Oakland Premier: GILBERT GONG – The Heart of Lincoln Square
Join us October 7th - 7pm - Grand Lake Theater
A new documentary by Oakland Originals featuring our beloved park and Gilbert Gong, Lincoln Park’s Center Director will have it’s Oakland Premier on October 7th, 7pm at the Grand Lake Theater. The film will be shown as part of an Oakland Originals series featuring local artists, thinkers, and do-ers.
The other Oakland Originals films featured will be RyanNicole – Grit & Forgiveness and John Jones III – One Place in America
Everyone knows Gilbert. But not everyone knows his story.
In this inspirational and award-winning documentary short, filmmakers Jim McSilver and J.P. Dobrin highlight the work and legacy of Gilbert and his leadership at Lincoln Square Park, enhancing the programming, the soon to be rebuilt recreation center, and most importantly, the Oakland Chinatown community. The film includes historical footage and multiple interviews with City of Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development employees that highlight the experience, care and dedication of the park staff, creating a safe and welcoming park experience for all.
Friends of Lincoln Square Park is thrilled to be a supporter of this film showcasing our local hero!
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From Oakland Originals
A neglected park in Oakland’s historic Chinatown becomes the unlikely stage for a neighborhood’s renewal as recreation director and local son Gilbert Gong rallies seniors, teens and children to confront growing fear and division by restoring safety, connection, and pride in their community.
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J.P. Dobrin is a multiracial Korean American documentary filmmaker based in San Francisco, California. He’s a two-time Emmy-winning/nominated producer and director of photography who often collaborates with news outlets, documentary production companies, and corporate clients.
J.P.’s projects have revolved around themes of immigration, wealth disparity, and criminal justice, often portrayed through the experiences of ordinary individuals. Notably, he co-directed the Al Jazeera Witness documentary “Irse – Leaving Venezuela” in 2020, delving into the Venezuelan exodus by focusing on the narratives of two expectant women. In 2022, he directed “The Lookout,” his latest film presented on World Channel/PBS, offering an Asian American outlook on deportation issues.
His directorial work has been supported by SFFILM, the Berkeley Film Foundation, the Center for Asian American Media, the Video Consortium, and the Asian American Journalist Association. He’s been commissioned to make documentaries for Verizon, Capital One, Voice of America, and Vox / Eater.
His educational journey led him to study photojournalism at the Academy of Art San Francisco before pursuing documentary filmmaking at U.C. Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
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