PBS Documentary ‘One Day in March’ to Explore Rise in Hate and Violence Against AAPI Community

Trilby Beresford
·1 min read

A new documentary film will tackle the the rise in hate and violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

One Day in March (working title) follows the aftermath of the 2021 mass shooting in Atlanta, Ga. — where a 21-year-old white man killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at three different spa locations — and chronicles how the AAPI community responded to such a horrific incident.

Directed by Titi Yu, the one-hour film from The WNET Group spotlights how anger was turned into action and activism, while offering a wider conversation about race, gender and class issues.

“The tragedy of the Atlanta shootings and the events of the past two years has compelled a deep reflection within the community about our place in the American polity. It has galvanized the Asian American community to speak up and speak out,” said Yu in a statement.

The film is part of a public media reporting initiative Exploring Hate: Antisemitism, Racism and Extremism, which examines hate crimes in America and internationally.

“We watched in horror and shock as vicious attacks on Asian Americans were caught on camera and we saw how this violence escalated to the killing of six women of Asian descent in the Atlanta shooting,” said Gina Kim, executive producer of One Day in March. “With this documentary we hope to examine this troubling escalation of racism against the AAPI community, pay respect to the lives lost and impacted by the violence, and champion those coming together to fight against the hate.”

One Day in March premieres nationwide on PBS in May.

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