Interview by Long Bui
Yvonne Tran is the new co-director for Viet Film Fest 2016
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in Orange County, specifically Tustin, CA. I received my B.A. from UC San Diego in Communication and my Master’s in Communication Research at Boston University. I am a SoCal girl at heart, so I returned back to Tustin four years ago, looking for some good stories to tell and using my skills to advance issues I care about. Since then I’ve worked at UC Irvine Libraries and interTrend Communications, all the while volunteering with a variety of local organizations such as VAALA, Project MotiVATe, Common Ground, and the Tiyya Foundation.
What were some of important things or people that shaped your sense of being a Vietnamese person and Vietnamese American?
Growing up, my family and I visited Little Saigon once a week to do our grocery shopping and that was the extent of my exposure to the Vietnamese American community. As a kid, I hated the fact that my hair was black, that I wasn’t allowed eat hamburgers all the time, and that my parents spoke with accents. I just felt like I would never be able to feel fully accepted in America. It was an identity crisis that I think a lot of immigrants’ children go through, and it left me in denial of who I really was.
It wasn’t until I got to college where I began to think more critically about the “American” history I was taught in school and became proud of the struggles of marginalized communities, like mine, who find ways to survive and thrive in America. I also took up some Vietnamese classes in an effort to better understand my parents and connect back with a culture that I had been ashamed of for so long. I went to Vietnam for the first time after graduation and put my rudimentary Vietnamese to good use. However, I went into my Vietnam travels thinking that I would finally find a place that would accept me as a Vietnamese person, but left with the confirmation that I was very American. Finally, the conclusion dawned on me that, as a Vietnamese-American, I will always be a child of two worlds, and it was a fact that I was finally proud of.
What motivated you join VFF and eventually take on a leadership role on organization?
I was initially motivated to join Viet Film Fest because I love film. Having worked in film libraries and being a film editor myself, I discovered how film was a powerful art form that could be used to influence and empower. Secondly, Viet Film Fest’s mission of bringing diverse Vietnamese voices and stories to the forefront was something I was passionate about and wanted to see grow in a sustainable way.
What visions do you have for VFF? What new developments or things do you want to see happen?
I would love to see Viet Film Fest grow beyond the borders of Little Saigon. I think that this initiative is already in motion with our move to a new location at AMC 30 Orange (The Outlets of Orange). However, while our target audience is still primarily Vietnamese-American, I am starting to see a lot more non-Vietnamese come into our theaters. I would like this to continue since the festival can serve as an important bridge builder between different cultural and community groups in Orange County. My dream is also to have the films and social issues spotlighted at the festival to be part of a year-around conversation, but that would require a dedicated, paid staff to make this happen.
Why do you think is cinema so important for community and identity?
When I first told my dad that I wanted to invite him to go see a Vietnamese film at VFF, he was reluctant at first because he thought it would just be more old films about the Vietnam War. I was surprised that he didn’t know about the burgeoning film industry in Vietnam and that so more topics beyond the war existed in the community. After he watched a few shorts about abusive relationships, he was so surprised at the production value of Vietnamese films and wanted to talk about the changing role of women in Vietnamese society. I was floored because I finally had an event that both my parents and I could understand and enjoy. From that point on, I saw films as a tool to overcome language and cultural barriers and to build relationships and community.
What were some of your favorite movies of all time or from childhood?
My cinematic taste is all over the place! But I do have a few films that I could watch over and over again: The Lord of the Rings Series, Star Wars and Harry Potter is up there as well, but it’s hard to beat the epic-ness of Middle Earth.
–Indiana Jones Series: Because Harrison Ford continues to be a babe and will always be my first love.
–The Departed, Forrest Gump, Chicago are some of my favorite Oscar winners.
-Most Documentaries!
–Mad Max is the most recent movie that has made me a fan.
