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Tyrus
Tyrus (2015)
PAMELA TOM
Tyrus is the first in-depth portrait of the art, life and enduring impact of Tyrus Wong. The film takes the audience on a remarkable journey – from his birthplace of Guangzhou, China in 1910 to the boarding houses of LA’s old Chinatown and the studios of the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Directed and written by Pamela Tom and produced by Gwen Wynne, Tamara Khalaf, and Pamela Tom, this feature-length documentary explores Tyrus Wong’s formative years as a WPA artist and the profound influence of Sung Dynasty painting on his work. The film honors Wong’s lifelong devotion to art, capturing his vitality even at 105 as he flies his kites above the Pacific—the same waters he crossed as a young immigrant more than 95 years earlier. Featuring original interviews with Wong, guest interviews, rare archival footage and photographs, classic Hollywood film clips, and over 80 years of artwork—much of it previously unseen—the documentary reveals both the richness of his extraordinary career and the depth of his character.
Tyrus has been unspooling in American film festivals throughout 2016 starting as an official selection at the Telluride Film Festival in September, 2015 where it had its World Premiere.
Tyrus had its World Premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2015
Tyrus was released nationally in 2017 on PBS’s American Masters.
Tyrus was nominated for an Emmy Award for “Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series” in 2017.
Press:
CAAM MEDIA – “‘TYRUS’ Film Shines the Spotlight on the Chinese American Behind ‘BAMBI'”
CAAM MEDIA – “Memoirs of a Superfan Vol. 11.5 – A Flower Grows”
KQED – “A Background Artist Comes to the Fore in CAAMFest’s ‘Tyrus’”
SF Chronicle – “CAAMFest makes bold to bring filmgoers to Mission”
SF Examiner – “Rich, varied program for CAAMFest 2016 opens with TYRUS“
Filmmaker Magazine – TYRUS at HIFF
TYRUS – Audience Award Winners at HIFF 2015
SDAFF – “Tyrus Wong…More Than a Brushstroke of Genius”
San Diego Tribune – “Broad Scope at San Diego Asian Film Fest”
Awards Daily – “Oscar Contenders Emerging Out of Telluride”
Awards Daily – “Top Five Films I Missed At Telluride”
KCET – Artbound – “Chinese Brushstrokes in Hollywood: The Works of Tyrus Wong”
Stream Tyrus
PBS American Masters
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MUBI
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PBS American Masters 〰️ MUBI 〰️
About Pamela Tom
Pamela Tom is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, director, screenwriter and producer. Her work has explored subjects ranging from art and identity to foster youth, women’s rights, and the Asian American experience. She’s filmed on location in the US, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.