Abstract:

 "'Food is everyone's first language,' says Paul Kwan, the Vietnamese-born immigrant who fashioned this film out of the rich sensory memories of his childhood. He tells his story of finding a new life in America while maintaining his cultural connection through cooking, eating and sharing the rich and varied food of his native land. This dazzling film is a gigantic stirfry of savory images -- Paul and his mother cooking in his San Francisco kitchen, street vendors simmering their soups, bustling markets piled with peppers, cilantro, and chilis. In America, cooking is often a solitary experience, but in Vietnam it is a family affair, with everyone cutting, chopping, and stirring while chattering. An undercurrent of longing for the motherland runs through this nostalgic film. The death of his father in Vietnam is the occasion for his visit to Saigon. Now at last memory and reality are reconciled, and he is ready to return to his adoptive country."