Vietnamese-American filmmaker Stephane Gauger (R) discusses he script with his actress Pham Gia Han for a scene of “Owl and he Sparrow” – Gauger’s debut as a director

In his directorial debut, Vietnam-born Stephane Gauger captures street life in a city of energy and sensory overload.

The movie also won three prizes at Vietnam’s national Golden Kite Awards on March 1: Best Movie Voted by Journalists, Best Film with Foreign Elements, and Best New Actress for 10- year-old Pham Gia Han.

It was the only independent film among the nominations.

The man behind this success, director/writer Stephane Gauger, was born in 1970 in then Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) to a Vietnamese mother and a French-American father, and moved to the US at the age of five.

Nearly 10 years as a lighting supervisor and cameraman gave Gauger enough experience to become a filmmaker.

Since 1998, he has been involved in many films in the US and Vietnam in many positions, from technician and cameraman to actor and assistant director.

He has contributed to acclaimed films by Vietnamese-American directors including “Three Seasons” by Tony Bui in 1999 and “The Rebel” by Charlie Truc Nguyen in 2006.

His directorial debut, “Owl and the Sparrow” came from Gauger’s desire to make a feature that was a little bit more urban, contemporary and different than the Vietnamese films he had seen.

It took him only 15 days to shoot the movie. With a hand-held camera, the director-scriptwriter-cameraman made a 97-minute motion picture which has been praised by Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone and other big names.

“My recent inspiration has mostly come from Europe, but Saigon is my birthplace so I naturally have an attachment to its quirks and rhythms,” Gauger told Thanh Nien Daily.

“My desire was to shoot a low-tech, low-concept and non-political film, to tell common stories with common people in a city bustling with energy and sensory overload.”

Talking about his characters, a flower girl, a zookeeper and a flight attendant, Gauger has an interesting explanation about his inspiration for them.

“I had befriended a lot of flower girls in Saigon and thought they were adorable, smart and savvy. The zookeeper came from my falling in love with the zoo in Saigon. It is one of very few places that are quiet in this city,” Asia Pacific Arts online magazine quotes Gauger as saying.

“I think if I were a lonely man, I would live in the zoo with the animals. The flight attendant was just a meditation on the single lifestyle of the modern Vietnamese woman. They may have anything but the right guy.”

The script is an example of independence and freedom in filmmaking. To make the dialogue fit the vernacular and prevent the actors from becoming stiff and stilted by repeating the script verbatim, Gauger gave them the right to change words as they saw fit. The natural, true characters are the result of this.

The European influence on the film, as Gauger said, shows in the subtle content and camera technique.

“European dramas usually tend to the truth, and so do I. Having the camera loose and off the tripod, using the true sound of the surroundings, these may not be familiar to the Vietnamese. But I just wanted to lead the viewers to jump in the film with my characters. I wanted the film to be a little grungier,” said Gauger.

The cooperation between Gauger and Chanh Phuong Film from “The Rebel” to “Owl and the Sparrow” is still going strong. According to producer Jimmy Nghiem Pham, CEO of Chanh Phuong Film, the good screenplay and low expense of “Owl and the Sparrow” were why Chanh Phuong Film could invest in the film without fear.

“I first met Stephane in 1995, and we have been cooperating since. When we entered ‘Owl and the Sparrow’ in the Golden Kite Awards, I did not think it would win anything, despite my strong belief in our product,” Pham said.

“Winning three awards was really a surprise. We are planning to release the film in Vietnam soon,” he said.

The humanity of “Owl and the Sparrow” has captivated audiences at film festivals in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Hawaii, New York, Denver and Dallas in the US, and some Asian countries including South Korea.

“Gauger does a great job of balancing the fanciful and realistic elements of his story. And, yes, there is the requisite happy ending, but it doesn’t feel forced, and ends on a lovely scene that promises a future filled with love,” commented Hawaii’s Star Bulletin.

Gauger will continue to work with Chanh Phuong Film, on a project called “Simon.”

“Stephane gave me this script six months ago, and I found it interesting. I hope shooting can begin at the end of 2009,” Pham said.

Reported by Kim