Aye, Boy, is a coming-of-age story set in the 1990s about a teenaged tomboy who struggles to balance friends, a toxic relationship with her father, her Vietnamese American identity, and discovering her own sexuality. The proof-of-concept, Aye, Boy: The Short wrapped in June of 2019 and the feature, which is currently in its fourth draft, will be submitted to various screenplay competitions throughout 2024. If you’re interested in learning more or getting involved, My would love to hear from you.
the whole story
The most meaningful and moving stories are often rooted in truth. As I explored which direction to go for my first feature, it was important to tell a story that was close to me.
My parents immigrated to the United States in 1975 during the Fall of Saigon. My mom was separated from her family and escaped with her sister while my dad stayed and continued to fight for the South Vietnamese Army. They eventually settled in Virginia where they met through a family friend, started careers, got married, and had me. I was the straight A student and talented daughter they always wanted, but behind the good grades was a girl who was incredibly embarrassed. I was teased for having a name too difficult to pronounce and parents who spoke incredibly broken English. Being the tomboy that I was didn’t help either. I cared most about playing basketball with the boys and I often caught myself staring at my best friend when the light hit her face in just the right way. I hid a lot from everyone, I hid a lot from myself.
My dad was not fond of the tomboy look whatsoever and always had the quickest temper. I was fearful in my own home. Maybe it was trauma from the war, maybe it was an anger issue, maybe it was just that he didn’t care for kids and that’s why they only had one. Whatever it was, wondering what I did wrong everyday and how to be more “American” at school became exhausting. Our toxic relationship and journey to loving myself is why I’m writing this story today. This is my story. My coming out story. My gaining the courage to stand up to my dad story.
