ABOUT THE PROJECT

LOGLINE
Created by Vietnam War refugees for the global Vietnamese diaspora, variety show Paris by Night, faces an uncertain future as the founder’s grandchildren transform it for a modern audience.

SYNOPSIS
Paris by Night is a family-run Vietnamese-language variety show created in 1983 by founders Tô Van Lai and Thúy Nga, Vietnamese refugees who settled in Paris. The show created a cult following among the displaced Vietnamese community to connect with their homeland and culture in a post-Vietnam War era.

Older generations who survived the war discovered an artistic way to communicate their trauma to younger generations of Vietnamese children. A passionate underground following for Paris by Night also remains in Vietnam to this day despite the fact it is censored due to its distribution of pre-war 1975 music and history.

The founders’ daughter, Marie Tô, and her husband, Paul Hu?nh, continue to run Paris by Night in Orange County for a loyal cult following. Supporting their parents, Celina and Dustin, aim to modernize the business for not only a contemporary audience but the Vietnamese diaspora worldwide. Facing a generational and transnational dilemma while balancing their own personal aspirations and navigating their 20’s, this endeavor could prove to be feast or famine for Paris by Night’s future survival.

This is an intimate behind-the-curtains look at what makes Paris by Night iconic to the Vietnamese diaspora. It will examine its history, showcase interviews, and reveal archival and fan footage of the show’s day-to-day before, during, and after each show. This is a journey about the family behind Paris by Night and their experience of keeping the show’s legacy alive.

PROJECT TYPE Documentary Feature

DIRECTOR Jeane Phan Wong, Jimmy Nguyen
PRODUCER Jes Vu, Tracy Chitupatham, Jeane Phan Wong