Communiqué

“Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story” honors this photographer’s epic quest to document Asian American history, culture, and activism for five decades. His vast archive of nearly a million compelling images is now recognized as perhaps the largest visual record of contemporary Asian American Pacific Islander history.

Corky was a ubiquitous presence at every cultural and political AAPI event in New York – from Filipino Independence Day to Tibetan New Year to Muslim Unity Day – he was determined to represent the diversity of the diaspora. He photographed east coast Asian Americans marching for equal rights in housing and jobs, protesting against the Vietnam War, and taking a stand against police brutality. His photography became “an organizing tool for social change.”

Despite his celebrated status within the AAPI community, Lee’s photography was often done on a volunteer basis and he struggled to find time to pursue it while maintaining a full-time job, marriage, and family commitments.

The Covid pandemic only increased Corky’s sense of urgency in continuing his work. His final photographs were taken in the aftermath of a vicious hate crime in the subway – where Corky may have contracted a fatal case of Covid-19, making the ultimate sacrifice for his community. His tragic passing was a huge loss and mourned internationally in all major media ranging from CNN to Time to National Public Radio. Our film has become a rare archive of his life and work.