Welcome to Independent Lens.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of PBS Wisconsin's Director's Cut.
Mouth watering, delectable, seductive.
I'm talking about, of course, the donut,
a cakey confection that can take us on a journey
straight to flavor country,
but did you also know that the donut can build dynasties?
If you don't believe me, you'll see for yourself
in tonight's film, The Donut King.
Imagine coming to America with nothing
and building a business
that helps you amass wealth beyond your wildest dreams.
Such was the case for Ted Ngoy,
a man who came here from Cambodia, penniless,
got a job in an L.A. donut shop
and a few years later was a multi-millionaire.
Ted's story is incredible but not one we haven't heard before.
What's makes Ngoy's story so fascinating
is that due to a gambling addiction, he lost it all,
going from rags to riches and back to rags.
During his entrepreneurial rise, Ngoy paid it forward
and assisted over 100 Cambodian families
in their efforts to obtain citizenship
and he gave them work in his stores across California.
Today, there are around 5,000 donut shops in California
and 80% of them are owned by Cambodians.
In other words, Ted Ngoy's American dream
has helped facilitate so many more.
The Donut King is the directorial debut by Alice Gu,
a native of Los Angeles and the daughter of Chinese immigrants.
She first learned of Ted Ngoy from her family's nanny,
who introduced her to the mystique of the Cambodian donut.
For what it's worth, Gu's favorite donut
is the buttermilk bar, which she says needs to be consumed
within 30 seconds of leaving the deep fryer and with hot glaze
describing said consumption
as an out of body experience.
So you see, the donut really can do anything,
even bring us a riveting documentary.
The Donut King starts now on PBS Wisconsin,
your home for independent film.