Filming ‘Coming Home’ in Vietnam

Finally, trailer of documentary “Coming Home: Beyond a Moonless Night” is available:

This documentary is the second part of the documentary “A Moonless Night” which was screened in Canada in 2016:

The main content of “Coming Home” is about the trip of Ms. Thi Be to re-visit and meet her extended family, friends, acquaintances in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, at the same time to learn about culture, history, development of three countries and contribute to promoting for three countries

The movie was produced by UniAction Films, a subdivision of the non-profit organization UniAction in Canada in collaboration with Les Films de l’Hydre and was filmed in Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, in which, I only joined the crew in Vietnam from July 18^th – 27^th, 2017.

In Vietnam, the crew filmed at Ho Chi Minh city, Dak Nong, Mui Ne, Hue, Ha Tinh, Hanoi. Beside Dak Nong, we took a flight there, the rest we were on a 29-seater van from the South to the North.

This was a special trip, since you felt like you were travelling with your family. The movie is the story of family, of the re-union, but it’s also story of kindness, love for people, culture, art and history.

In the documentary, there were participation of:

+ Ms. Thi Be Nguyen – Director, Office of the President and Major Donations at National Bank of Canada and Founder of UniAction, Executive Producer at UniAction Films – Canada.

+ Aunt Thi Hoi Nguyen: eldest sister of Ms. Thi Be Nguyen’s mother. She had left her family since 1963 to find work since the situation was difficult. Then she lost contact with her family, and only 46 years later, they found each other via the Television program “As the separation never happened” dated on 2009. The life of aunt Thi Hoi Nguyen was a so difficult and challenging story, specially when she totally lost contact with her birth family for 46 years. It’s been now over 50 years, and Thi Be’s mother and Thi Hoi still hasn’t met in person.

+ Aunt Thi Ngoc Nguyen: younger sister of Ms. Thi Be Nguyen’s mother, had moved to Australia and has been living there.

+ Other members in the crew include: Ms. Thi Be’s husband and her two children, Marie-Helene – film director and camerawoman at Les Films de l’Hydre, Josiane – photographer, Yasmine – in charge of sound. Ms. Thi Tam Nguyen, friend of Aunt Thi Hoi.

+ The movie was issued press permit from Foreign Press Center and was accompanied by film officer – Mr. Le Cong Duc.

Besides, we were joined by following people who answered interview but didn’t go with the crew in the whole trip:

+ Ms. Xuan Phuong Nguyen Thi – owner of Lotus Gallery, 100 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, HCMC

+ Ms. Tim Aline Rebeaud – founder of Maison Chance

+ Ms. Marianne Svanberg – Swedish and her adopted son from Vietnam

+ Ms. Thi Ha Ton Nu – owner of Tinh Gia Vien restaurant, Hue.

+ Ms. Huyen – great-great-great-great-great-grand daughter of Great Poet Nguyen Du and is a tour guide at Nguyen Du Memorial Site at Nghi Xuan, Ha Tinh.

+ Ms. Dinh and Ms. Yen – guide at Vietnam National Museum of History and Vietnam Museum of Revolution, Hanoi.

The two people I’m the most fortunate to have met in this trip is Ms. Thi Be and Ms. Tim.

For me, Ms. Thi Be is a very sucessfull person and she has a happy family, but more importantly, she is always full of energy, joyful, easy going, understanding, forgiving, smiling and generous despite anything happens.

Ms. Tim is a Swiss who came to Vietnam since she was 20 years old and she had spent her life to help thousands of orphans and disabled people in Vietnam, provided them shelters and a place where they can learn and develop.

Some photos: