Thời Thơ Ấu (Childhood) explores my understanding of my bốmẹ (parents) as people outside of their roles as my parents through looking at how they dream for their late parents and homeland as former refugees of the US War in Vietnam/Vietnam War. What concessions will I need to make to begin to see my parents as expansive individuals? What will I gain from embracing them in their fullness? I collected their dreams, stories, and memories using 16mm and Vietnamese and in my childhood home in Annandale, Virginia and Queens, New York. Vietnamese is the mother tongue of my parents, but English is the language I know myself by. We spoke in Vietnamese for the making of this film, and I slowly translated their words to English.” – Vi Tuong Bui
This film screens as part of the shorts program Sometimes I Imagine You A Little Lonely.
2705 SW 3rd Street, Miami, FL 33135
Vi Tuong Bui (she/her) is a queer photographer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised in Annandale, Virginia, she is the daughter of former boat refugees from the Vietnam War / US War in Vietnam. Vi’s practice is in 16mm, and her work often explores memory; intergenerational loss / healing; and Vietnamese and Asian American identity. Her films have screened widely, and she teaches 16mm color filmmaking at Mono No Aware.
