NEW WAVE
Directed, written and produced by Elizabeth Ai
Documentary | 89 Minutes | English, Vietnamese with English subtitles | Boston Premiere
- Saturday, Oct. 19, 8:30PM EST
- Emerson Paramount Center
- 559 Washington St. Boston, MA
- Q&A with filmmakers
Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai embarks on a project to tell a story of joy and youthful defiance as she explores a musical phenomenon in the 1980s known to Vietnamese American teens as new wave. As she delves into the lives of family members and icons of the new wave scene, she uncovers much more than just music and fashion. In the heart of Orange County, California, this counterculture movement takes the youth by storm, becoming a sanctuary for rebellious teens. The fun Euro-synth dance beats and punk/goth aesthetics mask deep traumas—broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations that have shaped her community.
Website: https://newwavedocumentary.com
Director’s Bio – Elizabeth Ai
Elizabeth Ai produces branded content for companies such as National Geographic, ESPN, and VICE. Additionally she produces independent features such as documentaries: DIRTY HANDS: THE ART & CRIMES OF DAVID CHOE (2008) and A WOMAN’S WORK: THE NFL’S CHEERLEADER PROBLEM (2019); as well as feature narratives, SAIGON ELECTRIC (2011) and BA (2024). During her tenure at VICE, she created a cannabis cooking show, BONG APPÉTIT (2014). She and her films are supported by Berlinale, Better Angels Society, Center for Asian American Media, Cinereach, Film Independent, Firelight Media, Ford Foundation, Sundance Catalyst, Sundance x Adobe Women to Watch, Sundance x NEH Humanities Fellowship, Women in Film, and the Wyncote Fellowship.
No More Sad Songs (precedes New Wave)
SHORT FILM
NO MORE SAD SONGS
Directed by Trace Le
Short | 11 minutes | English, Vietnamese with English subtitles | East Coast Premiere
A Vietnamese rising pop star and her diva mother prepare for the big show while navigating their relationship.
Director’s Bio – Trace Le
Trace Le is a second-generation Vietnamese American artist, writer, and emerging filmmaker from Orange County who calls Los Angeles her home. A writer since she could remember, her career started as a Managing Editor for a quarterly publication, working with writers and their stories alongside the art department. Trace found a dream job where she could curate stories and the vision to accompany them. With this first dream came a lot of growth and revelations and so in 2015, with a lot of fear and hope, she decided to pursue music.
As a storyteller, Trace commits to using her voice as a catalyst for those who may feel, look, and or simply relate to her. She hopes to create worlds with her words for others to feel safe, heal, and indulge in, and to give language to what it looks like to return to one’s self, all by just feeling everything and in turn maybe feeling a little less alone.
