Film about the owner of the Ha-Noi pub in Wrzeszcz. AAFF premiere

The fate of a Vietnamese restaurateur in Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz, who was helped by locals in the epidemic, spreading spring roll fashion, is a topic A short documentary film “Mr. Hanoi” dir. Wojciech Godekwhich will premiere in All about Freedom Festival.

A Vietnamese bar in Wrzeszcz

Chin Du Xuan In the film he tells how he found himself in Poland. In 1986 he received a scholarship at the Foreigners Training Center in Gdansk and stayed here. For a long time he was a social worker, and also dealt with imports. Interestingly, he is Vietnamese by education, and learned the culinary profession from his father.

After witnessing the Polish transformation, a man from communist Vietnam decided to start his own business – a bar serving many dishes of Vietnamese cuisine. Hanoi It is built in the market in water. Wyspiański in Wrzeszcz (It is still here today). The archival material that Wrzeszcz presented in those years is a huge advantage of the film. Wrzeszczański “market”, although there are many near Main Street, today a somewhat forgotten place.

Not what food is served at Ha-Noi Bar. Local spring rolls are mentioned in the film, among others, graffiti artist Piotr “Tuse” Jaworski, designer Megi Malinowska, and blogger Szymon Suchar, as well as other regular clients. There are also good reviews about the dishes prepared by Xuan on the Internet. It was not the food itself that stole the hearts of the customers, but the owner as well. Over the years, he has not only gained a large number of regular customers, but also established close friendships with many of them.

Chinh Do Xuan works at Ha-Noi Bar seven days a week. He does everything himself: he cooks and cleans himself, he does the shopping himself. Every day he brings heavy nets of semi-finished products to the restaurant, which – which is not clear nowadays – prepares everything he can from scratch, including the sauces available on the menu.

Buildings do not stand. The most famous places are located

– Bar Hanoi has been part of the landscape of Wrzeszcz for years. However, we were inspired by the work to help Mr. Chen organized by the Facebook group Where to eat in Tri-City – explains Rafai and GazelleProducer, cinematographer and film editor.

Dark clouds over Ha-Noi

At the end of 2020, the pandemic and numerous restrictions on the restaurant industry contributed to causing great chaos in many establishments and businesses. Chinh Do Xuan also had problems. The owner of the inn faced bankruptcy.

A concerned customer reported this on a Facebook group with recommendations for restaurants. Quickly selected by the group administrator Klaudia Sroczyńskaknown from the blog kitchen spiritand encouraged the members of the group to order food at a pub in Wrzeszcz, which caused an outpouring of interest and help. Long queues lined up outside, and meals sold out a few hours before closing. In just four days, we were able to collect the 10,000 PLN needed for the renewal. zloty. Customers helped, but Tri-City’s gastronomy also showed solidarity.

You can read more about the Ha-Noi rescue in our article:

“I’m not the only one having difficulty.” Ha-Noi bar owner in Wrzeszcz gives more good

From soldier to cook

An important aspect of the film is also Chinh Do Xuan’s past. The American-Vietnamese War had a huge impact on a man’s life. The protagonist shares his memories of that time on the screen – first a student and student, and then a soldier. The war left him not only in a sick condition – he almost lost his arm, but above all with terrible memories.

– The movie is also updated due to current geopolitical events and the character of the hero – a veteran. It’s also a testament to how solidarity Tri-City residents can be, and an indication that a new life can be built here – Wojczal adds.

“Mr. Hanoi” – movie premiere at AAFF

“Mr. Hanoi” was included in the “Towards a Man” section of this year’s All About Freedom Festival. The series is a new festival and consists of three short shows that provide glimpses of people whose choices in their lives confront questions about boundaries – identity, gender and stereotypes. They are also stories of courage, self-discovery, and formation. Each show is an excuse to meet a human being – a heroine, a heroine, a director, a creator. The premiere of “Mr. Hanoi” and a meeting with the creators and the hero of the film will be held October 13 at 17 in European Solidarity Center. This is correct free entry Download a free ticket (online or at the ticket office).

The film reached the finals of the Polish International Film Festival in the category of Best Film about Scenes in Poland. It was created as part of the cultural grant as part of the funds of the city of Gdansk.