Nan Feix: A Few of My Favourite Things

All my projects are inspired by encounters. The subjects that touch me are education, second chances, reintegration, transmission, and family. 

These themes are conveyed by disciplines that I love: skateboarding, cooking, motorcycles, and music.

The Food

My best friend is of Vietnamese origin. 

For 15 years, he was a chef in New York; a city that I love deeply and in which I lived. 

His cooking has influenced me since I was 14 years old, when we were skateboarding and making music videos together. 

I recently made a short film, Banh-Mi Quest, on the theme of Vietnamese street food in Chinatown NYC, filmed on a 16mm camera. It's like a tribute to Hong Kong cinema of the 90s, with a very strong sensory and poetic dimension. 

I am currently prepping a fiction feature, co-written by Marine Garnier. Shooting will happen next October in New York, with Loveboat and Logical Pictures.

The Motorbike

I have been riding motocross since I was 12 years old. 

I participated in competitions and championships, drove on the grounds of California while travelling in a camper van, and made a dozen films including five long formats on Supercross, with the best teams in the USA. 

I am fascinated by the danger of this sport, practised by what I call ‘the gladiators of modern times’. 

I've broken a lot of bones and ligaments myself, but still think it's one of the most photogenic and dramatic sports. 

I have a feature film project I’m writing about amateur motocross.

The Dance

Over the years, I’ve taken five long trips to Hawaii. 

I’ve felt an attachment to the land since my first visit when I was 20 years old. 

Today, my two kids have Hawaiian names. 

As a surf enthusiast, I fell in love with its perfect waves, and its sugary mangoes — the simple pleasures a tourist encounters. I thought the love story ended there, until the day I met a Hula instructor, Kilohana, an emblematic figure of Hawaii. She introduced me to the islands in their cultural and spiritual dimension. 

I made two films about Hula dancing, one of which was shown at the Academy of Art in Honolulu. 

I have a feature-length fiction project in the pipeline, on the reintegration of prisoners through Hawaiian dance.

The Skateboard

I've been working for eight years now with a community of skaters called ‘The Garage’, in an underprivileged Latino neighbourhood in Los Angeles. 

It is a non-profit organisation which supervises and finances the studies of kids. 

I have already directed a (fiction) mini-series with them, three documentaries, a short film (fiction), and two photography exhibitions with the production company Loveboat Content. 

All this helps them finance the kids' studies and skating infrastructure. 

I am also currently working on a comic book retracing their story as well as a feature-length film (fiction).

On June 28, I teamed up with Not Just Any and Loveboat Content to host a charity fundraiser evening here in London for Skate-4-Education. 

We put up a selection of my prints for sale at the NJA office, with all the sale proceeds going to the Skate-4-Education charity. 

We really wanted to make this a special night, and we even installed a half-pipe in the courtyard! 

The evening brought people together where they could skate, eat some tacos, watch our selection of short films and we also had a panel discussion on the DIY culture of skateboarding and how it’s a vehicle for bringing communities together. 

I’m glad to have been part of something special like this and for anyone interested in helping us continue to raise funds for The Garage, you can still buy prints right HERE!