Ba’s Book, written and directed by Ashley Da-Lê Duong, represents a cinematic response to her father Anh Duong’s 2024 memoir Dear Da-Lê: A Father’s Memoir of the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution. The memoir chronicles the author’s childhood near Huế, Vietnam, his escape during the Vietnam War, displacement as a refugee in 1970s Iran, and eventual arrival in Canada in 1980. Ashley Duong created the film to explore family trauma and uncover painful memories her father had not previously shared.
The resulting work blends vérité documentary techniques, re-enactments performed by family members in Vietnam alongside professional actors, and travel footage into a hybrid narrative-documentary format. The project premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and is celebrating its international premiere at the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival with screenings scheduled for October 8 and 9. The filmmaking process was ambitious and required considerable preparation, with Duong noting that the decision to create the project took approximately two years before she felt ready to proceed.
A significant aspect of the production involved Duong’s evolution as both filmmaker and subject. Initially positioned behind the camera conducting interviews, she eventually recognized her own story warranted on-screen presence, requiring her to demonstrate the same vulnerability she requested from her family members. Despite describing herself as naturally shy and having never appeared in film before, Duong committed to appearing in the work, believing it was essential to ask the same of her relatives.
The filmmaking process created meaningful changes in family dynamics. Duong noted that disagreements over details, such as her father’s engineer’s precision in discussing reenactment specifics, initially frustrated her but ultimately taught her to prioritize authentic family interactions over production logistics. Following multiple viewings, her father has engaged in ongoing creative conversations with his daughter, developing new insights with each screening.
Audience responses have included emotional reactions, with some viewers reporting they felt motivated to contact family members. Duong observed that despite the film’s subject matter involving trauma investigation, audiences have responded with laughter, describing the experience as emotionally dynamic with rapid transitions between humor and deeper reflection. Her father is scheduled to participate in a London Film Festival Q&A session.
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