New Wave

2024 • 1h 28m • Documentary

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Availability

Virtual

  • Available Worldwide

In-person

  • Available until Dec 05, 2026

  • Available Worldwide

Language

English

Subtitles

Vietnamese

Closed Captions

English

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About the film

Mile-high hair. Synthesized sounds. Teenage rebellion. Elizabeth Ai was on a mission to excavate an untold story of rebellious punks in the chaotic world of 80s Vietnamese New Wave until she uncovers a hidden past.

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Director

Elizabeth Ai

Producer

Betty Hang, Hannah Bernall, SoYun Um, +2 more

Executive Producer

Diane Quon, Simu Liu, Geeta Gandbhir, +4 more

Crew

Greg Bernall & Chris Upton, Bryant Swanstrom, Samuel Rong, +3 more

Awards & recognition

Thin Line Film Festival

Best in Sound Award 2025

Tribeca Film Festival

Albert Maysles Award for Best New Documentary Director, Special Jury Mention 2024

Austin Asian American Film Festival

Audience Award 2024

Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival

Cross-Cultural Filmmaking Prize 2024

The Popcorn List

Selected in 2025

Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival

Audience Award 2025

Central Coast Film Festival

Best Documentary Feature 2025

Viet Film Festival

Grand Jury, Best Feature Film Award 2024

What people are saying

"My favorite Tribeca music documentary was a homespun affair: Elizabeth Ai’s ‘New Wave,’ a soft scream of a film about ’80s Vietnamese diaspora culture and style."

Natalia Winkelman

New York Times

“Revealing a subculture little known to outsiders, the film soars in its glimpses of the past, most notably the archival performances and photo montages; the period’s outrageous hair must be seen to be believed.”

Lisa Wong Macabasco

Vogue

“a documentary love letter to her community and how its consumption of pop culture shaped defiant attitudes that still resonate today….Piercing and personal.”

Ryan Lattanzio

IndieWire

Gallery

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