There is a certain part of all of us that lives outside of our environment. We become aware of our environment at certain moments but we’re subconsciously liberated from it.

It was just another normal weekend. I had planned to go to a cabin to think about my next movie. In the last minute, Anna and her husband decided to join me. On the way to the cabin, I had this song in the back of my head that was endlessly repeating. Snake Eyes by The Milk Carton Kids. The repetition was so penetrating that I found myself disengaged at times. I was sailing through my own nagging thoughts.

We got to the cabin. The song was still stuck in my head. At some point during the night, Anna started sharing a personal story. I was still half engaged –until she tossed in a word that snatched my full attention. I immediately stopped her, grabbed my camera, zoomed in, and filmed her storytelling.

The short film you see below doesn’t portray what went on. What you see is merely an audiovisual depiction of the transition my mind went through –during the story. I was brought back to the environment by her story and I was curiously moved.

The word Tuyen entered my mind. I had never known anyone by that name.