Queer Films and Filmmakers on Screen at CAAMFest - San Francisco Bay Times

"The Dao of Thao (May 9, 3 pm, AMC Kabuki) is an engaging documentary about the incredibly likeable performance artist Thao P. Nguyen, a queer Asian woman who grapples with her identity and authenticity both on stage and off. Thao is reluctant to come out to her mother, but is now parenting a young son, which prompts her to consider how parents' behaviors impact their children."

"Thao is romantically involved with a cis man, and yet worries about losing her queer friends because of her partner. In addition, while her family is Vietnamese, she was born in Thailand, which causes her concerns to fear she is not Vietnamese enough. As Thao workshops her performance, cares for her son, and reflects on her identity, she finds ways to make sense and find meaning of who she is and who she tries to be."

"The documentary short Between Us, playing in the "Seasons of Becoming" program (May 8, 5:30 pm, AMC Kabuki) also addresses issues of queer and Asian identities. Hunny Hach is a queer Cambodian in Long Beach, CA, who wants to understand her cultural and family history, but has lost some of that knowledge with the death of her mother."

"Another interviewee, Ivy Hàng, who is queer and Vietnamese, struggles with being born and raised in a country that displaced their family during the war. Seeking connection with their community in Little Saigon, they recount how the organizers of the annual Tét (Lunar New Year) parade, excluded LGBTQ"

CAAMFest in San Francisco’s Japantown features feature films, shorts, and documentaries by LGBTQ filmmakers. The documentary The Dao of Thao follows queer Asian performance artist Thao P. Nguyen as she navigates identity and authenticity on stage and off. She is reluctant to come out to her mother, is parenting a young son, and reflects on how parental behavior affects children. She is romantically involved with a cis man while worrying about losing queer friends, and she also questions whether she is Vietnamese enough despite her family background and birth in Thailand. Between Us centers on queer Cambodian and queer Vietnamese interviewees seeking cultural connection and community after losing family knowledge and facing exclusion from LGBTQ participation in a Tết parade.

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