MÁ SÀI GÒN (MOTHER SAIGON)

98 min., Documentary, Québec, Canada, 2023
Directed byKhoa Lê
Produced byLes Films de l'Autre - Khoa Lê
LanguageVietnamese

Short descriptionMá Sài Gòn is a love letter – a bittersweet ode to a comforting yet disturbing mother, to a city that is as liberating as it is oppressive.

Film subjects Asia , Family , Identity , LGBTQIA+

Film details

Synopsis

In Saigon, family culture carries on as it has for centuries, even when blood ties are broken. Through a mosaic of intimate portraits, Má Sài Gòn explores humanity’s universal desire for love, acceptance, connection and belonging through an LGBTQ+ lens. The film is a love letter – a bittersweet ode to a comforting yet disturbing mother, to a city that is as liberating as it is oppressive.

Crew

Script witer : Jonathan Bernier, Khoa Lê

Cinematography : Mathieu Laverdière

Editing : Isabelle Daveau, Ariane Pétel-Despots, Khoa Lê

Sound design : Simon Gervais

Sound mix : Bruno Bélanger

Music : Marie-Hélène L. Delorme

Sound recordist : Lynne Trépanier, Ngọc Tân Nguyễn

Direction

Khoa Lê

Born in Vietnam, Khoa Lê lives and works in Montreal. A videographer, multidisciplinary artist and screenwriter, he has a bachelor’s degree in filmmaking from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and specialized training in film production from the Institut national de l’image et du son (INIS). He has several films to his credit, including Lan et Mai (2006), Souvenirs de Lien (2007), Lan et Léa (2008), Je m’appelle Denis Gagnon (2010), Anna (2010) and Nuits nouvelles (2011), and collaborates in performance projects. Lê explores the themes of identity, hybridization and memory through different cinematographic genres.

Filmography

MÁ SÀI GÒN (MOTHER SAIGON), 100 min, Documentary, 2023

BÀ NÔI, 85 min, Documentary, 2013

NUITS NOUVELLES, 11 min, Documentary, 2011

ANNA, 14 min, Documentary, 2010

MY NAME IS DENIS GAGNON, 47 min, Documentary, 2010

LAN ET LÉA, 8 min, Documentary, 2008