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The Empathizer

In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, millions of Vietnamese immigrants fled their beloved country to rebuild their lives all over the world. Nearly fifty years later, hundreds of children of these refugees have permanently returned to the motherland out of a curiosity and desire to experience the current country that their parents still mourn. Comedian Fred Le, who himself spent three years in Vietnam, conducts a series of interviews with these overseas-born Vietnamese professionals to explore the allure of the motherland and what it means to "return home."

  • Fred Le
    Director, Writer, Producer
  • Bret Hamilton
    Cinematographer, Co-director
  • Hak Lonh
    Editor, Producer
    I'm Still Here (2010)
  • King Kimbit
    Executive Producer
  • Linh Tran
    Additional Editors
    Waiting for the Light to Change (2022)
  • Clay Saldana
    Additional Editors
    I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    58 minutes 48 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 10, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    66,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, Vietnam
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16x9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Viet Film Fest
    Santa Ana, CA
    United States
    October 12, 2024
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection, Best Feature nomination
  • Anchorage International Film Festival
    Anchorage, Alaska
    United States
    December 9, 2024
    Alaskan Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Disorient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon
    Eugene, OR
    United States
    March 9, 2025
    Oregon
    Official Selection
  • Filmfort at Treefort Music Festival
    Boise
    United States
    March 28, 2025
    Idaho
    Official Selection
  • Kansas City Film Fest International
    Kansas City
    United States
    March 27, 2025
    Missouri
    Winner, Best Heartland Feature Documentary
  • Houston Asian American Pacific Islander Film Festival
    Houston, Texas
    United States
    June 8, 2025
    Texas Premiere
    Official Selection, Closing Night Film
Director Biography

Fred Le is a standup comedian and filmmaker who was born in the Bay Area and currently lives in Los Angeles. After spending three years enjoying life in the country his parents had fled in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, he began focusing his creative output on exploring his own Viet Kieu (overseas-born) identity. He is the co-creator of the all-Vietnamese comedy showcase Embarrassed by Night which continues to tour up and down California since 2022, and his debut feature documentary The Empathizer is currently doing festival rounds after premiering at the Viet Film Fest 2024 where it was nominated for Best Feature. As a performer, he has earned invites to showcase at major festivals such as Treefort, Boom Chicago! in Amsterdam, and San Francisco Sketchfest.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

When I turned 30 years old, I decided to take a trip to Vietnam, the land I'd never visited and which my mom vowed to never return, after leaving it by boat in 1981. I ended up staying there alone for three years, enjoying adventures, opportunities, and luxuries in the country that I had only ever heard about up until then.

While I was off gallivanting in the modern motherland, taking full advantage of my disposable income and western education, my mother remained on the other side of the globe, worried for me. From our infrequent phone calls, it was clear that she still harbored this deep cynicism of the country that she'd fled for good. The love and support was there no doubt, but there was always a skeptical tinge any time I would try to share some joy from my new home. My dear mom, who found her own Vietnamese-speaking community of war refugees in the Bay Area, seemed to reject any notion that true happiness could exist in in the aftermath of the tragedy that she and her people suffered.

The idea for this film came from a reflection of the short period of my life spent in Vietnam, enjoying the country my mom declared was "ruined". Originally, we set out to capture a series of candid conversations with other Viet Kieu (overseas-born) immigrants like myself to document and comment on an exciting, evolving country. It was never the plan to create such a personal film, but I am so grateful that through this long process, I grew to better understand and respect trauma and its effects on a family.

On paper, The Empathizer is a movie about conversations. As much as it is about topics and ideas, it is just as much about the act of having conversations themselves. Conversations are never perfect. They can be breezy. They can be cringe. People struggle to articulate themselves.* Say things that are unproven. Disagree with one another. Sometimes conversations go nowhere. We chose to capture these conversations, warts and all, with a hope that this film inspires tough discourse about topics that are often left unspoken out of discomfort or fear, chiefly among immigrant families who were heavily affected by trauma such as mine.

Fred Le
Director+Producer

*You will see me do this frequently. Thank you for your patience.