Through Our Eyes — Season 2
From the producers of Sesame Street, THROUGH OUR EYES was designed as a co-viewing experience for adults and kids ages 8+. Each stand-alone 26-minute film is directed by an award-winning filmmaker.
A Sesame Workshop Production,
In Association with Multitude Films.
Episodes
RECLAIM tells the story of young Honor as he follows in the footsteps of his older brother Hanalei in learning the Hawaiian tradition of hula. The brothers are proud of their role in reclaiming Hawaiian heritage, through dance as well as the meaningful power of language and custom.
Reclaim
Justyn Ah Chong
Writer, Producer
Justyn Ah Chong is an Emmy-award winning Native Hawaiian filmmaker from Mililani, Oʻahu, a graduate of USC's School of Cinematic Arts, and a 2020 Nia Tero 4th World Fellow. From 2011 - 2018 Justyn worked as a cinematographer and editor at the ʻŌiwi Television Network, Hawaiʻiʻs first indigenous broadcast station. In 2019 his directorial debut narrative short DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK IN WAIKIKI screened at festivals around the world, winning several best short film awards. Justyn then worked as a producer on award-winning narrative shorts HAWAIIAN SOUL and E MĀLAMA PONO WILLY BOY. Following this, Justyn directed the short documentary PILI KA MOʻO which garnered an Emmy award at the 2023 San Francisco-Northern California Regional Emmys. Currently, Justyn is in development on several narrative and documentary projects and has recently joined the Polynesian Voyaging Society as their Media Content Director. Concurrently, Justyn shoots, directs, and edits culturally-inspired, place-based films, music videos, and commercials on a work-for-hire basis through his production company, Olonā Media.
Geeta Ghandbhir
Director
Geeta Gandbhir embarked on her career in narrative film under the guidance of Spike Lee and Sam Pollard. As a Director, credits include the series "Born in Synanon" for Paramount, "Eyes on the Prize" for HBO, and "Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power," which was nominated for the 2022 Critics Choice Award, won a 2023 SIMA Award, and received a 2023 Emmy. She directed and show ran the series "Black and Missing" for HBO which won a 2022 NAACP Award for Best Directing, a 2022 Independent Spirit Award, 2022 ATAS Honors Award, and Cinema Eye Honors for Best Series. She directed the film "Apart," with Rudy Valdez, for HBOMax and by Multitude Films, which was nominated for an NAACP Award and won a 2022 Emmy Award. Her short film with Multitude from 2020, "Call Center Blues," with Topic Studios was shortlisted for the 2021 Academy Awards. She directed an episode "The Asian Americans" for PBS, which won the 2021 Peabody Award. Additional directing credits include the six-part series "Why We Hate" for Discovery, and "I Am Evidence" for HBO. In her role as an Editor, her films have garnered two Emmy Awards, four Peabod Awards, and one Academy Award.
LEADING follows two budding activists: Audre (10), who fights against Asian hate by creating a teach-in presentation at her school; and Kali (11), who belongs to a Radical Monarchs troop, where she learns about and helps organize a march for Black Lives Matter.
Leading
Grace Lee
Director
Grace Lee is an award-winning independent filmmaker who produced and directed two episodes of the Peabody Award-winning ASIAN AMERICANS series as well as AND SHE COULD BE NEXT, POV’s first broadcast series about women of color transforming politics and civic engagement, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Other credits include the Peabody-winning AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, THE GRACE LEE PROJECT, MAKERS: WOMEN IN POLITICS, OFF THE MENU: ASIAN AMERICA and K-TOWN’92, an interactive online project about the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest. She co-founded and co-directs the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc), a Directors Guild of America member as well as a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She’s also host and executive producer of a podcast investigating systemic inequities at PBS called VIEWERS LIKE US.
Producers
Anya Rous
Beth Miranda Botshon
Lisa Diamond
Executive Producers
Kay Wilson Stallings
Jess Devaney
Editor
Rabab Haj Yahya
Consulting Producer
Lisa Remington
Associate Producers
Ryah Aqel
Jot Sahi
Morgan Hulquist
Co-Producer
Colleen Cassingham