about fairness and social issues. These beliefs are also part of her personal life. For example, while researching her film Status Quo?, Karen decided she was a feminist. This means she believes in equal rights and opportunities for all genders.

She also works as an activist outside of filmmaking. Karen has helped protect Montreal's Chinatown from new buildings that could change its culture. She worked with a group to keep its history and community safe. In 2022, her efforts helped convince the Quebec government to protect two important buildings. This saved them from being torn down. Karen also shows how important it is to save Chinatowns in her film Big Fight in Little Chinatown.

Her Filmmaking Career

After finishing film school, Karen Cho made her first documentary, In The Shadow Of Gold Mountain (2004). She made it with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). This film explores the history of the Chinese head tax and the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada. These were unfair laws that affected Chinese-Canadians.

The film visits the Chinatowns of Vancouver and Montreal. It includes interviews with Chinese-Canadians who lived through these laws. It also shows how these past events still affect people today.

Karen's second documentary was Seeking Refuge (2009). This film tells the stories of five people who came to Canada looking for safety. It was produced by Ian Olivieri, who also went to the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. Ian and Karen had worked together many times during their studies.

Her most recent film is Big Fight in Little Chinatown (2023). This documentary highlights the important culture, economy, and community spirit of Chinatowns in North America. It looks at problems they face, like gentrification (when an area changes and becomes more expensive) and racism. The film shows how these communities fight back.

Big Fight in Little Chinatown explores Chinatowns in cities like New York City, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Winnipeg. But it mainly focuses on Montreal's Chinatown. This film first showed on July 3, 2023. It then went on a tour across North America, with many showings in Chinatowns themselves. The Vancouver and Montreal Chinatowns featured in this film were also important places in Karen's earlier film, In the Shadow of Gold Mountain.

Filmography