We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vy Nguyen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Vy, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
I’ve dealt with various struggles in the past, and I still do– mostly anxiety, family, and self-esteem. My optimism formed out of realizing that there were just certain areas of my circumstance that I could not change. However, there were aspects that I could, so I shifted my focus towards working on what I could change. That being my response to situations rather than the situation itself. In the end, as long as I know that I did my best, that’s enough.
In addition, Without the support of my friends– I don’t know if I would be here. So, I’d say my friends heavily contribute to my optimism.
Recently, I have turned twenty which is an incredibly underwhelming age, because there’s no rite of passage here in America when it comes to being twenty. However, I am entering my twenties which to me is weird to say. I’m realizing that I want to be more intentional when it comes to interacting with others and really listening (something I was not great at). I can tell that it is working out for me and it just brings me great joy when I’m able to connect with someone better than I have in the past. I don’t know. That makes me happy, because I meet various people on film sets and it can be a lot, but when I really listen, it helps.
Lastly, while I’m always trying to make the most out of my present time, I’m also looking forward to the future! Having been in the arts for practically my entire life and seeing how my life is coming together with the involvement, I’m excited about what the rest of my life holds. That keeps me optimistic and doing my best.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I will be a junior in the Film and Media Arts program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City this fall. Outside of being a full-time student, I do everything. Just kidding. Maybe.
This summer, I’ve worked as a PA on several commercial sets and indie shorts. I was a production intern for RW2, a local production company in Kansas City. Now, I am working at Cafe Ca Phe as a social media intern while simultaneously working as a freelance photographer and videographer, specializing in commercial and editorial work.
Eventually, I’d like to write and direct my own work.
I’d like to take these next couple of years as I am still in school to dabble in a little bit of everything and test out different film departments.
I think what’s so great about film is being able to see my work coming into fruition.
I reread my interview with Voyage from last year, and I wrote that I hope to one day write and direct my own films. It blows my mind, because I said, “I like to explore topics relating to family relationships, my identity as a bisexual Vietnamese woman, and simply the nature of what it’s like to be human”, and that’s exactly what I’m doing now.
It feels incredibly rewarding. At the same, knowing that my work touched people in various ways, that too feels fulfilling. It helps me strengthen my belief in that my work means something and that I’m doing the right thing.
That being said, my biggest project I’m tackling at the moment is the pre-production of my film titled “From Me to You”. It is about a Vietnamese girl and her immigrant mother unraveling the complexity of their cultural differences through art and food. It is a family drama and it touches on various niche experiences I faced growing up as a Vietnamese immigrant. The production is planned to be in Spring 2024.
We have a budget goal of $25,000. I recently applied to the Teri Rogers Filmmaking Grant for $10,000. I’m hoping to reach the rest of the goal with Indiegogo, personal investments, and speaking to local businesses about sponsorship. The project’s Indiegogo and social media is being kept under-wrapped until October when we launch our Instagram, which you can find at @frommetoyou_film.
I’ve always known that I wanted to tell a story like this. Living in Kansas City, we don’t often see these kinds of AAPI stories being told here, and I want to change that. I’m really looking forward to sharing the project with everyone.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
If I had to choose three qualities I believe are most important to develop is being genuine, learning to give it your all about the things you’re passionate about, and keeping an open mind to learning new things.
I was about to say in film, but I think as far as life goes, these are important general qualities to have. There’s no reason to not be genuine, kind, or respectful. People see when someone is genuine. People also see when you’re passionate about your craft. Having these qualities incline people to help you and want to be a part of your life.
I’d also keep an open mind to learning new things. There’s always going to be something new to learn each day. I realized that sometimes I can be short with someone, because I think I know what they’re trying to tell me, but I don’t. That is something about myself that I am working on. In film, a PA can be a Director the next day. When you’re starting, it’s important to just learn and shoving away whatever ounce of pretentiousness you might hold in your body.
You don’t have to impress anyone. If you don’t know something, ask questions.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The struggle I currently face is overworking myself. It is a privilege to be able to do the things I love for work and this past month, work has just become a slight obsession for me.
However, I’m realizing that my life does not have to be “go, go, go”. I can rest, and it’ll still be okay.
I say this as I am returning to university as a full-time student while working three jobs and the pre-production of my indie film. It’s insane but sometimes, I feel like I’m living a dream.
At the end of the day, me working three jobs is only temporary. I know that I’m working towards something great and I can only achieve that if I also allow myself rest and breaks!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vyhnguyen.wixsite.com/suburbancinema
- Instagram: instagram.com/suburbancinema
Image Credits
Miguel Silva-Leon, Symone Franks, Justina Kellner, Ngan Nguyen, Taylor Batchedlor, Baron Redman
