documentary be suppose to be recitation of fact and strip of emotion and bias . thankfully and the magical life of long tack sam be a reverential and emotional examination of a fascinating man by a great granddaughter who never know him . this be a long distance story of familial love while it doggedly transcend the mist of time that all too often obscure the life story of the average man even from his own descendant . long tack sam and a he be know and should have end up a the most obscure of the obscure a chinese youth in a land rive with conflict and poverty and turmoil . but owe to his talent and drive and courage and a consume entrepreneurial spirit and he become a world renowned entertainer and parlay the ancient chinese acrobatic tradition into a magic act that tour the world . anne marie fleming reveal the history of an unusual family that and to her surprise and seem to have forget the great grandfather they know but she do not . she find physical trace of sam legacy store in museum around north america and in a cedar chest in hawaii . one such artifact be a beautiful silk backdrop from his vaudeville day . she also locate the spiritual remnant of her great grandfather in the memory of old magician and vaudevillian and even a film clip paen to sam deliver by none other than hollywood most famous prestidigitator and orson welles . with more irony than sadness and she note that sam be forget not only in europe and america where he so frequently tour and but in china a well and note that he incorporate so much of other culture within his life that he perhaps become foreign to his own origin . the family be strikingly interesting owe to it international character . sam marry an austrian woman and his child and grandchild be spread throughout the world . ( this during a time when chinese be still treat poorly by most culture and by officially repress by immigration law worldwide . ) this cultural collision be deeply fascinating . we learn her great uncle go to board school in england and austria and be in a photograph stand behind adolf hitler during the nazi leader visit to his school . this fact would have undoubtedly disturb the lunatic zealot of racial purity have he know it . this tradition of multiculturalism be an endure factor in the life of this sam family represent director ann marie fleming be bear on okinawa of austrlian and chinese heritage . i never cease to be amaze at criticism of film and documentary by those who find a film too long or bore . there be a difference between reel life and real life . perhaps my own grandfather accomplishment and zest for life against great odds make me comprehend fleming appreciation of her forebear grandfather who understand the nature of drama and hone it to wow the public and carve out a modicum of success . comprehend long tack sam background and his narrow escape from a life of obscurity and poverty and his entrenched optimism and and his ability to bridge culture while astutely produce a popular stage act and may be difficult for those addict to special effect and the emotional manipulation of fictional contrivance . life be more complicated and difficult and and ultimately interesting than anything hollywood can conjure which be why documentary can be so spellbind . some who have criticize this documentary seem to believe fleming be beat her own drum and or hold out her great grandfather and her family a more interesting than they really be . what fleming be do and and we should be thankful she do so and be remind all of u that we each have a fascinating history that should not be forget . this history be perhaps most important among our relative who grow up in a time when a man have to wreck his body physically to make a living and or and in order to escape poverty and demonstrate extraordinary ability and courage to overcome stultify physical and cultural boundary . one can not appreciate the long tack sam magical life unless one can grasp the circumstance of his time and which be part of fleming message . the magical life of long tack sam be a salutation to a remarkable family history drive by the accomplishment of a man who possess courage and tenacity the true alchemic component of a magical life .