PBS’s acclaimed documentary series Independent Lens turns its focus to the world of a once-hidden San Francisco photographic artist in “Who Is Michael Jang?” The episode is set to air Monday, May 19, 2025, at 10:00 PM ET.
The film illuminates the extensive and long-unseen collection of Michael Jang, a photographer whose work from his younger years captured a unique intersection of celebrity encounters and the intimate, everyday moments of Chinese American family life. For many years, Jang operated primarily as a commercial and portrait photographer, his more personal and candid street-style work remaining largely out of public view. This installment of Independent Lens chronicles Jang’s efforts to bring this significant body of work to a wider audience, employing unconventional, guerilla-style methods to share his vision.
“Who Is Michael Jang?” offers a look at a rarely documented perspective on Chinese American experiences and the journey of an artist seeking recognition for a deeply personal archive. The documentary is presented as a quirky and inspiring narrative of artistic rediscovery, aligning with Independent Lens‘s established brand of delivering compelling, character-driven documentary films.
