By-Standing: The Beginning of an American Lifetime

In By-Standing: The Beginning of an American Lifetime, Kelly Tsai speaks truth to power as she raises her voice against war and complacency. The short film, directed by Karen Lin and produced by Karin Chien, is part of the 2007 Media That Matters Film Festival.

“Her experiences, as captured in her poetry, are universal. I wanted to convey that through the quintessential American urban landscape – the crowds, the people young and old, the buildings and the bustling street life and energy that, for me, could only be New York City,” says Lin on her decision to shoot a majority of the film in New York rather than Chicago, Tsai’s hometown.

Watch the film here.