A powerful documentary for Viet Film Fest 2024! Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Resettlement in Philadelphia, directed by Oanh-Nhi Nguyen, highlights the stories of Southeast Asians who resettled in Philadelphia after the American War in Vietnam. We spoke with filmmaker Oanh-Nhi Nguyen about her inspirations, the delicate balance between struggle and triumph, and the painstaking process of sourcing archival footage to tell these underrepresented stories from a deeply personal and dignified perspective.
1. What initially inspired you to tell the stories of Southeast Asians who resettled in Philadelphia after the Vietnam War?
I was initially inspired to make a documentary on VietLead’s impactful organizing work, but Lan Dinh, VietLead’s co-director, mentioned that she was researching how Southeast Asians resettled in Philadelphia and asked if I could make a documentary about that. During the pandemic, as anti-Asian violence surged, I felt compelled to amplify stories that dismantled the model minority myth, highlighted our power, and underscored how anti-Asian violence is deeply rooted in history. I’ve always felt that Southeast Asian stories and experiences related to the war are rarely told from our perspective, particularly regarding what happened to us after the war.
2. How did you select the individual stories featured in Taking Root?
VietLead co-produced the documentary with me, and because of their deep relationships within the community, they invited 15 community leaders who were ready to share their stories.
3. What criteria did you use to ensure a diverse and representative portrayal of the Southeast Asian community?
VietLead and I wanted to emphasize that the war in Vietnam did not only impact Vietnamese people but also Laotians and Cambodians. It is important to frame that there were wars in Southeast Asia that destabilized our communities as a result of U.S. government actions. This is why the documentary aimed to amplify diverse Southeast Asian voices to demonstrate the impact on our community as a whole and the importance of solidarity among us.
4. How did you balance the film’s emotional tone to reflect both the struggles and triumphs of the community? Were there specific creative choices that helped you achieve this balance?
As a filmmaker, it’s important for me to tell the truth of our struggles while also centering our triumphs. I was careful not to use archival footage that was violent or centered on U.S. soldiers. In crafting the episodes, we aimed to balance the heaviness with some lightness. I also wanted to ensure that we were portrayed in the dignified and beautiful way that we deserve.
5. How did you go about sourcing and integrating archival footage from the Vietnam War and the resettlement period into the film? Were there any particularly challenging or rewarding moments in this process?
The search for archival footage was time-consuming and intensive! Watching archival footage of our people trying to survive is heart-wrenching, but I felt it necessary to portray the destruction and havoc the war in Southeast Asia caused to our lands and people. Finding resettlement footage of refugees arriving and in camps was straightforward; however, finding footage of the post-camp period in Philadelphia was very difficult. Thankfully, we had photos from our interviewees, and the Chinese American organizer we interviewed, Debbie Wei’s husband, took photos of the conditions in which people were resettled in Philadelphia. The rewarding moment was putting the documentary together and ensuring our history is documented from our point of view.
6. How did you ensure that the cultural nuances and traditions of the Southeast Asian community were accurately and respectfully represented in the film?
The film was created with and for the community. Youth from VietLead helped conduct the interviews, our crew was predominantly Southeast Asian/POC, and we ensured that all interviewees gave their consent and had the opportunity to review several cuts of the film. TAKING ROOT was truly a labor of love by the community, which, in turn, made the film authentic.
Interviewer: Alena Nguyen
Taking Root: Southeast Asian Stories of Resettlement in Philadelphia (United States; dir. Oanh-Nhi Nguyen), In-Person Screening on Saturday 10/12 at 1 pm, with a screening of Peace Offering prior and a Q&A afterwards – Virtual At-Home Screening from October 5 to 20
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