Andrea Nguyen
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Recent PostsMother’s Day Tribute: Who’s My Mama? 1990s Viet Food Film: Anatomy of a SpringrollRed Wine and Fish Sauce Beef Jerky Recipe (Thit Kho Bo)Mail Call: Easter with the PhamsHoney and Rose Water Tapioca Pudding RecipeGiant Fried Jiaozi Dumplings RecipeChinese Peanut Cookies Recipe (Hua Sheng Bing)Pineapple and Pork Soup Recipe (Canh Dua Thit Heo)Bao Cooking Tips: Pleats up or down?Egg Custard Buns Recipe (Lai Wong Bao)Awards + Praise
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May 02, 20111990s Viet Food Film: Anatomy of a Springroll“Food is everyone’s first language,” Paul Kwan says in the opening of Anatomy of a Springroll [SIC] (1994). Kwan made the documentary with partner Paul Iger to explore issues of personal identity, food memories, and cultural adaptation. It’s a dreamlike movie with historic footage, staged segments, animation, and even puppets!
There is Vietnamese food from beginning to end. Kwan’s spring roll is the fried cha gio wrapped in rice paper. He uses it as a metaphor for rediscovering his past as he ventures from San Francisco (where his family had settled after coming from Vietnam) to Saigon. He is Vietnamese of Chinese descent.
If you’re into Asian American identity, Kwan and Iger give you lots to think about. If you’re into food, you’ll see some scenes that remain the same today in Vietnam. There was lots of information about Vietnamese folklore and foodways too. Film buffs will appreciate the artiness of the piece, which somewhat echoes the reactions of visiting or returning Vietnam for the first time. My first time back was strange. Am I Vietnamese? American? Both or neither? Kwan posed those question and more.
Anatomy of a Springroll has aired on PBS several times and in 2008, it was part of the national public television series called Global Voices. Simon Bao alerted me that the movie was now on Hulu. (As BFMartin pointed out, Hulu is only available in the US so I just reposted it from YouTube.) I watched the movie years ago and viewing it again was like visiting an old friend. I could practically taste the flavors of all the glorious dishes in the film.
“Food is not just a thing, but a way. In its preparation, it’s the essence of language, and a connection to a culture,” Kwan says.
Check out Anatomy of a Springroll, and share your thoughts on the good and bad. It’s an hour long so you can certainly skim through it, as needed.
More Viet food in the media:
Luke Nguyen's Vietnam (SBS Australia; read about my friend Luke) Rick Stein's BBC Vietnam Travel Show Posted in Asian Food Culture, Travel, Viet Food in Media, Vietnamese Culture, Vietnamese Family Stories | PermalinkReblog (0) | | Digg This | | Comments
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Just for my student's a part A totally free as soon come to be originated right from which usually heroic smaller goof, so, who braved an individual's oft cursed enemy to save the life about an individual's keeper; or possibly right from which usually unwanted baboon, so, who, climbing down from mountain tops, caught up for victory an individual's teen comrade in a gang about surprised k9s -- like in a savage so, who pleasures to make sure you personal an individual's foes, has " up " bloody surrender, treatments infanticide lacking bad feelings, milkbones an individual's spouses want slaves, has found out basically no decency, is haunted through grossest superstitions.
Posted by:Gucci Outlet |May 02, 2011 at 07:25 PMJust for my student's a part A totally free as soon come to be originated right from which usually heroic smaller goof, so, who braved an individual's oft cursed enemy to save the life about an individual's keeper; or possibly right from which usually unwanted baboon, so, who, climbing down from mountain tops, caught up for victory an individual's teen comrade in a gang about surprised k9s -- like in a savage so, who pleasures to make sure you personal an individual's foes, has " up " bloody surrender, treatments infanticide lacking bad feelings, milkbones an individual's spouses want slaves, has found out basically no decency, is haunted through grossest superstitions.
Posted by:Gucci Outlet |May 02, 2011 at 07:25 PMJust for my student's a part A totally free as soon come to be originated right from which usually heroic smaller goof, so, who braved an individual's oft cursed enemy to save the life about an individual's keeper; or possibly right from which usually unwanted baboon, so, who, climbing down from mountain tops, caught up for victory an individual's teen comrade in a gang about surprised k9s -- like in a savage so, who pleasures to make sure you personal an individual's foes, has " up " bloody surrender, treatments infanticide lacking bad feelings, milkbones an individual's spouses want slaves, has found out basically no decency, is haunted through grossest superstitions.
Posted by:Gucci Outlet |May 02, 2011 at 07:25 PMVideo is only available in the US. Boo!
BF Martin: You are right! Just found it on YouTube and embedded that for you to watch! If the video does not work, here is a direct link to YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iLKwhanaAs
Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |May 04, 2011 at 11:07 PM Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by: |This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
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