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Tuan Andrew Nguyen in “Between Worlds”Season 12
Video without descriptive audio available here.
Working alongside Vietnamese communities from Quảng Trị, Vietnam, to Dakar, Senegal, to Louisiana, USA, artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen creates visually rich and narratively captivating films that unearth the untold stories of war, colonization, and migration. Weaving together fact, fiction, archive, and anecdote, his films envision different ways that the wounds of the past can be healed and even become something beautiful. Working in his studio, Nguyen gives new life to the unexploded ordnance that have been buried across the Vietnamese countryside, transforming them into carefully crafted sculptures. This documentary film sees the artist move between locales, histories, and cultures, using the power of storytelling to exorcize the ghosts that linger across generations. “People have a need to tell their stories,” says Nguyen. “These stories are oftentimes forgotten stories, unheard of stories, stories erased by the dominant narrative. So the challenge is just to be open to what people want to say.”
This film was directed by Bryan Chang and Jeffrey Sterrenberg, produced by Zeshawn Ali and Bryan Chang, edited by Zara Serabian-Arthur, and photographed by Miasarah Lai.
Credits
Directors: Bryan Chang, Jeffrey Sterrenberg. Executive Producer: Tina Kukielski. Series Producer: Nick Ravich. Producers: Zeshawn Ali, Bryan Chang. Editor: Zara Serabian-Arthur. Director of Photography: Miasarah Lai. Associate Producer: Andrea Chung. Associate Curator: Jurrell Lewis. Design & Animation: Momentist, Inc. Composer: Andrew Orkin.
Production Services: Meerkat Media. Additional Cinematography: Sebastian Lasaosa Rogers, Jeffrey Sterrenberg. Assistant Camera: Julia Discenza. Location Sound: Ignacio Abascal, Hao Quang Nguyen. Production Assistants: Nuria Carreras, Nghia Le, Tai Thy Nguyen.
Additional Art21 Staff: Makda Amdetsyon, Lauren Barnett, Hannah DeGarmo, Lolita Fierro, Ian Forster, Grace Lecates, Emma Nordin, Jessica Svenson, Noor Tamari, Nora Wimmer.
Finishing Services: Skyline Finishing. Colorist: Stewart Griffin. Online Editor: Ben Kiviat. Re-Recording Mixer & Dialogue Editor: Annie Medlin. Sound Effects Editor: Mike Frank. Finishing Producer: Wendi Litteral. Additional Finishing Services: Cut + Measure. Additional Finishing Producers: Mary Grace Duffy, Alex Laviola. Audio Description & Captions: Sasha Hecht, Andre Kelman. Quality Control: Adam Stout. Translation: Nhung Nguyen. Narration: Louise Eliasof. Additional Music: Trey Toy. Additional Video Editor: Regina Spurlock. Assistant Editors: Stephanie Cen, Tristan Daley, Michelle Hanks.
Artwork Courtesy: Tuan Andrew Nguyen, James Cohan Gallery.
Legal Counsel: Donaldson Callif Perez.
Interns: Candice Cirilo, Emma Kanne, Billie Lam, Asante Marie Owusu-Brafi, Aarya Silwal, Maria Syville, Emilia Copeland Titus.
Special Thanks: The Art21 Board of Trustees, Linh Duong, Marion Hill, Cat Miguez.
Filming Locations Provided By: Fundació Joan Miró, New Museum.
Series Created By: Susan Dowling and Susan Sollins.
Original Production Funding Provided By: The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Agnes Gund, Melony and Adam Lewis, National Endowment for the Arts, Teiger Foundation, Sarah Arison, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts,Dealer Tire, Arts, Equity, & Education Fund™, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Elyse and Lawrence B. Benenson, Stephanie and Tim Ingrassia, Tim and Lauren Schrager Family Foundation.
This Program is a Production of Art21, Inc. which is Solely Responsible for Its Content.
© 2025 Art21, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Closed captionsAvailable in English, German, Romanian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Italian
Through the Art21 Translation Project, multilingual audiences from around the globe can contribute translations, making Art21 films more accessible worldwide.
Interested in showing this film in an exhibition or public screening? To license this video please visit Licensing & Reproduction.