THE MORNING PASSING ON EL CAJON BOULEVARD
Quyên Nguyên-Lê | 2020 | United States | 19’ | Documentary
Julie is a young and ambitious 2nd generation Vietnamese American funeral director. After the unexpected death of her own father, Julie seeks help from Do Thai Uyen, a San Diego legend who has been conducting funerals for Asian families in the area since the 1980s. A brief and intimate look into how diasporas cry the loss of their loved ones far from their home countries.
Quyên Nguyen-Lê (they/them) is a queer vietnamese filmmaker born to refugee parents in the place where Chumash and Tongva lands meet (San Fernando Valley, Los Ángeles). Quyên's work focuses on the ways histories are deeply felt in the quotidian everyday. Their films have screened in film festivals, art galleries, libraries, and community spaces worldwide. Quyên was an Associate Producer for Julie Ha and Eugene Yi's Free Chol Soo Lee (Sundance & Busan 2022) and Sing J. Lee's The Accidental Getaway Driver (Sundance 2023). Along with Tad Nakamura, Quyên is currently directing a feature length documentary about the artistic life of performer and activist Nobuko Miyamoto. Quyên's work has been supported by Visual Communications, the National Multicultural Alliance's Producer Lab, the Center for Asian American Media, Kartemquin, and Points North Institute. Their film Nước screened at the 2nd edition of Ici Vietnam Festival Cinéma in 2019.