Losing Vietnam

Everyday life/Society, Austria/Germany 2021

Bay and Tam are a Vietnamese couple who have been living in Germany for the past 30 years. They work as office cleaners by night and rarely come into contact with German society. By day they spend all their time online, maintaining a virtual connection to their homeland via Skype and karaoke chatrooms. But when a storm destroys their house in Vietnam, theirs virtual bubble bursts. Tam desperately tries to organize the repairs remotely, while Bay’s priorities begin to shift, and she studies German in anticipation of the birth of their grandchild in Germany. She sees her future forming there, while for Tam it becomes more important than ever to focus on his family in Vietnam. Is home a place or a state of mind? Mein Vietnam is a vivid illustration of living in two places at once, and that duality’s consequences on marriage, family and a sense of belonging. (Hot Docs, Angie Driscoll) "A timely portrait of migrant experiences" "Directors Ellrich and Mai, the latter being the daughter of the subjects, offer an intimate portrait of the couple’s daily toils. Through simple framing and a delicate pattern of work and domestic life, Mein Vietnam seamlessly inserts a viewer into the everyday experience of its two characters." Pat Mullen, povmagazine.com
70 min
HD
Starting at 12
Audio language:
Vietnamese
Subtitles:
EnglishGerman

Awards

DOK.fest München @home 2021 Special Mention
FILMZ Mainz 2021 First prize, documentary film competition
FIRST STEPS Awards 2021 FIRST STEPS Award, Documentary

More information

Producer:

Leopold Pape

Original title:

Mein Vietnam

Original language:

English

Further titles:

My Vietnam

Format:

16:9 HD, Color

Age rating:

Starting at 12

Audio language:

Vietnamese

Subtitles:

EnglishGerman