Painting Ecological Engineers
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Documentary
This documentary follows an artist and labor rights lawyer on her quest to understand the lives of "canners" – the people who collect and redeem cans – and the ecological sustainability for all. In the process, she examines her own values and societal values at large on the meaning of work and life.
Painting Ecological Engineers
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Documentary
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
94 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$19,335
Goal: $25,000 for post-production
This documentary follows an artist and labor rights lawyer on her quest to understand the lives of "canners" – the people who collect and redeem cans – and the ecological sustainability for all. In the process, she examines her own values and societal values at large on the meaning of work and life.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Painting Ecological Engineers is a feature-length documentary about a workers’ rights lawyer/artist, Siyan Wong, who took an interest in “canners” – the people who collect and redeem cans and bottles on the street to survive. This film follows her journey to understand their experiences and to give visibility to their plight as workers by way of her paintings.
Through three elderly Chinese canners who live in her neighborhood of the Lower East Side in New York City, this film captures Siyan’s painterly portrayals of their lives before they started collecting cans and why they started collecting.
In the process, the film unveils the beverage recycling system through these and other canners, and shows how this system operates under the current bottle container law that was passed over 40 years ago. Narrated by Siyan, the film follows her investigation and encounters with the people who devote their lives to social and environmental justice, and explores the ideas of an ecologically-focused circular economy versus our existing linear system.
From interviews with canners on the streets and in their homes to discussions with canner advocates at Siyan’s painting exhibitions, Painting Ecological Engineers further explores the issues of workers’ rights and the meaning of work. Being that Siyan was a workers’ rights lawyer for 25 years at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), viewers learn a bit about our nation’s labor law.
In sum, this film shows how art can give voice to ordinary people who struggle to survive despite long hours and demeaning work; and to those who strive to harmonize the meaning of life and work. Art also provides space to reflect on the basic human desire to connect to nature and each other.
Support Needed
In 2024, Siyan and I decided to create Painting Ecological Engineers, with Siyan as the writer/producer and me as the cinematographer/editor/director.
Painting Ecological Engineers is currently in post-production. We need your support to get this feature-length documentary to the finish line in time for festival submissions in the Spring of 2026, which will include finishing the edit of the rough cut; working with our music composer to create the original soundtrack; sound designing and mixing and color-grading; clearing copyright and historical photo and film archival material, E&O insurance, etc.
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IMMEDIATE SUPPORT OF $25K: for the rest of the editing, original music, sound mix, color-grading, copyright, insurance.
STRETCH GOAL OF $35K: for the creation of an official website, trailer, festival submissions, impact campaign and other distribution costs.
This film is fiscally sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), which is partnering with Seed&Spark. Your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Please support us in any amount.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing-Directing
Costs $5,000
Editing-directing this doc will take 4 more months. A film is like a sculpture - you visualize, feel & shape it with intent. Rinse & repeat.
Sound Editing & Mix, Narration Recording
Costs $4,500
To Robert Bresson, visual is the father, sound is the mother. A good sound design/mix lets you to feel the visual space without seeing it.
Colorgrading
Costs $5,000
Colorgrading not only balances the colors/levels but provides a certain feeling to the visual to inform on the narrative.
Original Music
Costs $5,000
This original soundtrack portrays the struggles that these ecological engineers face and their dignity. Joanna Karselis is our composer!
Copyright Clearance
Costs $3,000
We're using archival interview clips & historical images to inform on work in our society, & images of Siyan's favorite artist's paintings.
Errors & Omissions Insurance
Costs $2,500
We need to cover ourselves in case we miss some gaps and get sued.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alvin Tsang, Editor & Director
I am a documentary filmmaker and artist based in New York City and my work explores the more personal human experience to inform on bigger issues of community, migration and humanity. Reunification (2015), my first feature-length personal documentary, was praised by The Boston Globe for “exploring the past with a Proustian sensitivity.” Aside from my own documentaries, I have over 20 years of work-for-hire experience as a shooter, editor, and producer on a variety of documentary-based videos in the arts and films. I filmed many of artist Meredith Monk’s body-voice workshops and artist profiles for the Guggenheim, created a BTS mini-documentary of John Sayles’s Amigo (2010), and served as an assistant editor for the Berlinale’s Ecumenical Jury Prize winner, That’s My Face (2001). Not only has my freelance work provided financial stability, it allowed me to draw from the work and ideas of many artists, contributing to my artistic sensibility.
Siyan Wong, Protagonist & Producer
Siyan shares my artistic vision as an artist. Additionally, her 25-year experience as a workers rights lawyer provides a specific perspective on the legal system and its purpose in a just society, which is fitting in this film that follows her social justice art to inspire understanding. We are ideal partners to create Painting Ecological Engineers because we started this journey together in 2019. In the process of exhibiting her paintings and our collaborative conceptual installations about the canners since 2019, we filmed many conversations with canners and social justice advocates about issues stemming from the bottle redemption process. We are so blessed that these participants generously allowed us in on their experiences on camera.
