The Film

Luke Tang was a well-liked, passionate and brilliant Harvard sophomore who took his family and friends by surprise when he died by suicide. “Looking for Luke” is a short documentary following Luke’s parents, Wendell and Christina, as they attempt to understand why this happened by reading through his journals and talking to his closest friends. As they piece together what happened, they begin to uncover the truth about their son’s death through the realization of depression as a treatable mental illness.

Luke’s parents have made it their mission to help other parents, particularly Asian parents, identify and understand the signs and signals of depression and other behavioral health disorders that can lead to suicide. The film hopes to extend that mission by raising awareness of depression as an illness and destigmatizing seeking help for mental health issues, two topics of incredible relevance and concern today at college campuses across the country.

The Film

Past Screenings

October 28, 2018

Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance Summit - Asian American Mental Health (Cambridge, MA)

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October 24, 2018

AACAP Annual Meeting ~ Looking for Luke: Lessons on Suicide and Depression, and Addressing Both College Mental Health and Asian American Mental Health Through Film (Seattle, WA)

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October 23, 2018

Boston Asian American Film Festival ~ Shorts: Peace of Mind (Boston, MA)

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September 29, 2018

2018 Chinese American Convention

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September 19, 2018

Documentary: Looking for Luke (Boston, MA)

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September 16, 2018

NYC Screening feat. NBA Basketball Player Jeremy Lin (New York, NY)

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September 13, 2018

Documentary: Looking for Luke (Boston, MA)

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June 5, 2018

Horizon Foundation 2018 Mental Health Film Festival (Columbia, MD)

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April 27, 2018

Cornell Veritas Forum Presents Looking for Luke (Ithica, NY)

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April 21, 2018

We Share We Listen 我想聽 你說 (Quincy, MA)

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April 5, 2018

Break the Silence: Asian Mental Health Conference at UChicago (Chicago, IL)

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April 3, 2018

Looking for Luke Screening/Q&A with Dr. Juliana Chen and Harvard University Health Services (Cambridge, MA)

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March 8, 2018

Looking for Luke: Screening at Duke (Durham, NC)

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March 6, 2018

Looking for Luke Film Screening & Discussion (St. Louis, MO)

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February 25, 2018

Seattle Asian American Film Festival (Seattle, WA)

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Februrary 14, 2018

Asian Culture Day (Newton, MA)

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January 25, 2018

Documentary: Looking for Luke (Benton Chapel, Vanderbilt University)

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December 1, 2017

Looking for Luke Screening and Q&A (Madison, WI)

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November 13, 2017

"Looking for Luke" at Benjamin Franklin High School (New Orleans, LA)

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November 7, 2017

APHA Global Public Health Film Festival (Atlanta, GA)

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November 6, 2017

Emory Dark Arts presents Looking for Luke (Atlanta, GA)

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October 10, 2017

Looking for Luke at NU (Boston, MA)

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September 30, 2017

Hear Me Out! Open Dialogue on Intergenerational Emotional Wellness (Gaithersburg, MD)

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September 30, 2017

Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance - DC Chapter (Fairfax, VA)

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september 15, 2017

Question + Create: A Harvard Alumni Gathering on the Arts (Cambridge, MA)

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september 28, 2017

SADD Talk Series: Opening Lines of Communication (Facebook Live)

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september 12, 2017

Looking for Luke: One Family's Story (Boston, MA)

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june 27, 2017

SADD 2017 National Conference (Tampa, FL)

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april 15, 2017

Let's Talk! Promoting the Success & Well Being of Asian & Asian American Students (Cambridge, MA)

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Get Involved

Host a Screening

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Please read the “Looking for Luke Overview” describing a typical screening before submitting your request.

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Share with Others

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To help spread the word about the film, please download our press kit for promotional materials

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Contact Us

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Email us at lookingforlukefilm@gmail.com or join our email list for updates about the film, screenings, and mental health resources

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Donate

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Your donation supports our mission of decreasing the stigma of mental illness by helping us bring this film to as many audiences as possible

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About the Filmmakers

Eric I. Lu

Eric I. Lu

Director / Writer / Producer

With a background in filming and medicine, Eric makes films that heal. Upon graduating from Harvard Medical School, he decided to pursue filmmaking full-time. Previously, Eric co-founded Jubilee Project and made films that have been seen by millions around the world. Eric is currently writing his first narrative feature film, and working on more projects with The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds.

Follow him on Twitter at @ericilu.

Elaine Coin

Elaine Coin

Cinematographer / Editor

Elaine was previously the Chief Operating Officer and producer at Jubilee Project, a production company that makes films to inspire change. While she has made personal films before, “Looking for Luke” is her first extensive film work. Elaine graduated from New York University Stern School of Business, and worked previously in finance.

Follow her on Twitter at @elainecoin.

Juliana Chen, M.D.

Juliana Chen, M.D.

Executive Producer

Dr. Juliana Chen is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Newton-Wellesley Hospital, as well as an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She produced “Looking for Luke” in hopes of reducing stigma, and educating Asian-American families about mental health issues. Dr. Chen received her B.A. from the University of Rochester and her M.D. from Yale University.

Gene Beresin, M.D., M.A.

Gene Beresin, M.D., M.A.

executive Producer / Music Composer

Dr. Gene Beresin is executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a full professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and senior educator in child and adolescent psychiatry at MGH. He received a B.A. in music from Princeton University, and an M.A. in philosophy along with his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

About the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds

About the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds

"Looking for Luke" is produced by The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital, a web-based resource that educates parents and other caregivers about the psychological development and emotional well-being of children, adolescents, and young adults who struggle with behavioral, emotional, and/or learning challenges. The Clay Center utilizes a narrative multimedia approach that delivers high-quality content via multiple formats, including blogs, audio podcasts, online videos, and social media.

the parents

The Issue

According to the American Psychological Association, Asian American college students have higher rates of suicidal thoughts than their counterparts. What’s more, cultural stigma often prevents students who are struggling from seeking help. This problem is compounded by a lack of awareness and open conversations about mental health within the Asian American community.

We hope you will read this letter from Luke’s parents on how they hope sharing their story will make a difference for others. If you would like to support Wendell and Christina Tang in their mission, or donate to their scholarship award in Luke’s name, please visit the Luke Tang Memorial Foundation website to learn more.

Resources

visit the clay center for more resources