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.”

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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.

“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.

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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.”