A documentary maker for the first time learns from her father his brutal coming-of-age in wartime Vietnam and as a refugee in 1970s revolutionary Iran in an exclusive clip for Ba’s Book, set to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Ashley Duong’s indie film brings to life a memoir written by her father, Anh Duong, also known as Ba. The Montreal filmmaker adapts his story for the big screen, enlisting family members in Vietnam and actors to participate in live-action re-creations.

Her exploration of the intergenerational legacy of war on her family includes reconstructing a replica of the home in Vietnam where Duong’s father and siblings grew up. Designed with only three walls, the set creates a stage-like environment, allowing relatives and actors to step into their younger selves and provide input as the cameras roll.

In the “Dorm Room” clip obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Ba is seated next to Duy Nguyen, who plays his younger self in the recreations, as he learns how to draw – a skill that would eventually earn Ahn Duong entry into Canada after he was stranded as a refugee in Iran.  

In the clip, Ba also reads in the Vietnamese language from his memoir, Dear Da-Le: A Father’s Memoir of the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution, so his siblings, who appear as the camera shot draws back, can hear his words for the first time as they don’t speak English.

In the process, Ashley Duong uncovers painful memories that her father kept from her and his family until they were revealed in his 2024 memoir. Through her film that moves fluidly between re-enactments and verite documentary styles, Duong crafts an emotionally-wrenching story of family division that leads to peace and healing for a father who left behind siblings in Vietnam.

Produced by Ina Fichman, Ba’s Book will premiere on Sept. 15 at the Toronto Film Festival, which runs from Sept. 10 to 20.

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