When a 19 year-old Army Private from Chinatown, New York, dies after unrelenting hazing by his supervisors in Afghanistan, community advocates respond in a tireless campaign for justice.

Born and raised in Chinatown and the Lower East Side in New York City, Danny Chen was the only child of Chinese immigrant parents. Danny’s mother, Mrs. Chen, remembers him as a respectful and loving son. He attended Baruch College on a scholarship, but grew bored after a month of classes. Yearning for something different and adventurous, he enlisted with the Army. Danny was proud of graduating from basic training and excited to deploy. Six weeks into Danny’s deployment to Afghanistan, however, soldiers showed up at the Chens’ door with a devastating message: Danny was dead.

At Danny’s funeral in Chinatown, rumors swirled of the abuse Danny endured while on deployment. The military had yet to confirm the cause of death. Community advocacy group OCA-NY, led by then-president Liz OuYang and other community members pressured the military for answers on behalf of the Chens: WHAT HAPPENED TO DANNY?

One week after an electrifying march and vigil in Chinatown, eight soldiers were charged in connection to Danny’s death. The Army investigation revealed some of the hazing Danny suffered under their watch. Seven were court-martialed, but the sentences were mere slaps on their wrists. Despite the disheartening trials, Liz and the community continue to memorialize Private Danny Chen -- through an opera, a street corner in Chinatown, and at annual public commemorations. This film honors Danny through the tireless efforts of dedicated community members, the resilience of Danny’s family, and his parents’ unwavering love for their only child.

SHORT SYNOPSIS

STATUS

Currently fundraising for post-production

ManSee Kong - Director/Producer

FILM TEAM

ManSee is a filmmaker and cultural worker born and based in NYC. Her work can be seen on Netflix, PBS, Democracy Now, and her films have screened at Museum of Modern Art, Museum of the City of New York, Maysles Documentary Center, DCTV, Glasgow Women’s Library (Scotland), and MAXXI (Rome). Her films have received support from Jerome Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, New York State Council on the Arts, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, BRIClab, Camargo Foundation, Spike Lee Production Fund, and Asian Women Giving Circle. ManSee holds an MFA in Film (NYU).

Sam has over a decade of experience in multimedia storytelling in journalism and film. He has worked in newsrooms and production houses in Asia, Africa, and North America. His work has shown on Al-Jazeera, CNN, Vice, eNews Channel Africa, and PBS. He was the editor of the Al Jazeera documentary Gateless and a director of photography for two PBS Chicago documentary series—Firsthand and Chicago Stories. Sam was an editor on NEW WAVE (Tribeca 2024), ASHIMA (DOC NYC 2023), and edited THE FARAWAY NEARBY, and FACELESS (Hot Docs 2021).

Sam Rong - Editor/Producer

Lorraine is an award-winning producer focused on nonfiction and issue-driven films. She produced a trilogy of political thrillers including​ TEN YEARS THAILAND​, which premiered at Cannes in 2018​. She was the director of Al Jazeera documentary ​GATELESS,​ produced by Oscar-winner Ruby Yang. She produced FACELESS (Hot Docs 2021) which was acquired by VICE. Lorraine has worked in production development, developing and financing original series and movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Lorraine Ma - Producer

Jennifer is a journalist and documentary filmmaker who has lived between three continents. FACELESS (Hot Docs 2021) was her debut feature on the Hong Kong protests, subsequently screening at festivals including the Busan International Film Festival, Edinburgh International Film Festival, LAAPFF, and Heartland. She has developed and produced current affairs documentaries for BBC's award-winning strands Panorama and Our World. She holds a MSc in migration and development from SOAS London and is part of the collective organizing the annual London Migration Film Festival.

Jennifer Ngo - Producer

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