That´s Life - Dužan Duong

Dužan
Duong

Dužan Duong (*1991, Hanoi) is a director, cinematographer, producer, editor, and screenwriter of Vietnamese origin working in the Czech Republic. He was born in Hanoi but has lived in the Czech Republic since the age of four. His early filmmaking efforts were connected to recording his own dance performances. In his work, he has long focused on the identity of Vietnamese people growing up in Western society. He first explored this theme more prominently in 2014 in the short film Mat goc (Lost Roots). The term refers to a member of the Vietnamese community who does not adhere to the principles of traditional Vietnamese culture. He also examined the generational gap and integration into Czech society in the successful short film Bo Hai (Dad Hai) from 2017, in which he cast his own father and brother as a convenience store owner and his Czech-assimilated son. The film later earned him nominations for the Czech Lion Awards and the Czech Film Critics’ Awards. In 2025, he released his feature film debut Summer School, 2001, which is often described as the first Czech “Viet film.” At the 2025 Czech Film Critics’ Awards, he received the Discovery of the Year award for the film and, together with Jan Smutný and Lukáš Kokeš, also won the award for Best Screenplay. In March 2026, he and Smutný and Kokeš received the Czech Lion Award for Best Screenplay.

A talk show about life’s turning points, challenges, and paths that are not always easy. This popular festival format brings open conversations with personalities who share their experiences of overcoming obstacles – both professional and personal. What shaped them? Where did they have to start over? And what helped them move forward? The discussions are hosted by actor, presenter, and stand-up comedian Filip Teller.
Guests: