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LES PETITES FILLES D’ HANOÏ: DU VIETNAM À COTONOU

Documentary

Production
Nanwa Production
arcade.assogba@gmail.com

Director
Nelly Brun Elvire BEHANZIN
Benin

Producer
Arcade ASSOGBA
Benin

Synopsis

In 1954-55, after the Indochina War, two little girls returned from Vietnam by boat with their father, Tossou Jean, a Beninese former soldier of the French army. Today, of the two girls, only Marie Tossou remains, my grandmother, of whom I am the eldest granddaughter. They returned without their mother, a Vietnamese woman named Nguyen Chimoï, my great-grandmother. Thus, I have Vietnamese roots. Since their arrival in Cotonou, my great-grandfather, Tossou Jean, has never mentioned the reasons for this abrupt return or the separation from his partner..

Producer note

Nelly is a filmmaker distinguished by her motivation and love for cinema. Our interest in this project lies in its ability to preserve memory. In Benin, as well as in all Francophone countries that were involved, willingly or unwillingly, in the Vietnam War, Nelly’s story brings to light a completely hidden part of our national history, approached from the perspective of coloniality and decoloniality. This documentary explores the effects of wars on families and the quest for truth.
We are applying to the Grand-Bassam Workshops to develop this project and are looking for co-producers.

About us

Les Ateliers de Grand-Bassam is brought to life by Grand-Bassam Project, a non-profit association that embodies excellence in the film and audiovisual industry. The association is an organization of filmmakers, producers and cultural industry professionals from Ivory Coast, the continent and beyond, who help incubate performing arts and audiovisual projects by applying alternative methods of management, production, marketing and distribution in countries across the continent.

Grand-Bassam Project’s main objective is to contribute to the emergence of a solid, internationally competitive African cultural industry, notably through the development of the performing arts and audiovisual sector, capable of contributing to improving the economic impact of culture and consolidating the employability of young people.

Specifically, the objectives of the Grand-Bassam Project are to :

– Implement and consolidate an incubator for cultural projects and professional training workshops for artists and producers from Ivory Coast and other countries on the continent.

– Contribute to the reappropriation by Ivorian cultural players of the conception and governance of cultural policies, in partnership with public decision-makers at national level.

– Contribute to the dissemination of cinematographic works from the continent Formalize and implement a strategy for the implementation of activities, a risk management plan, as well as a monitoring and evaluation plan for all actions.

– Produce and/or co-produce performing arts and audiovisual works and projects for dissemination on the continent and internationally.

– Intensify artistic education initiatives aimed at children, young people and the general public.

Grand-Bassam Project is in the process of launching its program of activities, which include training, production, distribution, image education and consulting for the first edition of the Ateliers de Grand-Bassam. In keeping with its management strategy, the company’s aim is to combine production activities with socio-educational initiatives.

By working closely with sister organizations in Ivory Coast who share the same passion, Grand-Bassam Project will contribute to the future of cinema in Côte d’Ivoire and beyond.

The association capitalizes on the experience acquired over the last ten years by the Ouaga Film Lab, and projects will be carried out with the expertise required to increase the competitiveness of Ivorian and African filmmakers on the world stage.