A Village Called Versailles

(USA, 2009, 68 mins, Video)

Producer: Chiang
Assoc. Producers: Brittney Shepherd, Eva Moss, Loan Dao
Cinematographers/Sound: Chiang, Francis James
Editors: Chiang, Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Amy Young
Music: Joel Goodman

Proof that triumph can come from tragedy, this documentary is a moving portrait of a marginalized community that found its voice in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Although the hurricane temporarily brought attention to America’s substantial racial and class divides, the stories focused almost exclusively on the plight of poor African Americans, who make up the majority of New Orleans’ population. Largely ignored was the city’s Vietnamese community, which had traditionally been content to remain invisible. VILLAGE first traces the history of the Vietnamese in New Orleans, from their arrival as refugees in 1975 through the community’s development into a thriving, if isolated, enclave in eastern New Orleans. Versailles’ heart is the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, which took on an even greater importance in the post-Katrina landscape. Forced once again into the role of refugee, the people of Versailles returned to desolate New Orleans as soon as they could, and used the church as a base for the massive reconstruction that lay ahead. When local government officials unveiled plans for the future of the city—completely ignoring the interests of the people of New Orleans East—the church and its charismatic pastor, Father Vien Nguyen, grew political. Blending archival footage with emotional firsthand accounts, the film beautifully shows how the community’s battle with the city government transcended barriers, and united people of different generations and races. Theirs is an inspirational story—one of immigration and of triumph over adversity. It is a story of democracy in action.

-- Jonathan L. Knapp

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