SCREENING OF SEADRIFT, MADISON’S ASIAN AMERICAN MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

SEADRIFT 
USA | 2019 | DCP | 68 min.

Q&A with Tim Tsai

Director Tim Tsai’s documentary explores the drama surrounding a violent episode in 1979 on the crab boats of Seadrift, Texas. The sleepy town of predominantly white fishermen had become home to a growing number of Vietnamese refugees following the Vietnam War, and the tensions that erupted over fishing territory lead to a maelstrom of violence—including boat burnings, the resurgence of the KKK, and a fatal shooting. Although it focuses on an incident from 40 years ago, the questions it raises about immigration, refugees, and racial violence are more timely than ever.