Taking a break from serving guests, director Huynh Tuan Anh (known for the films Lo To, Ngoi Nha Buom Buom…, author of the poem Vi Anh Thuong Em composed by Vo Hoai Phuc with the title Vo Cuc) quickly sent me the above sharing lines. Both full of emotions and full of ellipses…
Since "committing himself" to pho, Huynh Tuan Anh began to cherish the dream of making a film about this traditional Vietnamese dish.
He said that his friends and colleagues were all surprised to see him suddenly in the US after a period of silence. The reason, according to him, is very simple: "I am a kind of migrant, every 5 years I feel old and suffocated, and honestly I am always curious about the "American dream". For some people, it is a gamble; for me personally, life is short, I should go as far as I can. Life is like a movie and I must write it myself, direct it myself. Success or failure, happiness or joy, at least I have experienced it."
So he stayed in the US for nearly 4 years, after his movie Phuong Khau was released to the audience. From a person working at a friend's pho shop, he became a manager, found pho interesting, was fascinated and learned everything about it and then "dedicated himself to pho".
"There are nights when my heart is filled with nostalgia for my homeland. I miss the bustling atmosphere of the studio, the sound of the camera whirring through each scene, the lights shining on each actor's face, each laugh, each cry shaking. That is the place I thought I would belong to forever, the place where each film is like blood flowing through my heart. Now, in a foreign land, I stand in the kitchen with the smoke of pho billowing, each bowl of pho I cook is like a slice from a distant memory. I miss Vietnam so much! Every time I mention it, my heart flutters, like a film reel rewinding to the past", the sound of messenger messages and the "feelings in a foreign land" he sent back. Sometimes the content needs to be responded to, there are also lines of messages like a diary, as if for him to talk to himself...
The memories are still there… But, Huynh Tuan Anh said, every time he sees the happy faces of diners in front of a hot bowl of pho, hearing them praise the food as a way of expressing gratitude, he feels lighter. Perhaps his life has taken a different turn, not the spotlight but the light of friendly smiles, not the applause from the audience but the thanks from passersby. That is a small but sincere consolation, helping him understand that: No matter where we are, as long as we put our heart into what we are doing, we can still find joy and satisfaction.
Director Huynh Tuan Anh
Although he has not been in the United States for long, with his passion and dedication to pho, he has realized that the development of pho in American society is not just about cuisine. It is a manifestation of an expanding and changing society, a society that is seeking understanding and connection between cultures. He believes that pho is a dish that gives Americans a new approach to integration and cultural exchange. This is a clear demonstration that cuisine is not only a part of daily life, but also a powerful tool to promote understanding and acceptance between communities, people of different backgrounds and origins.
Observing each diner each time they enjoy pho at his restaurant, he feels "happy, proud, and sometimes bewildered, wondering, why do they like pho?". He notices that Koreans eat pho with lots of raw white onions mixed with chili sauce; Mexicans eat pho with lots of noodles and meat, and don't require coriander, bean sprouts, or cinnamon; Westerners value the soup, always gently sipping the first spoonful of soup before eating...
Huynh Tuan Anh and guests from Mexico
For Tuan Anh, "watching" diners "indulge" in a bowl of pho that he made himself is enough to make him feel happy - more than the person enjoying it, and a little proud, because both Westerners and Chinese are warm to the traditional food of their people. "Pho", since when can it be considered a "meeting place" for newly arrived Vietnamese people; pho contains the lives of precarious and poor people. Anyone, from anywhere, can come to the pho kitchen; even if they don't know each other's language, but knowing how to cook pho, serve pho or pick vegetables... is enough, is enough to understand each other. So he said, sometimes pho is seen as a universal language for people living in exile, and even more so when pho saves so many lives.
For someone far from home like him, during the happy or sad days there, pho has supported and embraced him. Even as he said, if he needs a stop, a gentle place to stop, pho has always been there, ready to love. "People can be ungrateful to each other, but here, pho has never abandoned anyone," he dropped a heart with the following message: "From pho, countless stories of making a living and starting a career for many Vietnamese people in foreign lands have opened up. From bowls of pho cooked in small neighborhoods, pho has helped Vietnamese people earn a living, raise their children, and contribute to the development of American society. Many doctors, engineers, judges, and other successful people of the next generation have grown up from these bowls of pho, from the tireless efforts of their parents... But, pho is more than just a dish. In each bowl of pho, there is a fullness of memories, of traditional flavors, and of love for the homeland that Vietnamese people carry on their journeys." Other lines of narrative for pho were sent by him, during the days with "so many memories gathered" before spring...
Huynh Tuan Anh said that everything can change and disappear, but cuisine - especially pho - will always last. Because it is not only a dish, but also a culture, an indispensable part of the Vietnamese soul. Even though far from home, in each bowl of pho, he believes that Vietnamese people always find comfort, pride, and connection with their roots. That is the reason he chose pho, because it not only "takes care" of the stomach but also "nourishes" the hearts of those far from home.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/pho-viet-tren-dat-my-ket-noi-coi-nguon-18525010616050032.htm
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