Dumbarton Bridge

Running time: 98 mins

John Shed works the salt ponds and lives an isolated life with his girlfriend and his classic jazz, avoiding the demons of his past. It is not until his Amerasian daughter, Minh, comes to America, looking for her father and a new life away from the refugee camp, that his life takes an unexpected downward spiral. Minh wants only to learn about her unknown past and moves in with Shed and his girlfriend. Soon, Shed's world begins to crumble as he falls victim to the ghosts he has tried for years to forget. Blaming Minh for his new strife, Shed continues to drink which soon takes its toll, while Minh is caught between two different worlds, coming to terms with a dual identity. Beautifully written and directed by Oakland filmmaker, Charles Koppelman, Dumbarton Bridge is both gripping and haunting like the flow of its jazz soundtrack. Koppelman looks at people and locations we hardly know, but see everyday, with a fresh and unique perspective. The film examines two seemingly disparate lives to find that they are asking the same questions: Who am I? Where do I fit in? To whom do I belong? --Christopher Lion