Movie "Dans la cuisine des Nguyen" takes you from the spotlight to the kitchen
The musical comedy "Dans la cuisine des Nguyen" is a little bit of everything: self-discovery, cooking movie, musical.
12.06.2025, 06:30
12.06.2025, 06:31
SDA
When Yvonne Nguyen is asked to take a job as a telephone operator at her boyfriend's stairlift company, it's over: the actress with Vietnamese roots moves out of the apartment they share. She goes back to her mother, who lives in a suburb of Paris and runs a restaurant with her sister.
The mother is an immigrant and only speaks broken French. She fundamentally dislikes the fact that her daughter is pursuing her dream of a career in musicals. Conflicts are therefore inevitable.
Spring rolls instead of glamor
Before Yvonne can enjoy glitz, glamor and the limelight, she first has to make spring rolls and Nems. Deep-seated conflicts between the two and Yvonne's sluggish career make living together difficult. "You look like a refugee!" her mother exclaims at the beginning and serves her a "bébé canard", a duck embrio, for dinner.
Nevertheless, the women become closer (again), especially when cooking. Together they come to terms with their origins, their own roots and the question of home.
The French production "Dans La Cuisine Des Nguyen" can be seen as a musical film with its many stage appearances by various characters. A Swiss man also plays a part, literally: Gaël Kamilindi is pianist Koko, a loving friend of Yvonne. He repeatedly holds up a mirror to her, for example when he dismisses her new role as "complete garbage" or reminds the musical actress that she once had an affair with Donald Duck as Mulan in Disneyland and lost her job as a result.
Gaël Kamilindi is also known as a director: in his 2024 film "Didy", he set off in Rwanda and Burundi in search of himself - and traces of his mother Didy, who died at an early age.
Humorous screenplay
In "Dans la cuisine des Nguyen", which is now showing in cinemas, young people also come to terms with their origins. Despite this serious subject matter, the film exudes joie de vivre and cheerfulness. This is primarily thanks to the leading actress Clotilde Chea, who breaks many clichés with her demeanor, her refreshing appearance and the way she faces up to problems. But also the colorful, glamorous set and the humorous screenplay, in other words: many funny incidents and dialogues.
*This text by Nina Kobelt, Keystone-SDA, was realized with the help of the Gottlieb and Hans Vogt Foundation.
