KVIFF 2025: ‘Summer School, 2001’ About a Viet Family in Czechia
by Alex Billington
July 10, 2025
Another worthwhile discovery found in the 2025 Karlovy Vary Film Festival line-up – an impressive feature directorial debut from a filmmaker to watch out for now. Summer School, 2001 is the very first Viet-Czech film ever, made by Viet-Czech filmmaker Dužan Duong as his feature directorial debut after many other short films. There is a very strong, very vibrant Vietnamese immigrant community in Czechia – many families have moved into the country and built their lives and started families there. I’ve actually met a few of them as I frequent a Vietnamese restaurant in Karlovy Vary (the fantastic Nhât Båo if I may recommend it) and they were the first to tell me about this film. I’m glad I took the time to catch the premiere and now I’m happy to report that Dužan Duong is a real discovery. The film has a few flaws and I wish it were more uplifting, but his filmmaking is on point and he’s got a cinematic eye. He knows what he’s doing and how to handle all the complex characters. Summer School, 2001 is already set to be released in theaters in Czechia later this month (by legit art house distrib Aerofilms) but also deserves to reach audiences around the world.
After 10 years living in Vietnam, red-haired Kien (starring Bùi Thế Duong – also the face on the poster) returns to his family’s market stall in Cheb, but finds a distant father, a tired mother, and a harsh younger brother instead of the warm welcome he expected. The film follows this Viet-Czech family now living in the border town of Cheb. Many Vietnamese immigrants love to say they’re one big family and they want to all take care of each other. But there’s actually many other issues in the community and within each family, not to mention the “boss of the market” and debts and immigration documents and everything else they have to contend with. The split story spends time with each family member, introducing their individual storylines before they all eventually converge in the film’s finale. This is ambitious cross-culture storytelling, featuring strong filmmaking and a group of authentic characters we get to understand through this plot as it plays out. It’s not a complete knock out, a bit rough around the edges, and actually a bit too sad & depressing watching how this family treats each other. But I was caught up in it and intrigued by the way the story intertwines and by how much I learned about this community in only 105 minutes. And there’s a funny epilogue as well.
Dužan Duong’s Summer School, 2001 should’ve played at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section it’s that good. Of course it makes sense for them to wait to premiere it in Czechia at KVIFF instead, which is located not too far from Cheb anyway. Now I want this filmmaker to have all the opportunities to keep making more films. Real talent – watch out for Dužan Duong. His storytelling sense, his intimacy with the characters, and his cinematic eye and ease with where to point the camera are all excellent. All marks of a truly great filmmaker – and I think he’ll get even better with each new film. Above all I believe the film is very important for the Vietnamese community in Czechia, although it’s almost too accurate in its depiction of Vietnamese families. All of their struggles, the infighting, the siblings, the things they must do to survive and live a good life in another country. But it’s better that Duong shows this and makes it believable rather than something that doesn’t feel like an authentic story. Not only is representation important, for everyone else it’s a reminder there are diverse communities of immigrants and they are just as full of life and just as beautiful as any of the locals. I want this family & everyone to live happily, no matter where they come from.
Alex’s KVIFF 2025 Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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