Bluff City Chinese

Emerald Dunn expected to find 150 years of history at the Memphis Public Library. She found a handful of newspaper articles and started her journey.

This documentary follows Dunn, a Delta Chinese elder, and filmmaker Thandi Cai as they reconstruct an erased history from the ground up. Together they collect 28 oral histories from community members ages 15 to 92, gather photographs and genealogical records, and visit sites from library archives to historic Elmwood Cemetery. Their intergenerational collaboration weaves a 150-year tapestry of identity, resilience, and belonging.

Set against rising anti-Asian sentiment in 2020, this love letter to Memphis's Chinese community captures both their friendship and the urgent work of reclaiming untold stories.