PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — For actor Sherry Cola, the mass shooting in her hometown of Monterey Park, Calif., devastated her ahead of the premiere of the new movie “Shortcomings” at the Sundance Film Festival.
“I definitely cried myself to sleep, to be honest, because this is Monterey Park, California, like where I grew up, the 626, San Gabriel Valley,” Cola said. “Here is my Buddhist temple, you know? Like all my friends I grew up with, they were born in Monterey Park. It is this birthplace that I am so proud to call my hometown.”
“Shortcomings” is the story of three friends who are Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) living in the Bay Area and finding themselves. The Saturday night shoot left the cast — including Cola, Randall Park, Justin H. Min, and Ally Maki — with the difficult task of mourning the victims as they spoke about the film ahead of its Sunday premiere in Park City, Utah .
A gunman killed 10 people Saturday night in Monterey Park, a city of about 60,000 people on the eastern outskirts of Los Angeles made up mostly of first-generation Asian immigrants from China or Asian Americans. The massacre derailed Lunar New Year celebrations and sparked fear throughout Monterey Park and other nearby communities with large Asian-American populations.
Cola was still processing her emotions on Sunday morning, with limited information available and a search for the shooter.
“It’s just a reminder, as we premiere this movie today, celebrating unashamed, authentic AAPI voices in a different way, it’s just a reminder that we still need our validation as a human being in this country and in this industry. always have to win back,” Cola said. .
“We have this wonderful movie today that we still want to talk about,” Cola added. “And I think talking about it helps the culture and the community move forward. I think all we can do is show each other grace and have each other’s backs, you know?
Park, who directed the film, added, “No matter what information comes out, it’s just so, so annoying.”
A moment of silence was held for the victims at a nearby Sundance lounge.
