Independent Lens
The Grocery List Show
Host Chrissy Camba, former Top Chef contender, and guests visit international grocery stores across the U.S. and cook together, illustrating how cuisine can forge cultural connections.
Love Money Sin
Len, Teardrop, and Bang are three Vietnamese refugees in New York City during the late ‘80s who navigate different and, at times, dangerous paths in their quest for belonging.
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Director/ Producer
Sally Tran
Sally Tran is a NYC-based writer and director by way of Vietnam and New Zealand. Her shorts include Grandma Four Color Cards (SXSW 2025)and Don’t (TIFF 2024). She’s in post-production for Tình Tiền Tội : Love Money Sin, a 2024 recipient of the Women of Color Grant from NALIP, funded by Netflix, and set to begin production in early 2025.
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The Film
Tình Tiền Tội: Love Money Sin weaves together the stories of Len, Teardrop, and Bang, three Vietnamese refugees who arrive in New York City after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Their search for belonging leads them down divergent paths. Len dreams of building a better life and confronts the challenges of racism, poverty, and cultural alienation with determination. Teardrop and Bang become involved with the Born to Kill gang founded by David Thai, who initially sought to create a surrogate family for displaced Vietnamese youth. The network offers a sense of identity and protection while demanding allegiance to what ultimately becomes a notorious criminal organization. Teardrop and Bang descend into a world marked by blackmail, extortion, and violence, while Len attempts to rise above systemic barriers.
Tình Tiền Tội: Love Money Sin considers the struggles of immigrant communities and reasons why marginalized youth turn to criminality. Blending archival footage, live-action reenactments, and 2D animation, the film explores displacement and survival alongside the resilience and humanity that emerge in the process.
