How to Have An American Baby Screening & QA with director Leslie Tai

DECOLONIAL SCHOOL AND FILM DEPARTMENT PRESENT: HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY SCREENING AND Q&A  FILM SCREENING AND Q&A WITH FILM DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER: LESLIE TAI. THERE IS A CITY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THAT IS TEEMING WITH PREGNANT WOMEN FROM CHINA. HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY IS A KALEIDOSCOPIC VOYAGE, TOLD THROUGH MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES, INTO THE BOOMING SHADOW ECONOMY OF CHINESE BIRTH TOURISM THAT HAS TAKEN OVER THE CHINESE ENCLAVES OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY. LESLIE TAI IS A SAN FRANCISCO-BASED, AWARD-WINNING NONFICTION FILMMAKER WHOSE WORK CHRONICLES THE DREAMS, ANXIETIES, AND CONSUMER DESIRE OF CHINESE WOMEN IN THE STATE OF IN-BETWEEN, OR BEING TWO THINGS AT ONCE. FROM 2006-2011, SHE LIVED AND WORKED IN THE UNDERGROUND DOCUMENTARY FILM WORLD IN BEIJING AND GUANGZHOU, CHINA. HER FEATURE FILM DEBUT, HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY, IS A KALEIDOSCOPIC VOYAGE BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS OF THE CHINESE BIRTH TOURISM INDUSTRY IN BEIJING, SHANGHAI, AND LOS ANGELES. IT IS CURRENTLY IN POST-PRODUCTION. HER WORK BEEN SHOWN AT TRIBECA, IDFA, MOMA, VISIONS DU RÉEL AND NEW YORK TIMES OP-DOCS.  ORGANIZED BY ALISON O’DANIEL, FILM DEPARTMENT AND JUAN CARLOS RODRIGUEZ RIVERA, DECOLONIAL SCHOOL