The Grace Lee Project

Growing up in a midwestern college town, in central Missouri, award-winning filmmaker, Grace Lee, was a member of a very small Asian community. As such, Grace took great pride in the fact that her name was not only unique, but that it also provided her with an identity all her own. It was a name she loved and was glad to call her own. However, after living in both New York City and Los Angeles, Grace came to realize that rather than being unique, her name was actually very common. Even worse, she quickly learned that her name carried with it a very specific “nice girl” stereotype that has often been associated with Asian-American women.  Disgruntled by this fact, Grace set out on a quest to find people who not only share her name, but also break the stereotypical mold with which it is often associated. An intriguing and refreshing film, “The Grace Lee Project” is a 2005 documentary film directed by Grace Lee.