The Family Vietgone: Film Screening & Talk

Join us on the 16th of October for a screening of The Family Vietgone. The fifty-minute documentary will be followed by a talk with playwright-filmmaker Qui Nguyen in conversation with Duke Dang. 

Vietgone, which played Off-Broadway in 2016, is based on Qui Nguyen’s family’s compelling journey to America at the end of the Vietnam War. A New York Times critic’s pick, the play was described by the Times as “a refugee tale with laughs and rap,” showcasing the manner in which wars “have an indelible impact on individual lives.” 

With its sequel Poor Yella Rednecks scheduled for its Off-Broadway premiere this fall at the Manhattan Theatre Club, Nguyen turns the camera on his parents in his documentary film The Family Vietgone, granting audiences the chance to meet them in Arkansas and listen to their remarkable stories of courage, love and resilience. In a conversation with Duke Dang after the screening, Nguyen, who was recently featured in PBS’s Southern Storytellers, will discuss the many facets of his career and what has inspired his work. 

Qui Nguyen is an Emmy-Award winning TV writer, filmmaker, playwright, and co-founder of the pioneering geek theatre company, Vampire Cowboys. Notable plays include Vietgone, She Kills Monsters, and Poor Yella Rednecks (running at Manhattan Theatre Club beginning October 10th). For TV/Film, he’s written for Marvel Studios, Netflix, AMC, SYFY, and PBS. He most recently wrote Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon (nominated for a 2022 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature) and co-directed and wrote Disney’s Strange World. Qui is a proud member of the WGA and a board member of New Dramatists.

Duke Dang is the executive director of Works & Process, a performing arts organization that champions artists and their creative process from studio-to-stage by partnering with residency centers across New York state and presenting at such illustrious venues as the Guggenheim Museum and Lincoln Center. Born at a UN refugee camp in the Philippines to Vietnamese parents seeking political asylum, he immigrated to California growing up with the assistance of Section 8 housing vouchers, food stamps, and attending Head Start. Prior to Works & Process, Duke worked at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Glimmerglass Festival, and Sydney Theatre Company.