The Popcorn List: New Wave
September 23, 2025
Mile-high hair. Synthesized music. Underground parties. Elizabeth Ai’s lively first feature delves into the rebellious Vietnamese new wave blending nostalgia with a deeply personal re-examination of her community's music scene, hidden and unexamined past.
"New Wave is a stunning film that captures, with incredible nuance, poignancy, and a fair share of razor-sharp wit, a community of first-generation Vietnamese American youth in the 1980s who found solidarity through a shared love of Euro-synth dance music and punk/goth aesthetics. Beneath the music, however, lies a deeper story of intergenerational trauma, the lasting impact of the Vietnam War, and the resilience and possibility of reinvention.”—Sky Sitney, Co-Founder/Director, DC/DOX
Filmmaker Elizabeth Ai embarks on a journey to capture the vibrant spirit of a musical phenomenon that electrified Vietnamese American teens in the 1980s: New Wave. What begins as an exploration of the rebellion and freedom within this subculture evolves into a profound narrative of identity, loss, and healing. In Orange County, California, the synth beats and punk/goth aesthetics provided a sanctuary for a generation of youth grappling with the weight of their parents' unspoken traumas.
As Elizabeth delves into the lives of her family members and icons of the New Wave scene, she discovers that beneath the surface lies a complex tapestry of broken dreams and unfulfilled expectations. These were not just fleeting moments of teenage rebellion but acts of defiance against the lingering shadows of the Vietnam War and the sacrifices made by a generation trying to rebuild.
The film juxtaposes the memories of her uncles and aunts—sneaking out to underground clubs—with Elizabeth's own childhood, marked by her mother's abandonment. What starts as a celebration of a cultural movement transforms into a cathartic journey. As the filmmaker unravels long-buried emotions and confronts the generational wounds that have shaped her community, the film becomes a powerful exploration of cultural identity, resilience, and new beginnings.
- Director: Elizabeth Ai
- Principal Cast: Lynda Trang Đài, Ian Nguyen, Elizabeth Ai
- Country: USA
- Year: 2024
- Running Time: 94 min.
- Producer: Elizabeth Ai, Rachel Sine
- Screenplay: Elizabeth Ai
- Cinematographers: Bryant Swanstrom
- Editors: Hee-Jae Park, Samuel Rong, Nancy Nguyen, Christina Sun Kim
- Music: Greg Bernall, Chris Upton
- Website: Official Film Website
- Awards: Tribeca Film Festival 2024 (Special Mention, Best New Documentary Director)
- Filmography: Debut Feature Film
- Language: English, Vietnamese
