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 first Chinese American Mental Health Awareness Day (In Mandarin Chinese) 首屆華裔精神健康宣傳日(活動語言: 普通話)
2019 Moving Images Film Festival
Focus on Suicide: A Screening and Discussion of "Looking for Luke" (a component of the 'Brain and Behavior' course for 1st year medical students)
Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance Summit - Asian American Mental Health (Cambridge, MA)
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)
Boston Asian American Film Festival ~ Shorts: Peace of Mind (Boston, MA)
2018 Chinese American Convention
Documentary: Looking for Luke (Boston, MA)
NYC Screening feat. NBA Basketball Player Jeremy Lin (New York, NY)
Documentary: Looking for Luke (Boston, MA)
Horizon Foundation 2018 Mental Health Film Festival (Columbia, MD)
Cornell Veritas Forum Presents Looking for Luke (Ithica, NY)
We Share We Listen 我想聽 你說 (Quincy, MA)
Break the Silence: Asian Mental Health Conference at UChicago (Chicago, IL)
Looking for Luke Screening/Q&A with Dr. Juliana Chen and Harvard University Health Services (Cambridge, MA)
Looking for Luke: Screening at Duke (Durham, NC)
Looking for Luke Film Screening & Discussion (St. Louis, MO)
Seattle Asian American Film Festival (Seattle, WA)
Asian Culture Day (Newton, MA)
Documentary: Looking for Luke (Benton Chapel, Vanderbilt University)
Looking for Luke Screening and Q&A (Madison, WI)
"Looking for Luke" at Benjamin Franklin High School (New Orleans, LA)
APHA Global Public Health Film Festival (Atlanta, GA)
Emory Dark Arts presents Looking for Luke (Atlanta, GA)
Looking for Luke at NU (Boston, MA)
Hear Me Out! Open Dialogue on Intergenerational Emotional Wellness (Gaithersburg, MD)
Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance - DC Chapter (Fairfax, VA)
Question + Create: A Harvard Alumni Gathering on the Arts (Cambridge, MA)
SADD Talk Series: Opening Lines of Communication (Facebook Live)
Looking for Luke: One Family's Story (Boston, MA)
SADD 2017 National Conference (Tampa, FL)
Let's Talk! Promoting the Success & Well Being of Asian & Asian American Students (Cambridge, MA)
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
Luke’s parents hope that 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.