U of A Student Documentaries Explore Lives of Immigrants in Arkansas

Photos courtesy of the University of Arkansas

Lang Tang, in a scene at NWA Fresh Donuts from the student-produced documentary film "I Was Once Dead."

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Three University of Arkansas student-produced documentary films exploring immigration in Northwest Arkansas will premiere at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, at the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History located at One East Center Street, Suite 120 on the Fayetteville Square.

In these documentaries, students from the School of Journalism and Strategic Media in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences profiled local activists, and followed immigrants and politicians to explore the topic of immigration. 

Students produced these projects in a graduate-level class taught by two award-winning University of Arkansas journalism professors, Larry Foley and Hayot Tuychiev.

Each documentary presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the student filmmakers. The premiere is free and open to the public.

The documentary films include:

• Hooshburger by Rachel Bernstein
  An exploration of the life and identity of an Iranian immigrant living and operating an infamous café in small-town Arkansas. Hooshang Nazarali, is an Iranian immigrant who owns and operates a small café/gas station famous for its signature dish, the Hooshburger, which has been served in the rural community for over 30 years. The film looks into the complex relationship between immigrants and their cultural identity.

• Dreaming from the Shadows by Kelly Miller and Jack Bilyeu
  Margarita Solorzano has been fighting a 30-year uphill battle to uplift the Hispanic community of Northwest Arkansas. While a single mother with two children, Solorzano started the Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas, an institution that specializes in providing scholarships to Latino children as a means of improving Hispanic representation. This film focuses on Solorzano's personal story and the personal stories of those impacted by her work.

• I Was Once Dead by Mariah McElroy, J.T. Tarpley and Aubry Tucker
  Behind the windows of an unassuming shop in a Bentonville strip mall, Lang Tang can be found making Northwest Arkansas' best donuts. But behind the friendliness and warmth that earned him the nickname "Smiley" lies a long-hidden past. Now a business owner and evangelical Christian, Lang's past life as a young monk surviving years of mental and physical torture during the Cambodian genocides is recounted in I Once Was Dead.

About the School of Journalism and Strategic Media: The School of Journalism and Strategic Media in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas is dedicated to excellence in teaching, research and media discourse. Students in our journalism degree programs receive instruction, guidance and access to hands-on experience from our seasoned, award-winning faculty and staff. Areas of study include news editorial and reporting, broadcast, public relations, advertising and digital media.

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with three schools, 16 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former university president and longtime U.S. senator.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3% of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.