You Are Here : Home / Community/ Neighborhoods / Office of Storytelling / Documentaries

Documentaries

‘Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown’ Tells Story of Long Lost Neighborhood

Did you know Denver ever had a Chinatown? 'Reclaiming Denver’s Chinatown' explains where it was and what happened to what was once the largest Chinese enclave in the Rocky Mountains. Inspired by descendants of those early residents, the documentary explores the tragedy and the triumph of Denver’s Chinese community.

¡Qué Viva la Raza! Honoring a Denver Legacy

This 35-minute documentary overview of the more than 150-year history of the Mexicano, Chicano, Latino peoples in Denver. Packed with historic images, the film documents, honors and preserves this proud history in the voices of the people.

Chicanas: Nurturers and Warriors

The Denver Office of Storytelling asked activist Nita Gonzales, former City Council President Ramona Martinez, and others including state historian Nicki Gonzales and performer Yolanda Ortega to discuss what it is to be a woman born in this country, with strong Mexican and Indigenous roots and a life dedicated to social justice. This sweeping history spans centuries and is told like never before.

Five Points: A Denver Legacy

Since the 1800s, historically Black Five Points has been resilient & iconic. Threats to the area’s cultural identity have inspired efforts to preserve its legacy. Find out what residents, business owners and historians have to say about the Points' past, present and future.

How the ADA Improved the Lives of Denver's Disability Community

For the past 30 years, the Americans with Disabilities Act has been improving conditions for individuals living with disabilities — and for the rest of us, too. Learn about some remarkably courageous people right here in Denver who inspired change.

A Thousand Paper Cranes

Many don’t know that during World War II, thousands of Japanese Americans from the West Coast were forcibly sent to a confinement facility in a remote area in southeastern Colorado. Once the war ended, many made the 250-mile trek to Denver to start anew. Here, together with fellow Japanese Americans who'd come from the other internment camps throughout the country, they rebuilt their lives.

A Thousand Paper Cranes

On Aug. 27, 1942, the U.S. government opened the Granada Relocation Center about 250 miles southeast of Denver. It was a military-style confinement center with blocks of barracks surrounded by barbed wire and flanked by guard towers staffed with armed men on watch.

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day

In 2016, Denver’s City Council designated the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day in the city. In honor of that recognition and celebration of the area’s original inhabitants, I Am Denver talked to several members of Denver’s Indian community about what it means to be Native in Denver.

From Prohibited to Proud: The History of Drag in Denver

In celebration of Pride month, we gave Denver's LGBTQ members and drag queens the chance to tell the story of their own community, which has been entertaining Denver crowds for generations in spite of any personal risk.