Nichelle Nichols

Of course, the element of Beam Me Up Sulu that resonated most with me is the way the fimmakers show the revolutionary nature of the television series, especially in terms of onscreen representation of Asian Americans. As a child watching the show, I remember Sulu being one of my favorite characters, not least because the character was such a brilliant Renaissance man. I also loved Ohura. As a leading character, she opened my eyes to how infrequently audiences were shown women of color as multidimensional, or in leadership roles. In Timour Gregory and Saha Schneider’s documentary, both of those characters are examined within the context of the time, as well as the times we are living through now.

The affectionate, insightful documentary Beam Me Up, Sulu is indeed, in part, about George Takei, who played Sulu in the TV series Star Trek, and about the long-running Star Trek popular cultural phenomenon, but it also takes a larger view, at the societal impact of the 1960s science fiction TV series, with its ground-breaking diverse casting, and depiction of equality and a hopeful view of the future.

Beam Me Up, Sulu is a clear and compelling consideration of the importance and impact of storytelling in global culture — and politics. Using the long-running (and still immensely popular) Star Trek as a focal point, documentarians Timour Gregory and Sasha Schneider show how the fan-tastic sci fi series challenged stereotypical (meaning demeaning and bigoted) explicit and subliminal public opinion about Asian Americans. The informative documentary makes excellent use of archival footage and stills as illustrations of the extreme bias against, abuse and exploitation suffered by Asian Americans throughout American history. It also points out their significant contributions the nation’s welfare.

Beam Me Up, Sulu documents how the pure gumption of a young admirer and student filmmaker kicked off decades of friendship and an alliance of like-minded Star Trek fans. In 1985, Stan Woo walked up to George Takei at a political event, with cocktail and his film script in hand. Takei saw in Stan Woo a passion that he recognized in himself, and he agreed to star in Woo’s low-budget indie film Yorktown: A Time To Heal, based on the Star Trek television series.