Summer School, 2001 (2025)
Some films matter as much for what they represent as for what is on the screen. Summer School, 2001, the feature debut from director Dužan Duong, is billed as the first Viet-Czech production, a film made by and about the Vietnamese community that has lived and worked in the Czech Republic for decades and almost never turns up in its cinema.
It reaches British audiences off the back of a premiere at Karlovy Vary and recognition at the Czech Lions, and it had its UK premiere at the Raindance Film Festival 2026. The world it opens up, Vietnamese traders making a living on a Czech market, is one most viewers will not have seen on a big screen before.
Dužan Duong's Summer School, 2001 is a genuinely fascinating watch. Watched as part of my press duties for the Raindance Film Festival 2026. This film marks a massive milestone as the very first Viet-Czech production, and for that it's a resounding success in that regard alone.
The film has a very distinct, episodic structure that feels heavily indebted to the character studies and family thrillers of the early 2000s. What really grabbed me, though, was the incredibly interesting premise. It shines a light on one of the most unlikely groups you usually see represented in cinema: Vietnamese immigrants hustling and selling counterfeit goods on a local market in Czechia. It's a world we rarely get to peek into, and Duong captures it with a brilliant, authentic eye.
The narrative is cleverly fractured, unfolding across three distinct perspectives: the hardworking father (played brilliantly by Đoàn Hoàng Anh), the youngest son Tai (Tô Tiến Tài), and the eldest son, Kien (Bùi Thế Dương). The story unravels really cleverly, with Duong giving us a nice, slow warm-up for the big revelations rather than just dumping the twists on us too early. It keeps you properly engaged, trying to piece together the family dynamics and the hidden tensions bubbling under the surface of their market stalls. Adding to the atmosphere is a deeply emotive soundtrack that perfectly underscores the quiet struggles and unspoken bonds between the men, balancing the grit of their daily grind with genuine emotional weight.
If I have one real gripe, it's that the film feels like it's missing the mother's perspective entirely, which leaves a bit of a void in the family dynamic. Furthermore, while Kien's storyline is compelling, his perspective doesn't really land on a definite, satisfying conclusion by the time the credits roll, leaving a few narrative threads dangling. But honestly, these are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a really good film.
It's a refreshing, culturally significant debut that offers a deeply human look at a community rarely seen on the big screen. Summer School, 2001 is a smart, engaging, and beautifully observed family drama that firmly puts Viet-Czech cinema on the map.
Films like this are exactly why I wanted festival access in the first place, the chance to point people towards something most of them would never get the opportunity to see. Summer School, 2001 deserves to travel well beyond the festival circuit, and I will be keeping a close eye on whatever Dužan Duong does next.
Reviewed from a Raindance Film Festival 2026 press screener.
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Klassiki
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Klassiki
Physical: Amazon US
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