KIỂU  :  FILMMAKERS' STATEMENT

There are some heroes who are celebrated but whose fate no one envies. In Vietnam there is such a tale of a young woman known not only for her courage and virtue, but for her extraordinary beauty and spiritual awareness. Her story was written in a poetic style originated and unique to Vietnam and she is so famous that children recite quatrains over dessert.

Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kieu) is a 3,254-line epic poem composed nearly 200 years ago by the Vietnamese writer Nguyễn Du.  It follows a woman, Thúy Kiều, as she meets harrowing obstacles and challenges that test her strength and her virtue.  That she is sold from brothel to brothel, weighing her existence upon every tragic move, reveals much not only about the political and economic lockouts that women have suffered all throughout history in western and eastern, southern and northern hemispheres, but also about the ways morality has consistently been used to degrade the roles women play in society.

We wanted to weave the story of the heroine in Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kieu) with the story of a Vietnamese massage parlor worker to honor both the sacrifice of Vietnam's national mythical heroine with that of a contemporary woman who is a heroine in her own right.

To achieve this, we spent nine months gathering the stories of Asian, mostly Vietnamese, massage parlor workers in San Francisco's Tenderloin district. Vietnamese women represent the highest number of Asian workers in the massage parlor industry andTruyện Kiều (The Tale of Kieu) was a source of inspiration for them. When we visited the women in their workplaces, their lives were rich with sacrifice, courage and perseverance, just as Thúy Kiều’s was centuries ago. To maintain realism and accountability, massage parlor workers served as script consultants and advisors.

We are grateful for the stories that the women who work in massage parlors shared with us. Without their generous support, advice, and assistance this film would not exist.  We hope that we are able to portray their dignity, courage, and graceful spirits with the same honesty and integrity that they shared with us.

This story exists as many stories, like a hallway full of open doors.

A floating fern minds not the swift, strong stream

destined to drift, it drifts no matter where.

From Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kieu)

Translation by Huỳnh Sanh Thông

Copyright 1983 by Yale University and used by permission of Yale University Press

-LISA ASAGI, DEBBIE H. NG, VŨ T. THU HÀ

Diễn Viên Chính | Main Cast

KATHY UYÊN : Kiều &Thúy Kiều

CHRIS ĐÌNH : Duy

LÊ THỊ NGỌC MINH : Má

NGUYỄN VĂN LÂM : Ba

MAI THỊ PHƯỢNG : Dì Út

PHAN MỘNG NHƯ THÙY : Thúy Vân

LÊ PHAN TIÊN TIÊN : Tiên Tiên

TRẦN MINH DŨNG : Quân

NGUYỄN THÁI TRANG-ANH : Lồng tiếng vai Thúy  Kiều/Thúy  Kiều's Voice

YÊN-LY : Linda

MỸ LÀI HUỲNH : Fiona

LY NGUYỄN : Mimi

VEANNE CAO : Jessica

SARAH NHUNG NGỌC HỒ : Chủ Tiệm Massage/Massage Parlor Owner

Diễn Viên Phụ | Supporting Cast

KIM CAO : Chủ cửa hàng tạp hóa/Grocery Store Owner

NGUYỄN NGÂN HẠNH : Nhân viên quán cà phê/Cafe Co-worker

ALEJANDRO RÓBLES : Ông trong thang máy/Man in Elevator

IRIS HERNÁNDEZ MEJÍA : Bạn cùng lớp/Classmate

NGUYỄN VĂN TÈO : Bảo 1984

NGUYỄN THỊ SƠN TUYỀN : Bé Đen/Kiều 1984

NGUYỄN  Đ. QUỲNH MAI : Bé  Kiều/Little Kiều

PHAN BẢO THIỆN : Bé  Bảo/Little Bảo

TRẦN BÙI QUANG VƯƠNG : Bé Duy/Little Duy

CALVIN TANG : Neighbor Boy

TRẦN KHANH TUYẾT : Lồng tiếng bổ sung/Additional Voice-Over   

Diễn Viên Quần Chúng | Extras

BÙI THỊ SÁU

SELMA COMODO

ALEXANDER CUKOR

KEITH DENHAM

MAI THỊ PHƯỢNG

MICHAEL DƯƠNG

HUỲNH NGỌC HẢI

LÊ ĐÔNG VŨ

CONSTANTINE LEE

MISSION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

DEBBIE H.  

WHITNEY NG

CHÍNH NGUYỄN    

NGUYỄN ĐẮC HÀO

HIẾU NGUYỄN

NGUYỄN THANH BÌNH

NGUYỄN THỊ MINH-HẬU

TRUNG NGUYỄN

PHẠM PHÚ YÊN

NATALIE SAIBEL

TRẦN DŨNG LINH

TRÌNH THỊ PHƯỢNG

BÍCH-THỦY VŨ

ULAND WONG

Lời Cảm Ơn Đặc Biệt Nhất Đến | Most special thanks to

FRANCIS PHILLIPS & CREATIVE WORK FUND

for believing in me, in this project and in this collaboration.

Thank you for bringing Kiều’s story to light.

