Vaan Nguyen
Vaan Nguyen is an Israeli poet, actress, journalist and social activist.
Early life
Nguyen is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, who were part of a group called the Vietnamese boat people. They escaped Vietnam after the end of the Vietnam War, in 1977, after her grandfather was killed by the communist authorities. The boat was wrecked on the Philippines shore, but they were denied entry, and were interned in a refugee camp.In 1979, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin granted 180 Vietnamese refugees Israeli citizenship, Nguyen's parents among them. They were settled in the desert town of Sderot, but moved from place to place for several years. Nguyen was born during this time, in the southern city of Ashkelon. The family eventually settled in Jaffa, where Nguyen and her four sisters grew up.
Her childhood was difficult; she faced racist bullying and violence. As a result, she tried to distance herself from her Vietnamese identity, going so far as to write to members of parliament to ask to have her "Ethnicity: Vietnamese" erased from her identity card. She would hide in the library, where she read many different authors and genres, citing this early exposure as a major influence on her creativity. Since her first collections was published, Nguyen is considered at the forefront of a new generation of poets, lauded and supported by some of Israel's leading cultural and literary influencers. In her work, she deals extensively with personal issues, such as sexuality, and her marginalization in Israeli society.
Poetry
Nguyen began writing when she was 9, and never stopped creating. Her poems have been published in the mainstream press, including Ha'aretz, Ma'ariv, Walla, and ynet; and in literary journals, including Granta, Iton 77, Ma'ayan, and LaRohav. In the literary scene, Nguyen contributes to "Free Academy" and "Guerrilla Culture".Her poems have been translated into English and French, and several have been set to music.
Books
Two collections of Nguyen's poems have been published:- Ein Hacamehin, Ma'ayan 2008
- Hituch Hehavalim, Barhash 2018
Reception
Film and television
Van Nguyen appeared in a feature documentary film called The Journey of Vaan Nguyen by filmmaker Duki Dror. The film follows Nguyen's trip with her father back to Bong Son in central Vietnam in order to try and reclaim the family's land and property. The movie also features commentary from Nguyen's blog, which became renowned in the Israeli blogosphere.Filmography
; Film| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005 | The Journey of Vaan Nguyen | Herself | Screened in multiple international film festivals |
| 2006 | -- | Lead | Student film by Lior Alsheikh |
| 2013 | Kidon | ||
| 2013 | Joanna Learns to Swim | Short film | |
| 2017 | Death of a Poetess | Katy | Directed by Efrat Mishori and Dana Goldberg |
; Television
In addition to her roles as an actor, Nguyen has appeared in several television commercials. In 2003–2004 Nguyen hosted several lifestyle episodes of lifestyle television series on "Teva Ha-Dvarim" TV channel, and in 2005 was a hosted some editorial episodes on blogTV.co.il.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Karov Levadai | Guest role | |
| 2007 | Lo Hivtachti Lach | Guest role | |
| 2009 | Hasufim | Lihi | |
| 2016 | Bnot Hazahav | Teriyaki |
Additional activities
Nguyen worked as a model for L'Oreal in a campaign for hair color, and was the house model for the Lichtenstein hair salon. She participated in fashion layouts in the "Maariv" teen magazine, and "Yedioth Aharonoth". She also appeared in fashion designer Petite A's 2011 catalog.In 2002–2003, she wrote a weekly column for "Zman Tel Aviv" newspaper, and then became a writer for Maariv.
Nguyen is a social activist, and a graduate of the Free Israel leadership program. She volunteered as a fundraiser for Amnesty International.