‘Someone that looks like them’: Underprivileged SF Chinatown children treated to free ‘Shang-Chi’ screening

Community organizers treated hundreds of underprivileged children in San Francisco’s

An afternoon at the movies: On Sunday, event organizers bought out the Presidio Theater in the Marina, allowing some 200 children to watch the latest Marvel Studios hit, reported NBC Bay Area.

The selected children were from “modest single-room occupancy buildings” who do not often get the chance to watch movies in theaters.
Myron Lee, one of the organizers, said that they wanted the children to see “someone that looks like them on the big screen” and instill in them the idea that “possibilities are endless.”
“Some of them are living in pretty challenging conditions right now, so we are hoping this inspires them to do big things when they grow up,” Lee added.
The children not only enjoyed the film, but also the free popcorn that came with the special screening.

A triumph for Asian representation: In an August interview with NextShark that was published before the movie came out, the stars of “Shang-Chi” celebrated the Asian representation the film had both on- and off-screen.

Lead actor Simu Liu expressed hope that the film would becomes a “light in the darkness” and that “any negativity and hate is washed away by our equal and opposing force of joy and positivity.”
Director Destin Daniel Cretton also highlighted the Asian creatives behind the camera, noting that it was the first time he had “experienced being in a room full of creatives” that looked like him and had a similar background.
According to Awkwafina, she just wanted to be part of telling the film’s special story. “I think to see a superhero that you can relate to at all, that you can see part of yourself in is really important,” she said. “I think this will be the first, but not the last. It has to start here though. I think the world will really see the power of Simu and everything he’s bringing to the role.”

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” recently exceeded $400 million in global box office earnings, making it the third Hollywood movie to do so during the pandemic era, NextShark previously reported. The film is the first to reach the significant milestone without opening in China.

Featured Image via Marvel Entertainment

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