NEW WAVE in 𝓢𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓪 𝓑𝓪𝓻𝓫𝓪𝓻𝓪! Join us on Sunday, May 25th at KAAREM for a special afternoon immersed in Vietnamese diaspora culture, style, and storytelling.

‘𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞-𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫. 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧. Elizabeth Ai was on a mission to excavate an untold story of rebellious punks in the chaotic world of 80s Vietnamese New Wave — until she uncovers a hidden past.’

We’re thrilled to welcome director and author @elizabeth_ai for a screening of her award-winning documentary NEW WAVE, followed by an intimate Q&A and book signing.

We’re proud to be one of NEW WAVE's 50 cities for 50 years — commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnamese diaspora. It’s an honor to share this powerful story with our Santa Barbara community.

Thank you for making this little shop feel like home. We can’t wait to see you there. ❤️

𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞-𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫. 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬. 𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧. Elizabeth Ai was on a mission to excavate an untold story of rebellious punks in the chaotic world of 80s Vietnamese new wave until she rediscovered a hidden past.

NEW WAVE is a historical coming-of-age documentary about displaced Vietnamese refugee youth who fled their country by boat and then in the 1980s redefined their identities in suburban Orange County, California, through New Wave music. Through intimate accounts from Southern Californian Vietnamese music industry veterans, viewers will learn of how they healed and transformed by building a raucous music scene that the Vietnamese diaspora and fans worldwide still celebrate today, nearly 40 years later.

FILM AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Tribeca Festival: Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director, Special Jury Mention
Austin Asian American Film Festival: Audience Award
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival: AICEF Cross-Cultural Filmmaking Prize
Viet Film Festival: Grand Jury, Best Feature Film Award
Thin Line Film Festival: Best in Sound Award
IndieWire's The Popcorn List: 1 of 6 feature documentary films selected

Elizabeth Ai is a Chinese Vietnamese American award-winning filmmaker, storyteller, and author. Her debut feature documentary, NEW WAVE, premiered in competition at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, earning a Special Jury Mention for Best New Documentary Director and critical acclaim from The New York Times, Vogue, IndieWire, Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle.

She is the author of New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora and an Emmy winner and nominee for her branded content with ESPN and National Geographic. She created the original pilot for VICE/Munchies’ Bong Appétit, which was picked up for series. Her producing credits include Dirty Hands, Saigon Electric, Ba, and A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem.

An alum of Sundance, Tribeca, Berlinale, and Firelight Media, Ai’s work has been supported by the Center for Asian American Media, Cinereach, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Website: elizabethai.com
Instagram: @elizabeth_ai

New Wave: Rebellion and Reinvention in the Vietnamese Diaspora celebrates the rebellion, reinvention, and rebirth of joy in this young generation in cultural limbo. Featuring essays from prominent Vietnamese scholars, critics, and stars, New Wave explores how music, fashion, and rebellion can be a force for healing. New Wave is a love letter to the first generation of Vietnamese punks and rebels who came of age in the 1980s.

Website: newwavedocumentary.com
Instagram: @newwavedocumentary

Your Choice is doing something super special for the NEW WAVE screening... MOVIE SNACKS, Southeast Asian style!

Your Choice was started in 1989 by husband and wife, Aungkoon and Sukanya Sukavivatanachai. Today the restaurant is operated by their son, Piti Sukavivatanachai and his wife, Kathy Dao.

Their menu and flavors are inspired by meals they had from home and learned from previous generations.

Piti and Kathy are also the duo behind Creaminal, an ice cream brand based in Santa Barbara, CA. Established in 2014, their Asian-American upbringing and treasured memories serve as the heart and soul of Creaminal, which specializes in ice cream flavors and sundaes that evoke nostalgia and happiness.

Visit: yourchoicerestaurant.com
eatcreaminal.com
@eatcreaminal
@yourchoicerestaurant