Milý tati (Love, Dad)

The scouts

Czech-Vietnamese epistolary doc where the film itself is the reply letter — paper collage, rotoscope, archival. The form earns it, even if 'estranged-dad' is the most over-mined seam in shortdom.

Van Nguyen's epistolary animated documentary — paper collage, rotoscoping, three actors embodying her family — locates the filmmaker's act of making as itself the letter. In the lineage of Waltz with Bashir, but more intimate.

Paper collage plus rotoscoping plus cut-out plus archival photography, with three actors casting her family members — that's a maximalist material approach to epistolary doc where the filmmaking itself becomes the letter being written. New Yorker Documentary platform suits it.

Reviews

The authenticity of the narrative, brought to the screen with the ingenuity of the craft, makes the film all the more deeply affecting.

This is striking, innovative, affecting. In every aspect that care has been rewarded with quality.

Festivals

• Locarno Film Festival 2021
• Toronto International Film Festival 2021, Share Her Journey Honourable Mention
• BFI London Film Festival 2021, Short Film Award
• IDFA 2021
• DOK Leipzig 2021, Silver Dove / Best Short Audience Award
• AFI Fest 2021, Grand Jury Award
• Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival 2021, Best Czech Documentary Film, Best Sound Design
• Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2021, Best Student Short Film
• Krakow Film Festival 2022, Jury Award for Best European Film, Silver Dragon (Best Animated Film)
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2022
• Seattle International Film Festival 2022, Grand Jury Prize, Short Film Animation
• Hong Kong International Film Festival 2022, Golden Firebird Award, Short Film
• European Film Awards 2022, Best Short Film