I doubt that there’s ever been a documentary quite like Tom Weidlinger’s A DREAM IN HANOI. It follows the collaboration between an American theater company with a Vietnamese on on a production of Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS’ DREAM staged in Vietnam, and performed partly in English and partly in Vietnamese. The cast and crew blend uneasily as they struggle to bridge cultural differences that throw volley upon volley of unexpected curves.
Weidlinger brings an even hand and smart editing to the film. When I spoke with Weidlinger by phone on November 11, 2002, what came across most strongly was that he was someone who put considerable thought into whatever he does, whether answering a question, or finalizing a film’s cut.
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