L'Espace to introduce “Unknown, Presumed French” documentary in Hanoi and HCMC
PSNews - The Center of French Culture under the French Embassy in Vietnam will introduce to art lovers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City "Unknown, Presumed French", a documentary of Vietnamese - born French director Philippe Rostan.
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"Unknown, Presumed French" tells us the story of the harsh fate of Eurasian children, whose mother is Vietnamese and father is French, born in the Indochina war.
During the Indochina war, thousands of Eurasian children were born to a French father, often unknown, and a Vietnamese mother. Rejected by both the French and Vietnamese communities, their existence represented a threat to the colonial order.
As the numbers of mixed children increased, a decree was issued to naturalize them. At the end of the war, they were placed in orphanages and then “repatriated” to France, often against their mothers’ wishes.
The documentary promises to bring you unforgettable emotions on a war period in Vietnam.
In particular, before screening the documentary, art lovers will also have chance to talks with director Philippe Rostan. This talk aims to introduce the audience to the production and behind-the-scenes process of the documentary, as well as the journey to meet the witnesses appearing in the film.
The Center of French Culture L'Espace announced that the documentary "Unknown, Presumed French" will be screened in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from June 3-5.
Philippe Rostan is a director, writer and producer, known for his documentaries. Born in Vietnam from a french father and a Vietnamese mother, he came to France in 1975, after the end of the war.
Philippe Rostan began his career as an assistant director for Klaus Kinski (Paganini, 1989) Pierre Schoendoerffer (Dien Bien Phu, 1991), Mathieu Kassovitz (Métisse 1994). Since then he has produced and directed 8 award-winning creative documentaries, many on historical, social or political issues, including The Three Wars of Madeleine Riffaud and The Love Market.
These two films won Etoiles De la Scam (a prestigious documentary film prize in France) in 2011 and 2012. And international awards, The Three Wars of Madeleine Riffaud also won the Festival of Algers' Grand Prix in 2012. The Cursed Twins won the Ouidah International Festival's Documentary Prize in 2014.
