'New Wave' doc casts spotlight on ‘80s Vietnamese American music subculture

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A new documentary offers a glimpse of the music scene enjoyed by Vietnamese American youths who sought refuge in the U.S. with their families in the 1980s.

Directed by Elizabeth Ai, “New Wave” showcases the vibrant spirit of Vietnamese American teens in Orange County, California, as it explores cultural identity, resilience and new beginnings through new wave — a subculture of disco music, massive perms and leather jackets. It took Ai, who was pregnant during the conception of her project, six years to produce the documentary.

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, she recalled thinking of stories to share with her daughter about her youth and ancestral inheritance. "New wave music popped into my head — the music was an anchor to some of my earliest and fondest memories,” she said.

Ai noted that she plans to use the documentary to “flip the script” and focus on the relatively unknown subculture, as “most Americans knew the Vietnamese experience started and ended with violent Vietnam War movies or ghettoized versions of us.”

Trending on NextShark: 'New Wave' doc casts spotlight on ‘80s Vietnamese American music subculture

The documentary premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and will be shown at Laemmle Glendale from Friday to Oct. 31.

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