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A restored documentary and a portrait of tenant defender Jeanette Gandionco Lazam bring different perspectives on Manilatown history to a free double feature.
All times are local to the venue · America/Los Angeles
The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings pairs a record of a San Francisco housing campaign with the story of a woman who took part in it. The November 7 program at SFMOMA is free, but the museum reports that it is at capacity.
Curtis Choy’s 1983 documentary The Fall of the I-Hotel follows the decade-long effort to stop the eviction of elderly Filipino and Chinese tenants from San Francisco’s International Hotel. The tenants were evicted in 1977; the campaign remains a significant chapter in Manilatown’s history and in the city’s struggle over housing and displacement.
The screening uses a restored edition made from a new scan of a 16mm print, digitized in 2K. Manilatown Heritage Foundation completed the restoration with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and FotoKem. For viewers, the pairing offers a chance to encounter Choy’s documentary alongside a later film that narrows the focus to one participant.
Further reading: The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗
Manilatown Manang, directed by Caroline Cabading, centers artist and activist Jeanette Gandionco Lazam. Lazam was among the few women who lived at the hotel as tenant defenders during the 1970s movement, and she joined the International Hotel Tenants Association in its fight to keep residents in their homes.
The film draws on archival footage, personal reflections and contemporary interviews to connect that work with Lazam’s later advocacy for racial justice, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ equality. SFMOMA says Lazam now lives in the new International Hotel on Kearny Street and supports the Manilatown Center.
Further reading: The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗
Each film has a community conversation afterward. Choy and producers are listed for the first discussion; Lazam and producers are listed for the second. Both are moderated by Caroline Ocampo, a curator and media professional who directs marketing and curates for Manilatown Heritage Foundation.
Further reading: The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗
The restored Choy documentary comes first, followed by Manilatown Manang. A community conversation follows each film.
SFMOMA reports that the event is at capacity. It does not specify a waitlist or standby option.
The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗
SFMOMA requires children 13 and younger to be accompanied and supervised by an adult.
The Phyllis Wattis Theater is on Floor 1 of SFMOMA. The museum’s main entrance is at 151 Third St, a few blocks from Montgomery Street BART station.
The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗ · SFMOMA · Visitor's Guide ↗ · Getting Here · SFMOMA ↗
SFMOMA’s garage is at 147 Minna St, a few steps from the Third Street entrance. The museum lists other neighborhood garages as alternatives if it is full.
SFMOMA says the free event is at capacity. It has not announced whether a waitlist or standby entry is available.
The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗
The Fall of the I-Hotel begins at 1 p.m. and Manilatown Manang at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Each is followed by a conversation.
The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗
It is a restored edition of the 1983 documentary, made from a new scan of a 16mm print and digitized in 2K.
The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings · SFMOMA ↗
151 Third St, San Francisco, CA 94103
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Images from the linked sources. Each caption identifies the context of the image.
Event, planning and background information checked 2026-10-28 against the linked sources.