Changfu Chang has always been drawn to life’s stories.
“Documentaries are grounded in our human experience. It is a powerful platform for us to engage and (create) discourse and dialogue,” said Chang, a professor in Millersville University’s communication and theater department and award-winning filmmaker.
Chang’s newest documentary, “Silent War: Asian American Reckonings with Mental Health,” will be screened Wednesday as part of Millersville University’s free On Screen / In Person series at the Ware Center for the Arts. (Register for free tickets here.)
“Silent War” examines how mental illness often goes unspoken within Asian American communities by drawing on personal accounts from individuals and families of varied Asian backgrounds. Firsthand testimonies, interviews with mental health professionals and conversations within families document experiences shaped by cultural stigma, intergenerational trauma, racism and gaps in mental health care. Silent War puts personal struggles alongside discussions about access, representation and equity.
“Through five years of production, I particularly focus on a group of people … and as an Asian American I find myself in this story,” Chang said. “As an objective director, I (collect) these stories, and sometimes I hear the voices echoing in my heart.”
Millersville connections
As the first student in his Chinese village to receive secondary education, Chang’s storytelling grew after college while writing for a Chinese magazine. He soon moved on to TV production.
In 2000, he took a job teaching TV production and general courses at Millersville. He juggles teaching with his own creative projects. He has directed and produced a dozen acclaimed documentaries, including the Angel Peace Award-winning “The Confucius Village,” reached global recognition through major festival honors, international broadcasts and widespread screenings across Asia, Europe and Australia.
Changfu Chang, a professor at Millersville University, directed the film “Silent War.”
SUBMITTED
“Silent War,” his most recent release, premiered in September 2025. The team behind “Silent War” includes other Millersville University connections, too; Assistant Director A.C. Brook and editor Jordan Graff are former students of Chang’s, while director of music Barry Atticks is a professor of music business technology at the school.
The team is rounded out by producer Lily Chen, whose organization WAVES aims to provide mental health resources to the Asian American community.
The Ware Center screening of “Silent War,” which is 78 minutes, continues the film’s festival tour after it won awards at the Orlando Film Festival and the Columbia Maryland Film Festival. After Lancaster, the film will head to New Orleans for the Clinical Scholars Action Network’s 2026 summit.
Giving a voice
“Silent War” cites staggering statistics from the Asian American Foundation. Asian Americans are 50% less likely to seek mental health services. One in five Asian American teens have wished they were a different ethnicity. Forty-three percent of these students count academic success as a mental health stress factor.
“We do not say I love you. It is rare. We love them, but we raise our kids by criticism,” said Chang. “Love has different expressions in different cultures.”
This silence of expression can be an adverse factor in mental health. According to the Office of Minority Health, a 2024 study found Asian American adults are 27% less likely to report mental illness than the U.S. average and 45% less likely to receive treatment. In 2023, Asian American high school males were 10% more likely to attempt suicide than their non-Asian peers.
“The toll on mental health is huge,” said Chang.
But, Chang’s film aims to shine line on the issue.
“We give voice to the people who normally are disenfranchised or underprivileged,” Chang said. “We help to highlight and to share their experiences and help make them stronger.”
ON SCREEN / IN PERSON
The “Silent War” screening is part of Millersville University’s On Screen / In Person series, which feature pre- and post-film panel discussions on topics related to the shown documentary.
The events are free and open to the public.
“We don’t want to create any financial barriers,” said program director Barry Kornhauser.
In addition to “Silent War,” other films to be screened this season address issues like gun violence and environmental stewardship.
“The (film) series tends to feature documentaries that have pertinence, relevance, and meaning to the community (and are) relative to the time we are living,” Kornhauser said. “I’m proud of the Lancaster community, because they really come out for these films, which are sometimes heavy-hitting and controversial.”
Starting at 6:15 p.m., the pre-show panel for “Silent War” will feature a discussion with Margaret Thorwart, director of Millersville University Center for Health Education & Promotion; Meagan Howell-Brogan, head of counseling services at Franklin & Marshall College; Irma Do, faith community partnership coordinator with Mental Health America of Lancaster County; and Sandy Chen who is featured in “Silent War.”
The post-show Q&A will feature Chang; assistant director and co-producer A.C. Brooke; Barry Atticks, a professor of music business technology at Millersville who is the film’s director of music; and Millersville alum and Make/Films editor Jordan Graff.
“I hope our film will serve as a good messenger in our war on mental illness,” wrote Chang in his director’s statement.
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