Ivan Kander
Being short film curators for an online environment, we here at Short of the Week are so often focused on quick-take content—that slick 8 minute science fiction teaser, that polished 5 minute animation. But, every once in a while, we are given a real old school cinematic treat—a slower paced, “festival” film with both story and heart. As we mention time and time again, length can be a real hurdle for many an online viewer (i.e. the longer your film is the better, ultimately, it needs to be) But, if the story is good enough, a #longshort can work like magic.
Forever in Hiatus, Andy Nguyen’s Columbia thesis short, is that type of old school cinematic experience. It’s not fast paced or flashy, but it is very well-constructed—a dramatic, character-driven piece with an incredibly strong sense of place. Set in Ho Chi Minh City, the film focuses on a developing relationship between Rico, a white xich lo (bicycle taxi) driver, and Kim, a 16-year-old Vietnamese girl from an affluent family. As the logline indicates, the protagonist is a washed-up pop singer living “underground” amongst a foreign city’s crowded streets. This plot point, which could have easily been cheesy, is handled with a nuanced brush. In fact, it’s barely even focused on, existing instead as a periphery element—a way to subtly build character.
In that sense, Forever in Hiatus feels very much like a slice of a larger story. That alone will be a double-edged sword for some viewers; considering the long runtime, I can see some being disappointed by its lack of a definitive resolution. But, the ending also leaves you wanting more—almost as if you briefly stumbled into Rico’s life before drifting away again, losing him in the noisy and packed Ho Chi Minh Streets. Emotionally, it captures a sense of longing and alienation. Although his exile might be self-imposed, it’s clear Rico still desires to connect with people—even if he is a resident of a foreign land.
The idea of being alone—even when surrounded by people—drives the film forward, and consequently, comes from Nguyen’s personal experiences. As Nguyen relates via e-mail, “I’m a Vietnamese-American born and raised in the suburbs of Tampa, Florida. It was a very alienating place to grow up as a minority, especially when you’re young and you feel like you’re the odd one out…During summers I’d go to visit family in Vietnam, where I thought that I would feel more accepted. When I came out of the airport, I encountered the largest congregation of Vietnamese people I’d ever seen in my life. However, when they looked at me and spoke with me, although I shared blood with them, they knew and treated me like I wasn’t one of them. So from those experiences, I tried to create a character who was out of place, but in a more exaggerated way to emphasize the experience of loneliness and alienation.”
This past summer, Nguyen recently produced his first feature entitled My first Kiss and the People Involved with his friends Ko-Rely Pi and Mayuran Tiruchelvam, directed by Luigi Campi (who stars as the lead in Forever in Hiatus). To find out more, visit the film’s website.