s Directed by Honey Lauren a Panik Piktures I Rooftop Mind production Press rZit www.rooftoprnind.com/happyhands I(ey Information Contact Information Producer/Director: Honey Lauren Email: [email protected] Twitter: @honeygay Phone 310.663.1269 Film Marketing Information Website & Press: www.rooftopmind.com/happyhands Facebook: www.facebook.com/happyhandsmovie Twitter: @rooftopmind Technical Information Genre: Documentary HD / 1080p / NTSC / color / 16x9 / Dolby Digital - Stereo / TRT: 19:55 www.rooftopmind.com/happyhands The Story 1975. Saigon was falling and the lives of thousands of Vietnamese would change forever ... Displaced a new country, a new language, America. Opportunity... but not a home, not a job. A dream . Hollywood icon, Tippi Hedren, gave her time and heart on the South China Sea, bravely helping Vietnamese refugees and eventually becoming a fixture in the camp known as Hope Village. There, Miss Hedren personally conceived and provided the means for twenty of the first refugees to establish themselves as manicurists. Together, they brought beauty to the masses, and established a new industry that became a Vietnamese American Dream for a people whose language has no word to describe it. This is the story of the Vietnamese 'nail worker.' www.rooftopmind.com/happyhands Director's Statement Growing up in Los Angeles, I always took for granted the hundreds of Vietnamese nail salons that populated every neighborhood, offering affordable nail care to 'poor teenagers' like myself. I remember during that time, I went to visit a cousin in New York City, and it was then that I realized that this luxury wasn't readily available everywhere. As an adult, I befriended some of the women who worked in my neighborhood salon, one in particular named Laura. These lovely women, all Vietnamese, left their homes, their friends and some, even their families. I was taken by their stories. They changed their names, their language, their wardrobe, and in some cases, their religion. While most of these women had careers in Vietnam, they chose to start new lives in the land of opportunity: America. When NewFilmmakers LA contacted their alumni for an 'LA Story,' I immediately thought of these salons. I knew there was a story here and as I spoke more with Laura and did my research, I was awed by what I found. The story unfolded like a fairytale with the beautiful Hollywood icon, Tippi Hedren perfectly cast in the role of Fairy godmother. The depth of her kindness, love, and devotion to the Vietnamese refugees was beyond admirable. Her presence of mind to work with these women and to ascertain a career for them - a job that still to this day has no name in their language and has become a Vietnamese dominated, multi-billion dollar industry - is amazing and I feel honored and privileged to tell this story. Making the film felt like a fairy tale as well... Laura led us to Tam, (owner of the beauty college where she went to school), Tam led us to Tippi, and Tippi led us to Thuan, one of the original twenty manicurists who Miss Hedren sponsored. Tam is the spirit of this story, Tippi the heart, and Thuan the soul. I am humbled to bring this to you. Honey Lauren Director Director Honey Lauren (right) on location with cast & crew. www.rooftopmind.com/happyhands The Team Honey Lauren Director/Producer Honey Lauren is one of stage, film and television's most versatile and dynamic actresses. She has over 70 film and television credits and has appeared in dozens of commercials. Some of Honey's television credits include recurring roles on HBO's True Blood and Deadwood. Honey is also a produced and published writer. She has written for directors such as Abel Ferrara (King of New York, Bad Leitenant) , Mario Van Peebles, and Melvin Van Peebles. Her feature script Thought Disorder and short script Wives of the Skies were recent finalists at the Slamdance Film Festival. Dot Got Shot was Honey's film directorial debut and went on to win three major festival awards. Happy Hands is Honey's first documentary. Tippi Hedren Actor/Activist Tippi Hedren is an iconic Hollywood film actress. Working as a successful model from 1950 to 1961, she appeared on the cover of 'Life' magazine. She was discovered by director Alfred Hitchcock in a diet drink advert and starred in his 1962 hit film, The Birds, which helped catapult her to stardom. She co-starred with Sean Connery in her next film, Mamie, which also achieved cult status. Between her TV and film