Experiencing Interruptions?

MIKE

Set within the first day of school, Hiep Nguyen is an exuberant Vietnamese student going on an exchange program at a Christian high school in South Dakota.

At the school, Hiep stumbles into the challenge of conforming to an environment of all-white, very religious Midwesterners. As he finagles his way through obstacles emerging from intense cultural clashes, Hiep will have to ask himself: Should you accept yourself wholly, or should you change in order to connect with others in this school?

  • Jackie Tran
    Key Cast
    "Hiep Nguyen"
  • Duc Anh Nguyen
    Director
  • Duc Anh Nguyen
    Writer
  • Chris Merola
    Producer
  • Janine Bujie Zhang
    Producer
  • Duc Anh Nguyen
    Producer
  • Luna De Buretel
    Associate Producer
  • Lenti Liang
    Associate Producer
  • Ji Lee
    1st Assistant Director
  • Nobutaka Emura
    Director of Photography
  • Achim Mendoza
    Edited by
  • Duc Anh Nguyen
    Edited by
  • Yo Chang
    Sound by
  • Willa Cuthrell-Tuttleman
    Sound by
  • Rosio Selden
    Costume Designer
  • Paul Sinacore
    Casting by
  • Christa Duggan
    Music by
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Coming-of-Age
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 8, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    20,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Vietnamese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Southern California
Director Biography - Duc Anh Nguyen

Duc Anh Nguyen is a writer/director, producer & editor from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He is an MFA graduate in the Film & TV Production program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

As a writer/director, his films have been featured at Beverly Hills Film Festival & DisOrient Film Festival. As an editor, he has worked on award-winning shorts and documentaries that were featured at the Cleveland International Film Festival, NewFilmmakers LA, FilmQuest Festival, and more. As a producer, Duc Anh has worked on narrative shorts, corporate marketing content, and music videos in Washington, DC and Los Angeles.

Duc Anh has lived across 5 different states in North America for more than 10 years, often being the only person of color living in the towns he resided. His filmography is influenced by this experience, exploring themes of racism, cultural clashes, social isolation, and human identity - often with a sense of humor.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I went to American high schools equipped with knowledge gathered from the cultural phenomenons that are “High School Musical” and “American Pie”.

Quickly, however, I realized America is a much different place than I had expected. Especially for minorities. Immediately, I faced blatant ignorance, cultural differences, and racism, which caused me to resent my own Asian identity.

To cope with the isolation that stemmed from this treatment by others, I began “erasing” my identity as a Vietnamese in any way possible.

First, it began with using an American name.
My experience had led me to write this coming-of-age short.

Stop being who you are, thus, becomes a survival mechanism. It begins with changing your name. Long before you know it, you become unsure of who you are.

MIKE is about the American dream, examined within the modern landscape, where international students are comprised of 1 million students in the USA. 36% of them reported having experienced mental health issues and identity crises.

By exploring genuine comedy and the pain of being a minority in this country, I hope anyone out there who has to go through the same treatment will feel seen. That they will become brave enough to see what their true self has to offer.