Who am I?

My name is Paul Vo Le. I'm currently studying for a Master of Fine Arts in Cinema and Media Arts at Lindenwood University. I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film, Television, and Video Production at Webster University. I have always been captivated by the art of filmmaking, and I aspire to become a cinematographer who tells stories visually through the lens of the camera. As a film student, making short films is the optimal way to show the world your skills and abilities.

In 2024, my short film Flesh and Blood won Best Horror at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase and was selected to be screened at the Oscar-qualifying St. Louis International Film Festival. The film also won multiple awards at film festivals nationwide in Los Angeles (CA), Green Bay (WI), and Cape Girardeau (MO). My most recent film, Mystic Springs, was also selected for the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase in July 2025. This project, Broken Rice, will be the fourth thesis film of my study.

Check out my YouTube Channel: YouTube

What is Broken Rice?

Also known as cơm tấm, broken rice is a popular Vietnamese dish from Southern Vietnam, especially Saigon, made from fractured rice grains that were once considered low-quality but are now a signature meal.

Drawing inspiration from the humble dish, I want to tell a story about a Vietnamese student far away from home finding comfort in broken rice. As a Drama/Coming-of-Age film, this project aims to embrace and showcase the aspects of growing up in an outlandish place, cultural shock, family expectations, and loneliness.

Synopsis

Kim, 21, is an international college student in the U.S. She is trying to get through a cold, lonely winter. She feels completely invisible on campus. Most of the time, she talks to her mom, Mai, on glitchy video calls. Mai runs a small broken rice stall in Vietnam to pay for Kim's education.

Kim pitches a plan to go back home and turn her mom's stall into a franchise as part of a class project. She says that broken rice used to be seen as "waste," but now it's a popular comfort food. This is similar to how she's trying to find her own worth in a place where she feels like an outsider. But both her mom and her professor tell her to stay in America for a "better" life, even though Kim is homesick and having a hard time.

Things start to turn brighter when she meets Tony, a Vietnamese-American student who doesn't speak the language but understands how hard it is to meet family expectations. Kim has to figure out how to make a home for herself in a country that feels so distant from everything she knows. She has to deal with the stress of her visa status and the news that her mom is closing the family business.

Why Broken Rice?

As an international student myself, I understand what it feels like to live far from home while balancing school, cultural differences, and the pressure to succeed. Through Broken Rice, I wanted to tell a story that feels honest and reflects what it’s like trying to grow up in a place that doesn’t always feel like yours.

Broken Rice is an extremely personal project to me since I feel deeply connected to the story. I wrote this script based on my own experience of being an international student living in the U.S., and I also wanted to pay tribute to my mother, who spent years selling broken rice in Vietnam and being the breadwinner of the family. I find the visual image, as well as the meaning of broken rice, profound and rich. Not only is it a delicious Vietnamese dish, but it is also meaningful in terms of its origin.

Throughout the history of American cinema, there have been very few stories told from an Asian perspective. Films that mention Vietnam without focusing on the war are even rarer. Stories about international students are almost nonexistent. With this film, I hope to change that by telling a quiet, personal story about family, identity, and what it means to be far from home.

What We Need

This project is planned to be filmed from March 27 to March 29, 2026, in St. Louis, MO. Making short films can get quite expensive, especially if you are a student. Therefore, the financial help from crowdfunding will alleviate the costs that we have to spend out-of-pocket and allow the creative energy to bring out the best results. The projected budget is $6,000, which will be spent on renting equipment, procuring props, costumes, and practical effects, entering festivals, as well as meals for the cast and crew on production days.

Budget Breakdown

How Else Can You Help?

We understand if you are unable to help financially. You are totally welcome to contribute to the development of this project by sharing this crowdfunding page on your personal social media accounts. Your help is crucial to us. Thank you kindly!