Atomic Zero Show #114 Tony Nguyen - Year of the Cat

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How do you find a person who has been missing for half a century? This week on Atomic Zero, we are honored to host Oakland-based filmmaker Tony Nguyễn, a storyteller who has dedicated his career to capturing the overlooked threads that make up the fabric of "The Town."

Tony’s previous work has always bridged the gap between the personal and the political—whether exploring the complexities of the Vietnamese refugee experience in Enforcing the Silence and Giap’s Last Day at the Ironing Board Factory, or celebrating the local legends of Oakland in Fresh Frozen and I See Me. But his latest project, Year of the Cat, is perhaps his most daunting and intimate work yet.

In this episode, we discuss Tony’s extraordinary quest to solve a 50-year-old mystery: the disappearance of his father during the chaotic Fall of Saigon. Crafted in the style of an "investigative home movie," the documentary is an intensely raw look at a son’s search for the truth. We explore how Tony balances moments of genuine humor with profound heartache, and what his journey reveals about how the children of refugees are permanently shaped by the echoes of war and the weight of loss. It is a conversation about memory, identity, and the courage it takes to look backward in order to move forward.

You can find out more about Tony Nguyen @
Linktree: papa_t510
Instagram: papa_t510

You can find out more about Kyle Le Dot Net @
Youtube: Kyle Le Dot Net
Instagram: kyleledotnet
kylele.net

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