Boat People

When two languages and two different worlds meet: what does it mean to “welcome, live together and help”? 1979, near Niort, a French family takes in a Vietnamese family who have fled the authoritarian regimes of Southeast Asia. Between the hosts’ motivations and the newcomers’ unspoken pain, we rediscover this major movement of solidarity that took shape in France at the time. A movement that was both imperative and complex. Marine Bachelot Nguyen makes theatre a place of memory and resistance. On the border between documentary and fiction, her work explores postcolonial legacies. To enrich her narrative, she gathered the testimonies of former refugees. On stage, the performers bring these stories to life. Alongside them, a puppeteer and archival images offer other perspectives. A shift in scale to better tell the story of this now-forgotten wave of generosity. Written and directed by: Marine Bachelot Nguyen.