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In The Empathizer, director Fred Le travels to Vietnam to explore why his mother refuses to return to the homeland she left. There, he interviews a number of Vietnamese expatriates who have made a living in Vietnam, including artists, athletes, business owners, and students. Each discusses the contradictions between what they learned about Vietnam during their own Western upbringings and their experiences in present-day Vietnam. It might appear, at first, that The Empathizer is leaning so heavily on the views of the young Việt kiều (the Vietnamese diaspora) who emigrated back to Vietnam, but Le eventually returns to the source of why this film exists. And when he does, The Empathizer finds its emotional and moral center.
Aptly titled, The Empathizer pushes the audience to consider the diverse viewpoints and experiences of the various Vietnamese diaspora approaches to Vietnam. It blends humor and gravity in articulating the lasting effects of division, suspicion and animosity borne out of war, forced migration, and politics. The film speaks directly to the children of Vietnamese refugees who seek to empathize with the tribulations of their parents, but often cannot fully grasp the effects of displacement-induced trauma. Highlighting the rift between generations, The Empathizer pushes the audience to explore ways to build empathy and understanding.
By Y Nguyen
In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, millions of Vietnamese immigrants fled their beloved country to build new lives all over the world. In the decades that followed, hundreds of children of these refugees have permanently returned to the motherland out of a curiosity and desire to experience the current country that their parents had mourned. Comedian Fred Le, who himself spent three years in Vietnam, conducts a series of interviews with these overseas-born Vietnamese professionals to explore the allure of the motherland and what it means to 'return home.'
- Year2024
- Runtime53:46
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorFred Le, Bret Hamilton
- ScreenwriterFred Le
- ProducerFred Le, Hak Lonh
- Executive ProducerKing Kimbit
- CinematographerBret Hamilton
- EditorHak Lonh
In The Empathizer, director Fred Le travels to Vietnam to explore why his mother refuses to return to the homeland she left. There, he interviews a number of Vietnamese expatriates who have made a living in Vietnam, including artists, athletes, business owners, and students. Each discusses the contradictions between what they learned about Vietnam during their own Western upbringings and their experiences in present-day Vietnam. It might appear, at first, that The Empathizer is leaning so heavily on the views of the young Việt kiều (the Vietnamese diaspora) who emigrated back to Vietnam, but Le eventually returns to the source of why this film exists. And when he does, The Empathizer finds its emotional and moral center.
Aptly titled, The Empathizer pushes the audience to consider the diverse viewpoints and experiences of the various Vietnamese diaspora approaches to Vietnam. It blends humor and gravity in articulating the lasting effects of division, suspicion and animosity borne out of war, forced migration, and politics. The film speaks directly to the children of Vietnamese refugees who seek to empathize with the tribulations of their parents, but often cannot fully grasp the effects of displacement-induced trauma. Highlighting the rift between generations, The Empathizer pushes the audience to explore ways to build empathy and understanding.
By Y Nguyen
In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, millions of Vietnamese immigrants fled their beloved country to build new lives all over the world. In the decades that followed, hundreds of children of these refugees have permanently returned to the motherland out of a curiosity and desire to experience the current country that their parents had mourned. Comedian Fred Le, who himself spent three years in Vietnam, conducts a series of interviews with these overseas-born Vietnamese professionals to explore the allure of the motherland and what it means to 'return home.'
- Year2024
- Runtime53:46
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorFred Le, Bret Hamilton
- ScreenwriterFred Le
- ProducerFred Le, Hak Lonh
- Executive ProducerKing Kimbit
- CinematographerBret Hamilton
- EditorHak Lonh