We Were the Scenery

We Were the Scenery
Promotional poster
Directed byChristopher Radcliff
Written byCathy Linh Che
Produced by
  • Cathy Linh Che
  • Jess X. Snow
Starring
  • Hoa Thi Che
  • Hue Nguyen Che
CinematographyJess X. Snow
Edited byChristopher Radcliff
Music byEliot Leigh
Distributed by
  • Travelling Distribution
  • Parallax Film Sales
Release date
  • January 25, 2025 (2025-01-25) (Sundance)
Running time
15 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Canada
LanguageVietnamese

We Were the Scenery is a 2025 American-Canadian documentary short film, directed by Christopher Radcliff. The film is based on the experiences of writer Cathy Linh Che’s parents, two Vietnam War refugees who, while in a refugee camp in the Philippines, were utilized as background extras in Apocalypse Now. It had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2025.[1]

It was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards.[2][3]

Summary

The film tells the story of Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che, who left Vietnam in 1975 after the end of the war and travelled by boat to a refugee camp in the Philippines. During their time there, they were hired as extras for the production of Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Academy Award-winning American psychological epic war film, which was partly filmed in Baler Bay, Philippines. The film examines the intersection between their real experiences and the fictional world of the Hollywood shoot. Written by poet Cathy Linh Che, the couple’s daughter, the documentary combines first‑person narration, 16mm home‑movie footage, and material from Apocalypse Now. It reflects on memory, representation, colonial histories, and the ways cinema shapes narratives about the past and about others.

Cast

  • Hoa Thi Che
  • Hue Nguyen Che

Production

The film was shot on location in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Long Beach, California.[1]

Release

We Were the Scenery had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2025.[4]

The film was presented in 34th Edition Shortsfest: Program 1 at the Aspen Shortsfest on March 31, 2025.[5] and on April 6, 2025 at the Visions du Réel in the International Medium Length & Short Film Competition section.[6] It was also screened at the Florida Film Festival on April 19, 2025.[7] and at the San Francisco International Film Festival in Shorts + Mid-Lengths section on April 25, 2025.[8][9]

It was screened on May 16, 2025, at the 2025 Seattle International Film Festival as a part of ShortsFest Opening Night.[10]

The film was presented in the Live Shorts section of the 2025 Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films on June 25, 2025,[11]

It was presented at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival on July 22, 2025.[12]

It had its Philadelphia premiere on July 31, 2025 at the BlackStar Film Festival in Short Documentary.[13]

It was screened on September 20, 2025, at the Nashville Film Festival as a part of Documentary Shorts.[14]

On November 14, 2025, it was screened in the Short List Shorts: Family Album at Doc NYC along with other three films.[15] and on November 19, 2025, it was screened in the QCShorts Expo Program 1: Unthinkable Atrocities at 2025 QCinema International Film Festival along with other five films.[16]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival January 31, 2025 Short Film Jury Award: Nonfiction Christopher Radcliff Won [17]
Grand Jury Prize We Were the Scenery Nominated
Galway Film Fleadh July 13, 2025 Best International Short Documentary Won [18]
San Diego Asian Film Festival November 15, 2025 Best Documentary Short Won [19]
Cinema Eye Honors January 8, 2026 Outstanding Non-Fiction Short Shortlisted [20][21]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "We Were the Scenery". We Were the Scenery. January 25, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  2. ^ "98th Oscars Shortlists in 12 Award Categories Announced". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  3. ^ Hilary Lewis, Beatrice Verhoeven (December 16, 2025). "2026 Oscars Shortlists Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Jeremy Kay (February 2, 2025). "2025 Sundance Film Festival announces award winners". ScreenDaily. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  5. ^ "34th Edition Shortsfest: Program 1". Aspen Shortsfest. March 31, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  6. ^ "We Were the Scenery". Visions du Réel. April 6, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  7. ^ "We Were the Scenery". Florida Film Festival. April 19, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  8. ^ "We Were the Scenery". San Francisco International Film Festival. April 25, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  9. ^ "SFFILM Announces the Lineup for the 68th San Francisco International Film Festival". San Francisco International Film Festival. March 26, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  10. ^ "We Were the Scenery". Seattle International Film Festival. May 16, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  11. ^ "2025 Palm Springs International ShortFest announces its lineup". Palm Springs International Film Festival. June 3, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  12. ^ "Academy Award®-Qualifying Indy Shorts Announces 2025 Festival Lineup with Premieres starring Lena Headey, André Holland, Sophia Di Martino and Poppy". Heartlandfilm. June 26, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  13. ^ "We Were the Scenery". BlackStar Film Festival. July 31, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  14. ^ "We Were the Scenery". Nashville Film Festival. September 20, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  15. ^ "We Were the Scenery". Doc NYC. November 14, 2025. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  16. ^ "QCShorts Expo Program 1: Unthinkable Atrocities". QCinema International Film Festival. July 14, 2025. Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 31, 2025). "'Atropia' Takes U.S. Grand Jury Prize Dramatic At Sundance Film Festival: Full Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  18. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (July 15, 2025). "The 37th Galway Film Fleadh crowns Brendan Canty's Christy as its champion". Cineuropa. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  19. ^ "Announcing the 2025 San Diego Asian Film Festival Filmmaker Awards Winners". November 11, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  20. ^ Pedersen, Erik (November 13, 2025). "Cinema Eye Honors 2026 Nominations: 'Come See Me In The Good Light' Leads Field". Deadline. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  21. ^ Erbland, Kate (November 13, 2025). "'Come See Me in the Good Light' Tops 2025 Cinema Eye Honors Feature Film Nominations — See Full List". IndieWire. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.