In Saigon, family culture carries on as it has for centuries, even when blood ties are broken. Through a mosaic of intimate portraits, Má Sài Gòn explores humanity’s universal desire for love, acceptance, connection and belonging through an LGBTQ+ lens. The film is a love letter – a bittersweet ode to a comforting yet disturbing mother, to a city that is as liberating as it is oppressive.
100 min.
Documentary
Québec, Canada
2023
A film by Khoa Lê
Produced by Les Films de l'Autre
Language: Vietnamese
Subtitles: English and French
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Khoa Lê (he/him)
Khoa Lê is a Quebecois filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist born in Vietnam. His works explore diverse identities, intimacy, and the human experience in all its diversity. Khoa Lê studied film direction at the Université du Québec à Montréal (2004-2008) and film production at the Institut national de l'image et du son (2008). He has directed numerous short films. His first documentary feature, "Bà Nôi" (2013), had its world premiere at Visions du réel in Switzerland and won the Pluralism Award from the Inspirit Foundation at the Hot Docs festival in 2013, as well as the Best Emerging Talent in Quebec/Canada award at the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal the same year. His most recent feature film, "Má Sài Gòn" (Mother Saigon), is currently touring international festivals. After screenings at Visions du réel and Hot Docs, the film received the Best Canadian Direction award at the Doxa festival in Vancouver.
Screenwriters
Khoa Lê et Jonathan Bernier
Cinematographer
Mathieu Laverdière
Producer
Khoa Lê
Sound designer
Simon Gervais
Editors
Isabelle Darveau
Arianne Pétel-Despots
Sound recordists
Lynne Trepanier
NGUYỄN NGỌC TÂN
Music
MARIE-HÉLÈNE L. DELORME
Director
KHOA LÊ
Characters
Menu