0:00:05.865,0:00:11.171
Nightmare ! [br]Our Uber dropped us at a corner

0:00:11.171,0:00:13.966
but the street is cut in half

0:00:14.638,0:00:19.905
and the interview takes place[br]accross this building

0:00:19.916,0:00:22.056
and we can't fly

0:00:22.056,0:00:23.832
"voilà"

0:00:23.859,0:00:29.310
We can't go through a small alley

0:00:29.310,0:00:34.901
We have to go around the block because[br]the network's building is in Little Saigon

0:00:34.911,0:00:38.495
(music)

0:00:51.870,0:00:53.513
Why am I in California ?

0:00:53.513,0:00:57.853
I directed a film 2 years ago[br]named Little Father

0:00:57.853,0:01:03.994
and it got selected at Viet Film Fest[br]in Orange County, California

0:01:03.994,0:01:07.322
We're here for 3 days[br]Hi Cassandre !

0:01:07.322,0:01:10.129
to take part of the festival, screening[br]is on Saturday

0:01:10.138,0:01:13.243
Opening night is tonight

0:01:13.243,0:01:16.662
We use make up, I didn't shave

0:01:16.662,0:01:20.436
I'm wearing a shirt, and I won't have a [br]cap on my head

0:01:20.436,0:01:24.176
That's a lot[br]We went to a great networking event

0:01:24.185,0:01:27.969
last night with other film directors

0:01:27.969,0:01:31.883
taking part of the festival, [br]coming from around the world

0:01:31.883,0:01:35.041
I even sang Joe Dassin

0:01:35.637,0:01:38.411
- There's a tape, Cassandre ?[br]- Yes

0:01:38.411,0:01:49.348
"aux Champs Élysées, aux Champs Élysées,[br]au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi,

0:01:49.348,0:01:55.193
ou à minuit, il y a tout ce que [br]vous voulez aux Champs Élysées

0:01:55.193,0:02:00.493
Tu m'as dit j'ai RDV dans un sous-sol[br]avec des fous qui vivent la guitare

0:02:00.493,0:02:06.895
à la main du soir au matin[br]alors je t'ai accompagné on a chanté

0:02:06.895,0:02:09.929
on a dansé et on a même pas pensé...

0:02:09.940,0:02:12.582
We had our first screening this morning

0:02:12.582,0:02:14.936
Many great films

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Mostly shortfilm, it was amazing,[br]very amazing !

0:02:19.457,0:02:21.707
A short-film I really like named [br]"Ramadan"

0:02:21.707,0:02:29.365
it's a documentary about 5 young [br]south-east asian muslim

0:02:29.365,0:02:33.228
who filmed themselves during ramadan[br]to share what it is

0:02:33.249,0:02:36.653
and what religion means for them

0:02:36.653,0:02:41.940
They directed it in 2016, when Trump[br]mentionned Muslim Ban a lot

0:02:41.940,0:02:49.438
It was a way for them to respond [br]to what the media said

0:02:49.438,0:02:54.377
Tonight, Red Carpet, party, food,[br]screening I guess

0:02:54.377,0:02:58.033
Stephane presented Spring leaves [br]at the festival last year

0:02:58.033,0:03:00.164
He's the one telling me [br]about Viet Film Fest

0:03:00.184,0:03:04.298
He's here with Jasmine Lane[br]a film he directed this year

0:03:04.298,0:03:12.088
I should get ready [br]Boom ! "My Adidas ..."

0:03:12.088,0:03:14.559
(My Adidas - Run DMC)

0:03:27.569,0:03:31.986
"First I'd like to thank the board [br]of VAALA"

0:03:43.917,0:03:47.722
I didn't have to come with Little Father[br]to this festival

0:03:49.048,0:03:51.642
because it's a film with [br]a small budget

0:03:51.642,0:03:54.369
and the trip was at my expense

0:03:54.369,0:03:58.536
I only apply to this particular festival

0:03:58.536,0:04:00.301
It wasn't any festival

0:04:00.301,0:04:03.865
It was amy way to meet a [br]Vietnamese community

0:04:03.865,0:04:07.922
who lives his identity in way [br]we don't in France

0:04:08.505,0:04:10.857
I arrived 2 hours ago

0:04:10.857,0:04:14.457
This is my first interview with [br]an important Viet TV in the US

0:04:14.457,0:04:15.986
And yet...

0:04:18.226,0:04:22.001
"Do you have any Vietnamese in you ?"

