Fly in Power
documentary film – Red Canary Song
Fly in Power is an award-winning documentary that follows Charlotte, a Korean massage worker and core organizer of Red Canary Song (RCS): a social justice collective of Asian diasporic massage workers, sex workers and allies who basebuild through mutual aid. Through her story, we learn how the incarceration system is pitted against Asian migrant women and their survival. Other RCS members, including Khokhoi, a young body worker, and Prof Elena Shih, Brown University, share powerful insights that debunk the myths of sex trafficking. Fly in Power is a glimpse into the intimate spaces that not only connect these workers, but is also a testament to the global advocacy of women's rights to work and thrive. This is the first film to center the narrative of an Asian massage worker in her own words, with her own agency of storytelling and editing. The intention of Fly in Power is to honor their practices of care, autonomy, and survival and to raise awareness of the oppressive systems that face us all.
This film has been produced entirely by women, non-binary, trans and queers of the Asian diaspora –– more than half of the production team are former sex workers.
The production of this film has been generously supported by donations from our community and grants from Asian Womens Giving Circle and NYWFT.
Our film has screened at a number of festivals as well as academic spaces including: The San Fran Sex Worker Film and Arts Festival, The 46th Asian American International Film Festival and The Los Angeles Asian and Pacific Islander Film Festival, where it won Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary. In 2024 our film was acquired by Good Docs for distribution. If you’re interested to screen Fly in Power you can visit their website.
Production Team
Co-Director – Yin Q + Yoon Grace Ra
Producer – Xen Nhà
Cinematographer + Editor – Yoon Grace Ra
Story Consultant – Mengwen Cao
Production Assisant: Kai Yang
Original Music Score – Melanie Hsu