The Shangri-la Cafe
Encyclopedia
The Shangri-la Cafe is a 2000
film
written and directed by Lily Mariye
. The film
is about a Japanese American family who conceals their identity and reluctantly adopts discriminatory practices in order to operate a Chinese restaurant within the hostile cold war climate of Las Vegas
in the late 1950s.
-Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
"An extraordinary debut by a unique new voice in American filmmaking."
-Jonathan Kaplan, Director, The Accused, Over the Edge
"... Lily is a director with vision."
-Anthony Edwards, Actor/Director
"A compelling and emotional story, superbly told, Lily Mariye has much to say and this is a powerful beginning"
-Lesli Linka Glatter, Director, The Proposition, Now and Then, State of Emergency
"A stirring evocation of a very personal place and time, 'The Shangri-la Cafe' serves up a tender, bittersweet childhood recollection of a not always glittering Las Vegas past."
-Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
written and directed by Lily Mariye
Lily Mariye
Lily Mariye is an American actress and filmmaker.From 1994-2009 she had a regular role as nurse Lily Jarvik on the NBC television series ER, for which she has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series four times.Mariye was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and graduated from...
. The film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
is about a Japanese American family who conceals their identity and reluctantly adopts discriminatory practices in order to operate a Chinese restaurant within the hostile cold war climate of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
in the late 1950s.
Cast
- Montana Tsai as Annie Takashi
- Joanne Takahashi as Emiko Takashi
- Sam Anderson as The Man
- Christopher Chen as Tad Takashi
- Albert Chien as Jimmy Takashi
- Cedric Harris as Reverend Charles Osteen
- Montae Russell as eorge Brooks (as Monté Russell)
- Margaret Laurena Kemp as Mildred Brooks
- Kelli Kirkland as Helen Osteen
- Charles 'Brick' Tilley Jr. as Man #2
- Bob Bergen as Television Announcer (voice)
Reviews
“It’s an impressive directing debut for actress Lily Mariye. Heartfelt and unusually sensitive to the heightened experience of children, “The Shangri-la Cafe” is a strong showcase for Mariye’s directing talents. It deserves to be expanded into a feature.”-Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
"An extraordinary debut by a unique new voice in American filmmaking."
-Jonathan Kaplan, Director, The Accused, Over the Edge
"... Lily is a director with vision."
-Anthony Edwards, Actor/Director
"A compelling and emotional story, superbly told, Lily Mariye has much to say and this is a powerful beginning"
-Lesli Linka Glatter, Director, The Proposition, Now and Then, State of Emergency
"A stirring evocation of a very personal place and time, 'The Shangri-la Cafe' serves up a tender, bittersweet childhood recollection of a not always glittering Las Vegas past."
-Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter
Awards
- National Organization for Women Filmmaker of the Year (Lily Mariye)
- Best Short Film Award, Moondance International Film FestivalMoondance International Film FestivalThe Moondance International Film Festival is an independent annual film festival and awards competition that takes place in the fall in Boulder, Colorado...
- Best Screenplay Award, Brussels Independent Film Festival
- 2nd place, Best Short Film, Nashville Film FestivalNashville Film FestivalThe Nashville Film Festival , held annually in Nashville, Tennessee, is the oldest running film festival in the South and one of the oldest in the United States. In 2009, Nashville Film Festival received close to 2000 submissions from 86 countries, programmed nearly 260 films and had an attendance...
- 2nd place, Best Short Film, Woodstock Film Festival
Official selection
- BBC British Short Film (London)
- Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
- Palm Springs International Festival of Short FilmsPalm Springs International Festival of Short FilmsThe Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films held annually in Palm Springs, California is the largest film festival for short films in the United States....
- Hamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film FestivalHamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...
- American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood
- Athens International
- Sepia Women of Color (Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.)
- Big Bear
- Los Angeles Asian Pacific American Film and Video
- New York Asian American International
- San Francisco Asian AmericanSan Francisco International Asian American Film FestivalThe San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
- Women of Color (Berkeley, CA)
- Sedona Film FestivalSedona Film FestivalThe Sedona International Film Festival founded in 1994 is held in Sedona, Arizona, USA each year. A workshop also accompanies the event.The Sedona Film Festival is a five-day festival that features more than 125 films, including features, documentaries, foreign films, shorts, animation and student...
- Shades of Power (S.F., CA)
- Chicago Asian American Showcase
- San Diego Asian Film FestivalSan Diego Asian Film FestivalThe San Diego Asian Film Festival is an annual event organized by the San Diego Asian Film Foundation. The festival was first held in 2000 at the University of San Diego by the Asian American Journalists Association of San Diego.-Organization Overview:...
- Slant (Houston, TX)
- University of Iowa
- Boston Museum of Fine Arts
- Portobello Film (London)
- Woodstock Film (NY)
- Blue Sky International Film (Las Vegas)
- Magnolia Festival
- Yale Women in Film Festival