Yellow (1998 film)

Yellow is a 1998 film directed by Chris Chan Lee. The film is about the harrowing graduation night of eight Korean–American high school youths in Los Angeles that culminates in a violent crime that will forever change their lives. It World Premiered at CAAMFest (then called NAATA) in San Francisco in 1997 to three sold-out screenings.

Yellow
Directed by	Chris Chan Lee
Produced by	Chris Chan Lee David Yang
Written by	Chris Chan Lee
Starring	John Cho Burt Bulos Jason Tobin
Music by	Lance Hahn
Cinematography	Ted Cohen
Edited by	Kenn Kashima
Distributed by	Phaedra Cinema
Release date	1998
Running time	90 min.
Country	USA
Language	English Korean

Yellow was invited to over a dozen film festivals, including the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Singapore International Film Festival and the Slamdance Film Festival. The film received a U.S. release by Phaedra Cinema and is sold worldwide through Cinema Arts. The film stars John Cho and Jason Tobin.

Film critic Roger Ebert wrote about YELLOW on November 19, 1997, in his article HAWAII FEST HONORS FILMS OF PACIFIC RIM for the Chicago-Sun Times. "A different kind of culture shock was explored in "Yellow," an American film by Chris Chan Lee, about the son of a strict Korean-American grocery owner in Los Angeles. The father enforces his standards so rigidly that he drives customers away. He alienates his son (Michael Daeho Chung), who during a long night with his Gen X Korean- American friends, deals with the consequences when a great deal of money is stolen from the store. The film is fascinating in the way it manages to be both about Korean-American society and about young Gen Xers who could be of any race."[1]

In the Los Angeles Times, Kevin Thomas (film critic) reviewed the film for its theatrical release in 1998, in his article ‘Yellow’ Looks at Generation, Cultural Gap Within Families. "As ambitious and rewarding as it is, Chris Chan Lee’s “Yellow” has a significance beyond itself: It’s the first major Korean American film to get a feature release. It’s also a classic coming-of-age story, set during one long night just before eight high school friends are to graduate. You’re tempted to describe the picture as “Korean American Graffiti,” but along with its humor it has an underlying disturbing seriousness." The film critic added, " Through the specificity of this Korean American experience you can easily feel a sense of universality in Sin’s predicament. As a filmmaker Lee is at a point where he’s stronger at dialogue than pacing. But there’s no doubt “Yellow” marks the debut of a most promising talent who combines youthful zest and energy with a mature perspective that allows him to extend compassion to both sides of the generation gap."[2]