Prague (VNA) – Beyond the Broken Bridge, an international film project exploring the identity, family, and journey of Vietnamese people living abroad to reconnect with their roots, was introduced by Cinexia Productions at the Vietnam–Europe Film Gala in Prague, Czech Republic, on September 3.
According to directors Alex Werner, Kristina Schippling and Zhong To, the Sapa shopping centre was chosen as one of the film’s first shooting locations because it is home to a large Vietnamese community in Prague, where Vietnamese culture and community life are strongly visible in the heart of Europe.
Werner said he was impressed by the centre, which gives him the feeling of a “miniature Hanoi” in Europe. Its people, daily life and business activities provide authentic material for the film. The crew has also been recruiting actors and Vietnamese shopkeepers, workers, young people and families for supporting roles and crowd scenes.
Rather than simply telling a story about returning to Vietnam, Beyond the Broken Bridge delves into questions of identity and where people truly belong to. Co-director Zhong To said many Vietnamese who grow up abroad have to harmonise family and community values passed down from previous generations and Western environments that place greater emphasis on individualism.
The differences can create gaps between generations, he said, but also provide material for the film to explore Vietnamese identity in a multicultural society.
Co-director Kristina Schippling, a Berlin-based writer and filmmaker, said the international perspective of the filmmaking team is expected to help bring the story of the overseas Vietnamese community to international audiences.
After Prague, the crew plans to film in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Mui Ne and Hanoi before returning to Prague next January for winter scenes.
To said the film seeks to offer a deeper perspective on Vietnamese people beyond familiar images of food and culture, focusing instead on migrant family life, generational divides and the search for a place to belong to.
Through Beyond the Broken Bridge, the team hopes to bring the stories of Vietnamese living abroad closer to international audiences while contributing to cinematic and cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Europe./.
