Educational Media Reviews Online

This documentary looks at the friendship of two individuals, Linda, an European American in her 70s, and Ink, a young Vietnamese American in his 20s. The desire of the film is to highlight what the filmmakers consider an unusual cross-generational and cross-cultural friendship. Further, the film dives into how Ink’s understanding of his identity develops over the length of the film. There is also a substantial coverage of Ink’s work as a street artist.

Unfortunately, this film never really works. The filmmakers decided to take an observational approach to this film, with a few moments when they do participate with the subjects. The main topic of this film, concerning an unlikely friendship, can be hard to convey without conflict of some type. The director, Stuart C. Paul, tries to use Ink’s work on the street to create this sense of drama. Ultimately, this takes away from the central theme. Even though the music by Mandy Hoffman is effective, the scenes still fall flat. Other films have delved into street art more effectively.

The problem with the scenes when Ink is installing his work on the street speaks to an overarching problem with the design of the film. There is always a sense of the filmmaker’s presence. This makes scenes feel artificial, and what may have been deep conversations feel scripted rather than authentic. How Ink and Linda come together as friends needs more context; what is special about this relationship, why do the filmmakers see this as a story worth telling?

There are a few glimmers here and there in the film. Ink’s journey to Ho Chi Minh City is interesting, and some of his reflection on how this impacts his identity. This seemed more influential than his interactions with Linda.

It is hard to see where this might be used in a classroom. Possibly a discussion on cross-generational interactions, but even here it would need a lot of discussion.

Awards:
Best Documentary, Dance Camera West 2022

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