Maximilian Badier-Rosenthal grows up in a mixed culture, with a French father and a Vietnamese mother. Back in France after obtaining a degree in Chinese in Beijing, he writes and directs his first short film at the OMJA in Aubervilliers. While participating in the Génération Court festival, he meets Yassine Qnia who will produce in 2016 his first short film, Ông Ngoai, with Nouvelle Toile Production. The story is inspired by an event that Maximilian experienced with his grandfather. In 2020, he shoots his second short film, Malabar, produced by Don Quichotte Films. It revolves around an accidental encounter, in the middle of the night, between two young people and a Vietnamese retired man. Malabar was screened at the 4th edition of Ici Vietnam Festival in 2021.