What began as a screen arts class assignment to film a Vietnamese-American festival in New Orleans evolved into a new documentary that premiered on PBS Tuesday.
The film, “Mary Queen of Vietnam,” was produced through the LSU screen arts theater program. According to a press release, the hour-long documentary offers a look at the community surrounding Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church in New Orleans as the community prepares for its annual Tet Festival.
For a class project in 2018, student Phil Trinh created a two-minute film project focused on Vietnamese-American culture. Professor of Film Producing and Cinematography Glen Pitre saw Trinh’s work and said he knew the project needed to be something more.
“I knew this project was meant to be something bigger,” Pitre said.
LSU alumnus Bao Ngo directed the film. According to the press release, Ngo is a member of the community featured in the film and brought unparalleled access, perspective and cultural sensitivity to the project.
“The film would have been completely different without Bao,” Pitre said. “It was authentic because it was from an insider’s view, and that was a key element to this film.”
The filming began with a group of students enrolled in a class built around making this film in particular. The students had two to three weeks notice to prepare to film in New Orleans.
“I got to see these somewhat shy students come out of their shell,” Pitre said. “They were up close and personal with the members of the festival and they wanted to get the shots.”
When COVID-19 hit Louisiana in March, there was a pause in their production and uncertainty on when they would be able to return to in-person production.
“COVID-19 gave us a deadline for this film in a sense,” Pitre said. “The festival cannot take place this year, so we saw the film as an opportunity to give people a virtual experience.”
The film highlights what it means to be a Vietnamese-American and brings attention to what it means to be a member of this community in the 21st century.
“It is more than just us; there is a constant struggle and pressure within our group of Vietnamese people,” Ngo said. “I hope myself and this film will be an inspiration to the next generation of immigrants.”
The film is set in New Orleans and captures clips from the Vietnamese New Year’s Festival. The students captured the essence of performers in the festival while also interviewing them.
“This film will be a good reminder to everyone celebrating the new year this year,” Ngo said. “It reminds people where we are now, but one day things will resume as normal again.”
The term “americanized” is used throughout the film. Ngo said this theme shows the “constant struggle” of what to choose and what to give up from your culture while living in America.
“It is figuring out what language to speak, what holidays to celebrate, what to serve for a celebratory meal,” Pitre said. “But it is also all tied up in aspirations and how you want to be noticed.”
In the film, the younger generation discusses the difficulties of coming to a country and learning a new language, while trying to fit in at the same time.
Ngo said the question of how to mix two cultures together while not losing sight of either one is a struggle featured in the film.
“Unfortunately, there are so many negative headlines about people coming into this country,” Pitre said. “I have learned what it means to come into a country knowing nothing, but they add to the definition of what is to be American.”
'Mary Queen of Vietnam' focused on the Vietnamese-American culture in New Orleans and was featured on PBS on Feb. 9, 2021.
