Independent Lens
Try Harder!
At a prestigious public high school with a majority Asian American student body, fiercely competitive seniors share the dream, and the stress, of getting into a top university.
The Donut King
Hard knocks, redemption, wealth, survival, risk, and donuts—Ted Ngoy’s life story has it all. It’s the American Dream, with a (glazed) twist.
- Series
- Independent Lens
- Premiere Date
- May 24, 2021
Director
Alice Gu
A Los Angeles native, Alice began her career as a Director of Photography, working with renowned directors Werner Herzog, Stacy Peralta, and Rory Kennedy, among others. Her commercial clients for print and live action include TBWA/ Chiat Day, Media Arts Lab, Deutsche, Edelman, Berlin Cameron, Cole & Weber, Pereira & O’Dell, Doremus, Publicis,… Show more
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The Film
In 1975, Ted Ngoy escaped the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, arriving in America via Camp Pendleton, California. Starting as a gas station janitor, he parlayed diligence and luck into the purchase of his first donut shop, launching an unlikely multi-million dollar fried pastry empire. Starting in Orange County, California, his Christy’s Doughnuts consortium continued to expand, providing a unique opportunity for Ngoy to lend a helping hand to his former countrymen and women. He sponsored hundreds of visas for incoming Cambodian refugees and offered them steady employment in his donut shops. By the mid-1980s, Ngoy was living his version of the American Dream: owner of multiple homes, driving fancy cars, taking lavish vacations, and officially becoming an American citizen. But a great rise often comes with a great fall. The Donut King explores immigration, assimilation, prejudice, and who gets access to The American Dream—and what happens when you achieve it.
