Interpreting the “Ghost” in Vietnamese Horror Films through the Lens of Việt Kiều Directors

Abstract

This article investigates the representation and meanings of “ghosts” in Vietnamese horror films directed by Việt Kiều (overseas Vietnamese) filmmakers, with a specific focus on Cô hầu gái (The Housemaid, 2016), Ngôi nhà trong hẻm (House in the Alley, 2012), and Oan hồn (Spirits, 2004). These films are analyzed through the theoretical lenses of collective memory and cultural dimensions, emphasizing how ghosts serve as symbolic embodiments of the psychological and social traumas of displacement. The study also examines how such representations reflect the identity conflicts of the so-called 1.5 generation, who negotiate tensions between inherited traditional values and the new cultural norms of a globalized society. Drawing on Derrida’s concept of hauntology, Halbwachs’s theory of collective memory, and Hirsch’s interpretation of postmemory, the analysis demonstrates that ghosts are not merely mnemonic devices for recalling a wounded past, but also cultural sites for re-articulating meaning and re-narrating identity. By situating these films within the broader context of diaspora cultural production, the article reveals how Vietnamese horror cinema directed by Việt Kiều functions as a dynamic arena for negotiating memory and identity. This multidimensional approach contributes to a deeper understanding of how popular film genres, particularly horror, can mediate complex diasporic experiences and participate in the ongoing reconfiguration of cultural memory in the contemporary era.