(no subject)
Today I went to a Vietnamese Film symposium and I realized how ignorant I've been to the talented Vietnamese American film directors. Apparently, director Ham Tran is currently showcasing his movie, "Journey from the South," a story about the fall of Saigon in 1975, at the Sundance film festival in Newport Beach. Seats are sold out! I only saw a clipping of his movie and already I feel so excited to see Vietnamese broadcast in theaters. I have this mixed feelings of excitement and shock of seeing Vietnamese in film, it feels so surreal because I'm so used to watching movie with white people.
There's even a director, Mike Nguyen, who is creating a 3 episodes animation which will premier in South Korea in the next year. I saw a clip of the anime and it's sooo cute. Little kids playing soccer and discovering friendship. This may seem like a typical animation, but the characters are Vietnamese which is a whole new perspective on what I think of animation. Heck, I'll just say it, who ever heard of a Vietnamese animation? I haven't..... until now!
One thing that open my eyes is when the directors answered my question, "How do you deal with the Asian American stereotypes in movies when you make your film?" All the directors continue to blast at these stereotypes, arguing that these stereotypes are made by non-Vietnamese that's why we need more Vietnamese film directors to speak the truth. "We know who we are," says Ham Tran. "Even my mom is not the typical Asian woman protrayed on TV. She's has a HUGE range of voice levels and can snap at you anytime. She's not weak. That's why I want to make the kind of films that will tell my story."
I can't wait to check on the VIFF (Vietnamese International Film Festival) in 2007 at UCI www.Vietfilmfest.com and also the Asian Pacific film festival (VCFilmFest 2006) on May 4 through 11, 2006.
There's even a director, Mike Nguyen, who is creating a 3 episodes animation which will premier in South Korea in the next year. I saw a clip of the anime and it's sooo cute. Little kids playing soccer and discovering friendship. This may seem like a typical animation, but the characters are Vietnamese which is a whole new perspective on what I think of animation. Heck, I'll just say it, who ever heard of a Vietnamese animation? I haven't..... until now!
One thing that open my eyes is when the directors answered my question, "How do you deal with the Asian American stereotypes in movies when you make your film?" All the directors continue to blast at these stereotypes, arguing that these stereotypes are made by non-Vietnamese that's why we need more Vietnamese film directors to speak the truth. "We know who we are," says Ham Tran. "Even my mom is not the typical Asian woman protrayed on TV. She's has a HUGE range of voice levels and can snap at you anytime. She's not weak. That's why I want to make the kind of films that will tell my story."
I can't wait to check on the VIFF (Vietnamese International Film Festival) in 2007 at UCI www.Vietfilmfest.com and also the Asian Pacific film festival (VCFilmFest 2006) on May 4 through 11, 2006.