The Donut King is a 2020 American documentary film which tells the life story of California donut shop owner Ted Ngoy.[2][3][4]
| The Donut King | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Alice Gu |
| Written by | Carol Martori |
| Produced by |
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| Cinematography | Alice Gu |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Peter Lauridsen |
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Development edit
The Donut King was directed by Alice Gu, and is her first feature film.[5] Having grown up in Los Angeles, she was doubtful when her children's nanny made a reference to "Cambodian" donuts; she thought all donuts were simply "American".[5] Upon looking into the matter, she learned about Ted Ngoy and became fascinated with the topic.[5] She reached out to Ngoy and other Cambodian families who ran donut shops, and within six weeks began principal photography.[5]
Production edit
Ngoy was hesitant to return to California for the film; he was estranged from his children and former friends.[6] Gu persuaded him to and, ultimately, he regarded his return as a 'healing experience,' and his ex-wife and children have forgiven him.[6]
Release edit
The Donut King had its world premiere in the Documentary Feature Competition the South by Southwest film festival.[5]
Reception edit
Critical response edit
The film received 69/100 on Metacritic, receiving "generally favorable reviews".[7] In a positive review, Richard Whittaker with The Austin Chronicle said that "Gu does stellar work compiling and constructing Ngoy's life story through interviews and archive and contemporary footage," and added "the animation sequences by Chapeau Studios and 1881 Animation that make the perfect drizzle of icing."[8] Giving it three-out-of-four stars, Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com called the The Donut King "a heartwarming albeit scattered documentary from director Alice Gu," and praised the film for "its balance of poppy visuals and detailed history."[9] In a mixed review, Brad Wheeler of The Globe and Mail said the film is "well worth watching" while saying there "are holes in this doughnut story."[10]
Impact edit
Whittaker said that "as Asian Americans face increasing racism, its closing message about how immigrant communities...define America has only become more timely."[8]
References edit
- ^ "Drive-In: The Donut King". sidewalkfest.com. August 24, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "New documentary 'The Donut King' follows Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy's journey to multi-million dollar empire". KTLA. May 21, 2021.
- ^ "Review: A Shakespearean SoCal tragedy, 'The Donut King' charts the rise and fall of Ted Ngoy". Los Angeles Times. October 29, 2020.
- ^ Girish, Devika (October 29, 2020). "'The Donut King' Review: Sweet Dreams". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Director Alice Gu Wants You to Meet The Donut King". SXSW. March 4, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ a b Venema, Vibeke (November 28, 2020). "The Donut King who went full circle - from rags to riches, twice". BBC News. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ "The Donut King". Metacritic. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ a b WHITTAKER, RICHARD (October 30, 2020). "Movie Review: The Donut King". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ Allen, Nick (October 30, 2020). "The Donut King". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
- ^ Wheeler, Brad (November 19, 2020). "Review: The Donut King, a sweet documentary that doesn't tell the hole truth". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
External links edit
- The Donut King at IMDb
- The Donut King at PBS.org
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