0:04:22.001,0:04:25.842
as a start, then I'm asked what I like [br]about the culture here in Little Saigon

0:04:25.842,0:04:30.016
I just got here, and I don't know much

0:04:30.016,0:04:33.505
A Canadian director tap my shoulder [br]and tells me that I should

0:04:33.515,0:04:36.438
be interested, because it's my culture[br]"Man"

0:04:36.739,0:04:39.135
It hits me, I'm confused

0:04:39.135,0:04:42.924
I realised things aren't go easy,[br]the interview is a nightmare

0:04:42.934,0:04:46.885
I end up speaking nonsense, and feel [br]I'm not what's expected

0:04:46.892,0:04:48.507
I came too relaxed

0:04:48.507,0:04:51.587
I had to be more prepared,[br]screening is in 2 days

0:04:51.587,0:04:55.563
The following Q&A are in English[br]I have to pre-write my thoughts

0:04:55.563,0:04:58.666
to say what's on my mind properly

0:05:20.029,0:05:24.087
This dragon fruit comes from [br]the neighbour's garden

0:05:24.087,0:05:27.670
He offered us some[br]So nice,

0:05:30.491,0:05:31.893
hum...

0:05:31.893,0:05:34.254
- Are you anxious, Thomas ?[br]_ I am

0:05:34.254,0:05:35.886
- What about you, Stephane

0:05:35.886,0:05:39.308
- No, digesting keeps me [br]from stress

0:08:32.040,0:08:35.816
I was moved by the many stories, [br]and identities

0:08:35.816,0:08:37.693
that were in the films

0:08:37.693,0:08:40.477
Those describe a large spectrum

0:08:40.477,0:08:42.611
and yet many similarities

0:08:42.611,0:08:48.229
I've been touched by films about[br]intersectionnality

0:08:48.229,0:08:51.059
religion, gendre, or memories

0:08:51.617,0:08:56.283
I came here by choice, with my brown face

0:08:56.283,0:09:00.770
that got me questionned about whether [br]I actually was Vietnamese

0:09:00.770,0:09:03.181
or if I could talk Vietnamese

0:09:03.181,0:09:06.989
Being here was way to become part [br]of this community

0:09:06.989,0:09:08.994
and being represented

0:09:08.994,0:09:15.819
Showing asians are a uniform monolithic [br]group of people

0:09:16.418,0:09:20.589
It's a weird self-recovery process[br]I still struggle

0:09:20.589,0:09:24.674
to find balance in this mix[br]One film at a time I'll try

0:09:24.674,0:09:28.855
to wrtie stries that speaks for me[br]and maybe

0:09:28.855,0:09:32.226
it would mean something to others

0:09:32.599,0:09:34.896
(music)

0:10:08.882,0:10:10.642
Last day of the festival

0:10:10.642,0:10:14.590
Yesterday Little Father was screened[br]There were a few people

0:10:14.827,0:10:21.244
I'm glad I could express my [br]thoughts in English

0:10:21.244,0:10:26.412
that was the hard part, to figure out how [br]to say things the right way

0:10:26.792,0:10:31.100
The film got success, [br]I had many good reviews

0:10:31.100,0:10:36.030
I was happy to see Jasmine Lane at last !

0:10:36.030,0:10:42.460
In which performs Mike Nguyen, Grace Ly, [br]François-Xavier Phan,

0:10:42.460,0:10:46.268
Can't remember everybody-[br]You are great in this scene

0:10:46.268,0:10:50.482
It's funny to picture you in the 60s[br]70s 75

0:10:50.482,0:10:53.202
Fanny who I wen to highschool [br]with also plays in the film

0:10:53.202,0:10:55.442
That was unexpected !

0:10:55.442,0:10:59.730
Yesterday morning I watched short films[br]directed by a young group

0:10:59.730,0:11:06.162
who went on a weekly program [br]for filmmakers

0:11:06.162,0:11:11.335
and it was interesting to see their[br]documentaries, fiction, or action films

0:11:11.335,0:11:14.247
Many of topics were relevant and [br]made sense

0:11:14.247,0:11:19.900
I really like the story of a teenagers [br]who learns back Khmer

0:11:19.900,0:11:26.044
because he forgot, and want to speak [br]to his grandmother

0:11:26.044,0:11:30.098
There were a documentary about [br]rent price range

0:11:30.098,0:11:36.124
and how landlords can rise rent [br]without regulation

0:11:36.124,0:11:39.815
it was well put for a first film

0:11:39.815,0:11:45.564
congratulations to all of the directors

0:11:45.564,0:11:49.854
It's a great work, respect[br]You have many years ahead to learn

0:11:49.854,0:11:55.891
and to developp your style

0:12:06.469,0:12:11.219
Thanks to Viet Film Fest Staff for[br]having us, and those 3 days