It's time we share our journey and all that we have learned with the world. Please support us in finishing Painting Ecological Engineers!
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Painting Ecological Engineers is a feature-length documentary about a workers’ rights lawyer/artist, Siyan Wong, who took an interest in “canners” – the people who collect and redeem cans and bottles on the street to survive. This film follows her journey to understand their experiences and to give visibility to their plight as workers by way of her paintings.
Through three elderly Chinese canners who live in her neighborhood of the Lower East Side in New York City, this film captures Siyan’s painterly portrayals of their lives before they started collecting cans and why they started collecting.
In the process, the film unveils the beverage recycling system through these and other canners, and shows how this system operates under the current bottle container law that was passed over 40 years ago. Narrated by Siyan, the film follows her investigation and encounters with the people who devote their lives to social and environmental justice, and explores the ideas of an ecologically-focused circular economy versus our existing linear system.
From interviews with canners on the streets and in their homes to discussions with canner advocates at Siyan’s painting exhibitions, Painting Ecological Engineers further explores the issues of workers’ rights and the meaning of work. Being that Siyan was a workers’ rights lawyer for 25 years at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), viewers learn a bit about our nation’s labor law.
In sum, this film shows how art can give voice to ordinary people who struggle to survive despite long hours and demeaning work; and to those who strive to harmonize the meaning of life and work. Art also provides space to reflect on the basic human desire to connect to nature and each other.
Support Needed
In 2024, Siyan and I decided to create Painting Ecological Engineers, with Siyan as the writer/producer and me as the cinematographer/editor/director.
Painting Ecological Engineers is currently in post-production. We need your support to get this feature-length documentary to the finish line in time for festival submissions in the Spring of 2026, which will include finishing the edit of the rough cut; working with our music composer to create the original soundtrack; sound designing and mixing and color-grading; clearing copyright and historical photo and film archival material, E&O insurance, etc.
IMMEDIATE SUPPORT OF $25K: for the rest of the editing, original music, sound mix, color-grading, copyright, insurance.
STRETCH GOAL OF $35K: for the creation of an official website, trailer, festival submissions, impact campaign and other distribution costs.
This film is fiscally sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), which is partnering with Seed&Spark. Your contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Please support us in any amount.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Editing-Directing
Costs $5,000
Editing-directing this doc will take 4 more months. A film is like a sculpture - you visualize, feel & shape it with intent. Rinse & repeat.
Sound Editing & Mix, Narration Recording
Costs $4,500
To Robert Bresson, visual is the father, sound is the mother. A good sound design/mix lets you to feel the visual space without seeing it.
Colorgrading
Costs $5,000
Colorgrading not only balances the colors/levels but provides a certain feeling to the visual to inform on the narrative.
Original Music
Costs $5,000
This original soundtrack portrays the struggles that these ecological engineers face and their dignity. Joanna Karselis is our composer!
Copyright Clearance
Costs $3,000
We're using archival interview clips & historical images to inform on work in our society, & images of Siyan's favorite artist's paintings.
Errors & Omissions Insurance
Costs $2,500
We need to cover ourselves in case we miss some gaps and get sued.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Alvin Tsang, Editor & Director
I am a documentary filmmaker and artist based in New York City and my work explores the more personal human experience to inform on bigger issues of community, migration and humanity. Reunification (2015), my first feature-length personal documentary, was praised by The Boston Globe for “exploring the past with a Proustian sensitivity.” Aside from my own documentaries, I have over 20 years of work-for-hire experience as a shooter, editor, and producer on a variety of documentary-based videos in the arts and films. I filmed many of artist Meredith Monk’s body-voice workshops and artist profiles for the Guggenheim, created a BTS mini-documentary of John Sayles’s Amigo (2010), and served as an assistant editor for the Berlinale’s Ecumenical Jury Prize winner, That’s My Face (2001). Not only has my freelance work provided financial stability, it allowed me to draw from the work and ideas of many artists, contributing to my artistic sensibility.
Siyan Wong, Protagonist & Producer
Siyan shares my artistic vision as an artist. Additionally, her 25-year experience as a workers rights lawyer provides a specific perspective on the legal system and its purpose in a just society, which is fitting in this film that follows her social justice art to inspire understanding. We are ideal partners to create Painting Ecological Engineers because we started this journey together in 2019. In the process of exhibiting her paintings and our collaborative conceptual installations about the canners since 2019, we filmed many conversations with canners and social justice advocates about issues stemming from the bottle redemption process. We are so blessed that these participants generously allowed us in on their experiences on camera.
It's time we share our journey and all that we have learned with the world. Please support us in finishing Painting Ecological Engineers!