| Patrick Shen | |
| Birth Date: | 1975 |
| Birth Place: | United States |
| Spouse: | Karen Hsueh (2006) |
| Website: | http://www.patrickshen.com |
Patrick Shen (born 1975) is a Chinese writer, director, and producer. Shen is the founder of Transcendental Media.[1]
Shen directed the Emmy-nominated documentary: We Served With Pride: The Chinese American Experience in WWII. This documentary explores the involvement of Chinese Americans during World War II.[2] In 1999, the film premiered at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C, and was later broadcast on PBS. The cast and crew were invited to meet President Clinton at the White House during the film’s premiere.
In 2001, Shen began production on his first feature-length documentary, Flight from Death. The film examines death as a significant factor for influencing human behavior. It is inspired by the works and writings of cultural anthropologist and social theorist Ernest Becker. Narrated by actor Gabriel Byrne, Flight from Death has won a total of seven Best Documentary awards at United states film festivals. It was released by the now-defunct Go Kart Films in 2005.
Shen's second feature-length documentary, The Philosopher Kings, explores the wisdom among janitorial workers employed by universities such as Cornell University, Princeton University, and Duke University.[3] In 2009, the film premiered at the AFI Silver Docs Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Documentary and received the Emerging Cinematic Vision Award from the Camden International Film Festival.
La Source, Shen's third film, premiered at the AFI Silver Docs Film Festival in June 2012. The film, narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle, follows the journey of Josue Lajeunesse, a Princeton janitor by day and cab driver by night, as he travels back to Haiti just weeks after the 2010 Haiti earthquake to begin a project to build a clean water system for his village. The film and Lajeunesse received positive recognition at its premiere at Silver Docs, where it was nominated for the Social Impact Award. Lajeunesse brought clean water to his village La Source, Haiti, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
Shen's fourth film, In Pursuit of Silence, premiered at in November 2015 and in North America at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March 2016. In Pursuit of Silence opened theatrically in more than 250 theaters globally throughout 2016 and 2017.