Tyrus by Pamela Tom

Tyrus is the moving, inspirational story of Tyrus Wong (1910-2016), who was, at various points in his long life, a Disney studio artist (where he worked on Bambi, 1942), a Film Production Illustrator at Warner Brothers (working on such films as Calamity Jane, 1953, Rebel Without a Cause, 1955, and The Wild Bunch, 1969), a fine art painter, a greeting card designer, a ceramics artist, and a kite designer.

But beyond his enormous contributions to Hollywood Cinema and American art, Wong’s story is also one of Chinese-American immigration during the 20th Century. Immigrating with his father to the USA in 1920 via Angel Island (the West Coast equivalent of Ellis Island), Wong had to find his way in a land where anti-Asian prejudice was rife. Yet he found love, family, and success, becoming one of the most influential Chinese-American artists in the USA. Tyrus, his life story, will be introduced by its director, writer, and producer, Pamela Tom.