In keeping with Viet Film Fest tradition, this set highlights cinematic representations of LGBTQ+ voices, feelings, and experiences. Spanning a range of genres and audiovisual styles, these films collectively assert the importance of acknowledging and embracing difference.

This set opens with the documentary Becoming Ruby. It introduces Ruby Chopstix, Canada’s first drag artist-in-residence and its only Vietnamese drag queen. Brilliant and delicate cinematography complements a powerful narrative about visibility, resilience, and the challenges faced by underrepresented drag performers. From Me to You shifts the focus to family tensions roused when a Vietnamese girl navigates her identity at the intersection of queerness and kinship.

In lighter tones, Clementine follows a series of heartfelt conversations between a trans woman and her close friends. The film radiates rosy warmth as it navigates questions of gender, womanhood, and support within queer communities.

The remainder of this set – Someone Special (Một người đặc biệt), Divine Intervention and Saigon Kiss – present varied forms of sapphic romance. Someone Special animates a tender, joyful dating story between two Vietnamese women in the diaspora, exploring the intersections of language, identity, and intimacy. In Divine Intervention, a touch of fantasy repairs a relationship between former friends, emphasizing the slow, magical process of healing and emotional reconnection. Saigon Kiss captures the dynamic queer culture of Saigon through a motorbike journey. 

With pride and care, this set invites audiences to celebrate queer presence, reflect on belonging, and recognize the beauty of difference. 

By Xiangu Qi