UPDATED FOR 2025. If you’re looking for ideas of ESEA (East and Southeast Asian) films, TV shows or series or documentaries to watch, books to read or podcasts to listen to this ESEA Heritage Month and beyond, then look no further than some of my recommendations. This free downloadable resource features five of each of the above that I have compiled together.
Bear in mind three things about this list though:
- It is obviously non-exhaustive. There are a good number more in some of the categories that could have been included. Most here were picked for their central themes of history and heritage
- Saying that, finding titles that were British was harder. A small number listed are not, but their cultural significance should be highlighted
- I mostly chose perhaps lesser known titles you may not have come across compared to others, giving you a greater scope of choices
- All of the resources are ones I have watched, listened to or read myself and personally recommend
Hopefully these recommendations will give you, your family, friends, co-workers and others inspiration and can be added to other lists you may see or start yourself. For example, there are certainly a growing number of films and books – particularly those from British-based ESEA writers for all ages and in almost any genre – out there.
Other places you can find recommendations include:
- ESEA Reading List via besea.n (Britain’s East and Southeast Asian Network)
- Kids & Teens ESEA Reading Lists
- ESEA Authors Lit Fest 2024 (plus 2023’s list of authors and books)
- Spotlight on ESEA Directors via MilkTea Films
- Will British TV ever see a show with an all East Asian cast?
- 30 21st Century Asian American films pushing the envelope on representation
Feel free to download the list below. If sharing or using it, please remember to credit myself (Choon/Tan’s Topics).
Tan's Topics 