Stephen Kang

Abstract

Part II of the book Migrant and Diasporic Film and Filmmaking in New Zealand presents a collection of critical dialogues with film-makers, whose works are representative of the cinemas of migration and diaspora in New Zealand. This chapter focuses on Stephen Kang, a New Zealand film-maker of Korean descent, and his journey after he immigrated to New Zealand with his parents. Kang's films, Dream Preserved (2006) and Desert (2010), mainly narrativize migrant life and experience of Koreans living in New Zealand. Kang's conversations showcase the complexities of storytelling and creativity in diaspora and theways in which diasporic state of mind and experience affect the elements and essence of the story, regardless of author's intention of what story he wants to tell.