Watch on demand for a limited time with the PBS App
Filmmaker Robin Lung documents her 7-year journey investigating the work and legacy of Chinese American visionary Li Ling-Ai, the uncredited producer of "Kukan." A landmark film, "Kukan" showcased China’s resistance to Japanese occupation during World War II, and was one of the first American feature documentary films to receive an Academy® Award in 1942.
Lung discovers a badly damaged film print of "Kukan," which had been lost for decades, and pieces together the inspirational tale of the two renegades behind its making - Li Ling-Ai and Rey Scott. Relentless, Ling-Ai was determined to shift America’s perception of the Chinese plight by telling the story from a new point-of-view and not only hired Scott but sponsored the rare enterprise.
![LiLing Ai and Rey Scott at ClayTheater in 1941](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/d186641/2147483647/strip/true/crop/683x421+0+24/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2Fd9%2F2f%2Fbda11e5f4c73afb8a5b689b56668%2F3-lilingai-reyscott-claytheater-1941-683x1024.jpg)
"Finding Kukan" uses vintage and unseen archival footage to create an unforgettable portrait of a filmmaking pioneer, and shed a light on the longstanding underrepresentation of women and people of color in the movie-making business. Join the film discussion on Facebook
The film is available on demand with the PBS App through March 17, 2023.