Bad Axe hits target @SXSW 2022

Many would question whether COVID-19 was real, but no one would question how the pandemic did not affect them. With so many people across the world shutting down during March of 2020, director David Siev decided not to. Having lost his job in NYC and trying to spend opportune time with his family, he turned on his camera. It was the best thing that he could have done in one of the worst times in the world’s history. Little did he know that telling his personal story from Bad Axe, Michigan during the pandemic would hit the masses.

Bad Axe recently won Special Jury Recognition for Exceptional Intimacy in Storytelling at SXSW. The documentary focuses on the Siev family during the pandemic. Sisters Jaclyn and Racquel and parents Rachel and Chun are struggling to run a restaurant. Now forced to shut down, they must pivot towards trying to survive by only doing take-out. All in a community that has been shut down because of COVID-19 and divided because of Trump’s America.

Trump’s America

The family’s generational scars come to light when the financial struggles of the restaurant and the fear of COVID-19 soar. The father of the family Chun sees this as a time period where history is repeating itself. The time where he was in The Killing Fields in Cambodia in which he had to flee from. With his mother, he fled to the United States to get away from the war and hate within his country.

The pandemic showed a different side of Chun. One that his children never thought they would see. A vulnerable, aggressive yet obnoxious side of Chun stems from those traumatic times in Cambodia. Especially when it comes to his quarrels with his daughter Jaclyn.

The death of George Floyd caused racial tensions to soar within America. Trump calling COVID-19 the “Chinavirus” added fuel to the fire when parts of Bad Axe sided with the archaic president. The support for the restaurant dwindled because of their Asian roots. Tensions were high even in this dry and desolate area of Michigan. Big things still happen in small towns like Bad Axe. The Siev family was a microscopic reflection of what was happening in America during COVID-19.

Black Lives Matter in Bad Axe

Jaclyn along with her husband went out to protest with Black Lives Matter against Trump supporters. She felt that it was necessary to fight back against those who want to bring her family down. Jaclyn knew it was necessary to be always fighting for her family’s freedom. Especially, knowing her family came all the way from Cambodia to build a home and a life in Bad Axe. This was the fight for the American dream that the Siev family had to undertake during these tumultuous times. Their resilience was filmed delicately and upfront to capture their compelling and charming character.

During a time when everyone is to shutdown, director David Siev creates a film that resonates and speaks volumes. From people who were running a business that was shut down to COVID-19. To people who fleed from war in their county to build a home in another. There is a story for everyone in Bad Axe. This is a beautifully crafted portrait from a young filmmaker who just wanted to tell his side. What you have is a masterpiece of what it means to stand by your family at all costs. The strength of the Siev family is like no other as it should go down as one of the greatest stories of all time.

https://www.badaxefilm.com/the-deck