Voces, Independent Lens
A Thousand Pines
Raymundo Morales runs a crew of 12 Oaxacan tree planters traveling the United States in this intimate portrait about a hidden world of guest workers regrowing America’s forests.
To Be
From Oakland, to Indiana, and into the depths of YouTube, Tony tries to solve the mystery of his Vietnamese father—exploring how refugee men are shaped by war, race, and loss in America.
- Funding Initiative
- Diversity Development Fund
Director/Producer
Tony Nguyen
Tony Nguyen is an Oakland-based filmmaker whose work explores the Vietnamese refugee experience (Enforcing the Silence, Giap’s Last Day at the Ironing Board Factory) and the often overlooked stories of individuals and communities that make up the fabric of Oakland (Fresh Frozen, I See Me).
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The Film
To Be follows filmmaker Tony Nguyen on his quest to solve the mystery of his father and heal a part of himself. Crafted like an investigative home movie, this documentary combines a personal family journey with a larger exploration of family, history, masculinity, and how refugee men are shaped by race, war and loss in America.
