

A daughter unwraps her mother's ghost like a funeral gift — and the ribbon never ends.
Upon learning of her mother's passing, May returns to Vietnam after 20 years, determined to learn about her parents' separation in relation to the Mother Goddess Worship. Despite family opposition and cultural barriers, May remains committed to uncovering the truth.
Direction
Nguyen's confident grip on silence and spiritual unease.
Cinematography
Hanoi's humidity made visible, almost breathable.
Acting
Judy Song's face holds entire decades of unasked questions.

Director
Catherine T. Nguyen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mother Goddess Worship (Đạo Mẫu) is a living Vietnamese spiritual practice where female deities possess mediums — the film treats this not as exotic backdrop but as familial infrastructure.
Director Catherine T. Nguyen developed this as her USC thesis film; it premiered at Tribeca 2024, which rarely programs student shorts this aggressively.
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