THE STORY
Ashley is a Cambodian American basketball phenom. Her natural talent and tenacity makes coaches and family want to support her even when they don’t always know how. Filmed over three years, Home Court is a coming-of-age story that follows Ashley’s family dynamics, both tender and tragic, as she navigates being one of the top basketball recruits in the country.
The Family of
ASHLEY CHEA
"I want people to know that if I’m not playing well, it’s not because I’m Asian, it’s because I’m just having a bad day.” — Ashley
Ashley Chea is a country music-loving point guard, the youngest player ever recruited to play on Nike Team Taurasi and a Division 1 top pick.
BAOV & LIDA CHEA
"My mom raised me in Cambodia. I raise Ashley here. It’s different.” — Lida
Baov Chea, Ashley’s father, came to America as a refugee in 1994 when he was 12 years old with his mother, brother, and sister. Lida, Ashley’s mother, arrived about 5 years later. Both Baov and Lida’s families were devastatingly impacted during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975-1979 when millions of Cambodians were brutally killed.
JAYME KIYOMURA CHAN
"I'm 5-foot-1 on a good day and people don’t think I have any business in basketball. I’m a Hapa—my mom was born in Mexico and my dad is Japanese. I have a Mexican mouth and a Japanese gaman.” — Jayme
Jayme Kiyomura Chan, Ashley's high school coach at Flintridge Prep grew up playing in the Asian American basketball leagues. Her father founded Yonsei Basketball, a Japanese American basketball league which provides a Japanese cultural exchange through basketball for AAPI youth.
THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Home Court draws from the intricate history of Asian Americans and their relationships with sports, community, and the interweaving of the two.
Anti-Asian racism and xenophobia that were prominent in the late 19th and early 20th centuries resulted in Asian Americans forming sports leagues of their own. In the 1930s and 40s, Asian American women began playing for co-ed teams, helping to pave the way for women like Jaime Hagiya, Natalie Nakase, and now Ashley Chea to thrive in these spaces.
Amid the aftermath of the Vietnam War and Khmer Rouge in the 1970s and 80s, waves of Southeast Asians, including Cambodians, fled from their homelands to the United States in search of safety—Ashley’s family on both her mom and dad’s sides were one of the many who relocated to the US in hopes of a securing a life without fear.
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
“Throughout my 18-year career as a filmmaker, I’ve made short films and commercial work, improving on the craft of telling impactful stories with concision. I’m thrilled to be directing Home Court, my first feature-length film.
Two years ago, fellow filmmaker Jenn Lee Smith asked if I knew anything about the Asian American basketball leagues. She had recently learned about the rich history of these leagues when her daughter was invited to join. My husband and his family, including a star player cousin, played in these leagues and we were introduced to Jayme Kiyomura Chan and Ashley Chea. Jenn and I understood quickly that this was the story we wanted to tell—one of holding space for joy and heartache that explores the high stakes of following the American dream.”
— Erica Tanamachi