Inconnu, présumé français is a documentary about the harsh fate of Eurasian children born during the Indochina War. They had Vietnamese mothers and French fathers whom they rarely met. Their existence became a threat to the colonial order and the children were rejected by both the French and Vietnamese communities. With the number of Eurasian children increasing, a decree was issued, allowing them to acquire French nationality. When the war ended, the Eurasian children were placed in orphanages and then “repatriated” to France, against the wishes of their mothers. Fifty years later, the Eurasian children recount their painful past. After the screening, the film’s director, Philippe Rostan, will have a Q&A with the audience.
Philippe Rostan is a French documentary film director of Vietnamese origin. He and his family left Vietnam for France in 1975, after the war ended. Although he left Vietnam at the age of 11, Philippe Rostan's heart was always filled with longing, wishing to find his Vietnamese identity again. Perhaps that is why, after graduating with a degree in directing from the University of Paris Vincennes, his film career has always been deeply attached to Vietnam. In 1991, he worked as an assistant to director Pierre Schoendoerffer in the documentary film “Dien Bien Phu” and worked for director Mathieu Kassovitz in the film project “Métisse” (Mixed-race) in 1994. Whether as a director, screenwriter or film producer, Philippe Rostan has devoted himself and successfully made many documentaries revolving around the main theme of Vietnam, including “Chiec Banh It” (2001), “Beloved Vietnam” (2007), “Nguoi Lam, Giac Phap” (2009), “Hoa Sen” (2011), “Cho Tinh” (2011)…
Photo of director Philippe Rostan as a child with his parents
Image of director Philippe Rostan today.
