‘Ba’s Book’: How Making a Hybrid Film Exploring Refugee Trauma Brought a Family Closer
- Memoir Foundation: The cinematic project directly responds to Anh Duong's 2004 memoir detailing his childhood near Hue, his refugee status in Iran, and his arrival in Canada in 1980.
- Hybrid Filmmaking Style: The film combines live-action documentary footage, participatory re-creations in Vietnam with relatives, and fictional actor-driven scenes to process generational trauma.
- Vulnerable On-Screen Role: Director Ashley Duong initially stayed behind the camera before realizing she needed to match her family's vulnerability by putting herself on screen.
The Context & Background
The project stems from an artist residency Ashley took with her father, which evolved over several years into an ambitious cinematic journey of discovery. By returning to ancestral villages and confronting painful historical memories together, the family found a unique pathway toward healing past displacement and division.
Why it matters:The film offers a deeply personal look at how creative collaboration can help immigrant families process generational trauma and displacement. By bridging historical gaps between parents and children, projects like 'Ba's Book' highlight the universal power of storytelling in healing ancestral wounds.
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