2012 Sunset Cinema Series – Owl and the Sparrow (Vietnam)

Owl and the Sparrow (Vietnam, 2007)
Running Time: 97 Minutes
After angering her stern uncle (Trong Hai), 10-year-old Thuy (Han Thi Pham) runs away and lands on the tough streets of Saigon. There, she befriends shy zookeeper Hai (The Lu Le) and flight attendant Lan (Cat Ly). Dreaming of a new family, Thuy plays matchmaker to bring the two together. Meanwhile, Thuy’s furious uncle tracks her through the city. Stephane Gauger wrote and directed this Los Angeles Film Festival Audience Award winner.


Workshop Instructor: Vinit Parmar
Workshop Coordinator: Antony Wong
Technical Assistance: Zhu-Hui Wu

Author Bio

Vinit Parmar is a documentary filmmaker who has fought for the underdog to tell stories all over the world, such as impoverished Indian villagers finding renewable solutions to save their island Quest for Energy (2012), or children of war seeking refuge in Berlin (We Stay Here, 2021), investigating why the holiest river in India is the most polluted, and (Mosaik, 2026) finding home with a pseudo-mother at their German shelter. He left a career as a lawyer in New York State to teach filmmaking, and currently an Associate Professor at Brooklyn College/CUNY. He recently finished his first film Down The Line (2024) made in America with Steve Kim, his best friend in high school.