Lời Cảm Ơn Đặc Biệt Đến | Special Thanks To

SOEUR GLORIA CAMPOSANO, DC

ANH ANTHONY NGUYỄN

ANH CHÍNH QUỐC NGUYỄN

CHỊ NGUYỄN THÁI TRANG-ANH

CHỊ TRẦN KHANH TUYẾT

LÀNG VIỆT/VIETVILLE

LOCUS ARTS

SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER

(API WELLNESS CENTER)

Cảm Ơn Nhiều | Many Thanks

ANGUS ANN ALLGEIER

SARAH CARP

SHIRLEY CARTER

SAMANTHA CHANSE

RAFAEL COFFEY

ELIZABETH DONOGHUE

SOCKIE FERNANDEZ

WENDY FONG

NATHAN HÀ

ANH CHỊ YẾN PHÚC HOÀNG

ME-LINH JENKINS

MARYAM KESHARVARZ

BÁC LÊ THỊ NGỌC MINH

CHỊ YSA LÊ

BOB & NANCY REYES LUMEN

FRANCIS & MARY ANN LUMEN

THE MEDINA FAMILY

LOLA MEDING

ATE BECCA

ATE DOLANG

KUYA JUNIOR

KUYA RUBEN & ATE VICKY

LESLIE MAH

ALICIA MCCARTHY

ANCHI MEI

DORI MIDNIGHT

PREETI MISTRY & ANN NADEAU

JERRY MINKIN

MARIE MOROHOSHI

AMY NG

DAVID & HARRIET NG

TERI NG

WHINEY NG

ANH CHỊ NGUYỄN THÙY CHUNG

EM NGUYỄN ĐẮC HÀO

ANH CHỊ NGUYỄN NGỌC HÙNG

BỐ LÂM & CÔ MINH-HẬU

DANNY NGUYỄN

GENEVIEVE ERIN O’BRIEN

EVE OISHI

SHERI OZEKI

DAVE PAI

HÂN PHẠM

CHESTER & JULIE PHONG

PHILLIP PORTER

KUYA RAUL & ATE MARIE

MAXIMILIAN ROCHA

NANCY RODRIGUEZ

THE ROLEY FAMILY

NORMAN RUTHERFORD

ALISON LEE SATAKE

CHANTI SMITH

CHRISTINA SOLETTI

ELIZABETH SY

JOHNN TAN

LISSA IVY TIEGEL

CHỊ THY TRẦN

ANH TRƯỜNG TRẦN

LINDA TRUNZO

CHỊ BÍCH-THỦY VŨ

GIA ĐÌNH VŨ FAMILY

CLAY WALSH

SARAH FRAN WISBY

TONY WONG

CHI-HUI YANG

Cảm Ơn | Thank You

ARIZMENDI BAKERY COOPERATIVE

CHRONICLE BOOKS

BAY AREA CASTING

CHÂU NGUYỄN FASHION

INTERPLAYCE

KEARNY STREET WORKSHOP

MANGOHOST

MISSION HIGH SCHOOL

OSENTO

PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD

PHILIPPINE NAVY

RAINBOW GROCERY COOPERATIVE

SAN FRANCISCO FILM COMMISSION

SF MUNI

ST. JAMES INFIRMARY

VAALA

And one big thanks to

ALL THE CAST & THE CREW & EVERYONE

who contributed in one way or another to make this project possible.

Tổ Chức Bảo Trợ Tài Chính | Fiscal Sponsorship

FILM ARTS FOUNDATION

Tổ Chức Phi Lợi Nhuận Hợp Tác | Collaborating Organizations

LOCUST ARTS

SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER (API WELLNESS CENTER)

Âm Nhạc | Music

“Trailer Song”

written & performed by JOEMY ITO-GATES (violin)

AHRAM KIM (cello),

CHRISTINE TEANO LIPAT (viola)

DOROTHY WANG (violin)

Copyright © 2005. Ito-Gates, Kim, Lipat & Wang

“Cello for the Johns”

written & performed by AHRAM KIM (cello),

Copyright © 2005. Ahram Kim

“Kieu Song” (Ozeki Song)

written by SHERI OZEKI

performed by JOEMY ITO-GATES (violin)

AHRAM KIM (cello),

CHRISTINE TEANO LIPAT (viola)

DOROTHY WANG (electric bass)

Copyright © 2005. Sheri Ozeki

“Trailer Song Variation”

written & performed by CHRISTINE TEANO LIPAT (viola)

in collaboration with AHRAM KIM (cello)

Copyright © 2005. Lipat & Kim

“On The Sea”

written & performed by DOROTHY WANG (guitar)

in collaboration with JOEMY ITO-GATES (violin)

Copyright © 2005. Wang & Ito-Gates

“Midnight Walk”

written & performed by JOEMY ITO-GATES (violin)

in collaboration with AHRAM KIM (cello),

CHRISTINE TEANO LIPAT (viola)

DOROTHY WANG (violin)

Copyright © 2005. Ito-Gates, Kim, Lipat & Wang

"Hoa Thơm Bướm Lượn"

folk song performed by (unknown)

Bộ phim này được tài trợ một phần bởi

giải thưởng nghệ thuật truyền thông từ |

This film was partially funded by a media arts award from

CREATIVE WORK FUND

Thân tặng và cảm ơn các chị “Kiều” tại San Francisco, Việt Nam và trên thế giới đã chia sẻ, đóng góp và cho chúng tôi ý tưởng để thực hiện cuốn phim này.

Dedicated and thank you to the “Kiềus” in San Francisco, in Việt Nam and throughout the world who shared, contributed and gave us the inspiration to make this film.

-VŨ T. THU HÀ

CÁC NHÂN VẬT VÀ SỰ KIỆN TRONG PHIM LÀ HƯ CẤU.

MỌI SỰ GIỐNG NHAU VỀ TÊN, NHÂN VẬT HOẶC LỊCH SỬ

VỚI BẤT KỲ CÁ NHÂN NÀO ĐỀU LÀ NGẪU NHIÊN VÀ KHÔNG CỐ Ý.

THE CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS PORTRAYED

AND THE NAMES HEREIN ARE FICTITIOUS.

ANY SIMILARITY TO THE NAME, CHARACTER OR HISTORY OF

ANY PERSON IS ENTIRELY COINCIDENTAL AND UNINTENTIONAL.

COPYRIGHT © 2006. VŨ T. THU HÀ