appearances, Tippi devoted herself to human rights, using her celebrity status to raise funds for several aid organizations. As seen in Happy Hands, she is called the 'godmother of the nail industry.' Perhaps Tippi's most unique endeavor is The Roar Foundation, which she founded in 1983 to support the care and research of abandoned exotic felines at the Shambala Preserve (home to over 60 wild cats). Lear Baum Producer Leor Baum has produced a series of narrative and documentary films that have garnered numerous awards at film festivals worldwide. Leor first met Honey Lauren in 2011 at the Bodega Bay Short Film Festival. Happy Hands marks their first collaboration, and ironically, the film's star, Tippi Hedren, happened to be visiting Bodega Bay (home of The Birds) the same weekend Leor and Honey met. Leor is the co-founder of Rooftop Mind, a production company specializing in producing original stories that challenge and inspire. www.rooftopmind.com/happyhands The Team (cont'd) Sebastien Hameline Cinematographer Sebastien is a Parisian born photographer and cinematographer who comes from a family deeply rooted in French cinema. A graduate of the film studies program at the University of the Sorbonne, Hameline began as a freelance photographer, and since 2001 has had a number of acclaimed exhibitions in Paris. In 2012, he was chosen as winner of Salon de la Photo's Zoom Contest, which earned him a press award and an exhibition for his photo documentary project, "Wulu Voyage" (this black and white series follows an indigenous Taiwanese tribe). Sebastien's cinematograpahy has screened in festivals, received awards, and been broadcast on channels such as CNN. Attila Adam Editor Attila Adam is a Hungarian-born filmmaker and visual artist who has been editing professionally for the last 7 years. His diverse body of work in the film and commercial world has allowed him to acquire a rich understanding of different forms of storytelling. Attila currently serves as the in-house editor at GO Film, a commercial production house that produces work from directors such as Christopher Guest and David Dobkin (Wedding Crashers). Happy Hands marks Attila's first collaboration with Honey Lauren. Josh Vanakin Composer Josh Vanakin is professional musician and film composer. His work showcases a rich spectrum of atmospheric depth and emotion. Josh first worked with director/producer Honey Lauren on her awardwinning short film, Dot Got Shot. When she approached him for Happy Hands, Josh once again illustrated his ability to capture a specific era and tone. By fashioning a balance between bold and new, his score for the film perfectly complements the interviewees and their unique contributions to Vietnamese American history. www.rooftopmind.com/happyhands The Team (cont'd) Dr. Tam Nguyen Owner, Advance Beauty College Tam T. Nguyen is President and Owner of Advance Beauty College (ABC) with locations in Garden Grove and Laguna Hills, California. Originally born in Vietnam, Tam immigrated to the USA in 1975, and was raised in Walnut, California. At ABC, Dr. Nguyen oversees a growing family business of 40 employees, 500 students and 30,000 graduates. The accredited beauty college continuously has one of the largest manicuring programs in the nation. As a recognized industry leader, Tam was elected to serve on the American Association of Cosmetology Schools Board of Directors representing over 1,000 institutions nationally from 2010-2013. Tam was chosen as the 2012 Orange County Business Journal's Family Business of the Year and was honored as California Small Business of the Year in June 2011. He is the current Chairman and President of the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County. Tam has been interviewed or featured on CNN, NPR, NBC, CBS, AOL, Chicago Tribune, the LA Times, and most of the Vietnamese press, radio, and television. Tam and his wife reside in Fountain Valley with their three children. Full Credits Happy Hands a Panik Pictures I Rooftop Mind production Directed by Produced by Executive Producer Cinematography by Edited by Original Music by Sound Recorded by Sound Design by Color Correction Makeup Production Design Production Coordinator Honey Lauren Honey Lauren and Leor Baum Thomas C. Young Sebastien Hameline Attila Adam and Anthony David Josh Vanakin Aaron Gray Noah Blough James Knott Leah Sheffield Veronica Bloom Kyle Bentley Interviewees Tippi Hedren, Tam T. Nguyen, Thuan Le, Hong Lei www.rooftopmind.com/happyhands